The Cost of Doing PR in Africa: It's Not Uniform, but It's More Than You Think

Additionally, the size of the media pool in each country can greatly impact your results, with some countries having extensive media networks and others having much smaller ones.

Africa is not a monolithic entity but a mosaic of diverse cultures, economies and media landscapes. An effective approach to PR on the continent takes into account the specific nuances of each market and delivers tailored PR solutions that resonate with local audiences.

PR retainers for small businesses or startups in Africa may start from as low as USD$1 500 (about R27 000) per month in some countries, while in others, costs are often slightly higher due to factors such as market competitiveness and media availability. Packages of this size mostly include essential services such as media relations, press release distribution and social media management.

Medium-sized companies with more extensive PR needs can expect to invest between USD$5 000 (R91 000) and USD$15 000 (R273 000) per month per country for more comprehensive PR retainers. Costs may vary based on the level of media engagement required and the complexity of the market dynamics. There are many different countries and contexts at play across the continent.

Larger international corporations with operations in Africa will look to pay anything from USD$20 000 (R365 000) upwards per month, depending on the scope and scale of the PR campaign. High-level packages such as these include strategic PR planning, executive media training, stakeholder engagement and media relations.

When understanding the costs involved in embarking on PR projects in Africa, it is vital that the context is understood. Global content distribution without incorporating relevant country information is a sure way to fail on the continent — and it infuriates journalists. It's crucial for PR strategies to be localised and to be as culturally sensitive as possible to effectively engage with diverse African audiences. In addition, one needs to consider the paid element of PR.

Media houses need your support and will not support you editorially indefinitely — that's an unrealistic expectation. The point is that PR in Africa is not uniform, and it doesn't come cheaply if it is to be done well (strategically aligned to business goals). 

And PS: PR is not lead generation — it may be the foundation, but it's not the full solution.

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*Image courtesy of contributor