Communications Management in the Africa Context: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice

The global attempt to determine the body of knowledge for communication man-agement has inspired and motivated African scholars and practitioners to provide insights into this field from the perspective of a developing continent. This article attempts to paint the African picture in terms of political and socioeconomic factors against the backdrop of globalization. In Africa, scholars and practitioners have an added responsibility—the utilization of communication management for development and empowerment of the continent and its people. The article investi-gates some implications for African communication management theory, research, and practice. In developed countries, communication management (public relations)1 in all its contexts is of paramount importance to creating and maintaining effective relation-ships with all stakeholders. In Africa, in theory, this is also held as a strong argu-ment by communication management scholars and practitioners. However, to realize this ideal in practice is much more difficult. The issue of effective communication with stakeholders across the African con-tinent has been noted by current South African President Thabo Mbeki. He has written and spoken often about the importance of communication, and in an open Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ronél Rensburg, Department o