African communications excellence recognised at WCFA global awards

African communications excellence was recognised on the global stage as Lebo Madiba, founder and managing director of PR Powerhouse, received the Gold award for Powerful Voice in Communication at the World Communications Forum Association (WCFA) awards in Davos, Switzerland.

The recognition formed part of a strong showing for South African corporate affairs and strategic communication, with two additional Silver awards linked to PR Powerhouse’s work with mining company, Thungela. These included Silver for Best Corporate Affairs for Thungela’s financial results communication, awarded to the agency and a Silver for In-House Team of the Year, awarded to the Thungela Corporate Affairs and Communications team.

Madiba’s individual Gold award recognises her growing contribution to the communication profession as a strategist, reputation adviser, writer and public voice on trust, leadership, crisis, social licence and the evolving role of communication in complex environments.

‘This recognition means a great deal because it affirms the power of African voices in global communication,’ said Madiba. ‘Our work is shaped by complexity. In Africa, communication is rarely just about visibility; it encompasses trust, legitimacy, leadership, social impact and the ability to hold difficult conversations in environments where reputation has real consequences.’

She added: ‘To be recognised alongside global peers is deeply meaningful. It says African communicators are not simply participating in global conversations, we are contributing to shaping them.’

The Silver award for Best Corporate Affairs recognised Thungela’s financial results communication, which translated complex business performance into clear, credible and accessible messaging for multiple stakeholders. The work demonstrated the value of disciplined communication in helping audiences understand business performance, market context, leadership priorities and long-term positioning.

The In-House Team of the Year Silver award recognised the strength of Thungela’s Corporate Affairs and Communications function, highlighting the role of an integrated internal team in managing reputation, stakeholder engagement and strategic communication in a complex operating environment.

Mpumi Sithole, Thungela executive head of corporate affairs, said, ‘These awards underscore the role of communication as a strategic discipline. They recognise the rigour, strategic judgement and alignment required to protect and build credibility in complex, reputation‑sensitive environments. For Thungela, this is a strong endorsement of the quality of our corporate affairs function and the partnerships that enable it to perform at the highest level.’

The WCFA awards bring together communications professionals, agencies, corporate affairs leaders, and reputation specialists from around the world (over 25 countries), recognising excellence across public relations, corporate communication, leadership communication, and reputation management with over 120 entries.

‘We are building an agency that can compete globally while remaining rooted in African insight,’ said Madiba. ‘The wins reflect a broader opportunity for African communicators to claim more space in global industry conversations.’