Geopolitics is no longer the concern of diplomats alone. South African companies have felt the effects of the volatile international climate most recently with the expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) at the end of September 2025. Decisions about investment, partnerships, and market entry are increasingly influenced by global currents. Corporate leaders must now consider not just operational outcomes, but how choices resonate internationally.
Neutrality is hard to maintain. In a world divided by competing powers, a company seen as aligned with one bloc can encounter resistance elsewhere. A new investor, a technology partnership, or a market expansion may carry political implications. Reputation is no longer a passive asset; it is exposed to global forces. Communicators are no longer decorators of image. They are interpreters of risk.
South Africa occupies a complex position. The country navigates relations with BRICS, Western trading partners, and the African continental agenda. This creates opportunity and exposure. A mining firm sourcing equipment from China, a bank using Western fintech, or an agribusiness exporting to the Middle East all operate under overlapping rules and expectations. Communications must address multiple audiences: regulators, peers across Africa, global investors, and governments with differing priorities. How a company explains itself can matter as much as what it produces.
Communications is increasingly treated as a form of diplomacy. Beyond traditional lobbying, firms engage with think tanks, policymakers, and multilateral institutions to shape discussion in their sectors. The aim is to show how the company contributes to stability, sustainability, and economic growth in terms policymakers recognise. Influence in the boardroom is inseparable from influence abroad.
The digitalisation of geopolitics has added another layer of complexity. Disinformation, deepfakes, and social-media attacks can damage trust before facts emerge. Companies need rapid-response protocols, preparedness plans, and clear fact-based communication. Truth has become a strategic asset, and communicators are its custodians.
Boards rarely receive guidance on narrative or geopolitical risk. They are briefed on cyber threats, financial exposure, and compliance, but not on how global events—from the Red Sea to Silicon Valley—affect investor confidence, supply chains, and reputation. That must change.
For South African firms navigating the post-AGOA landscape, communications is strategy, not a downstream function. The companies that succeed will be those whose communicators interpret geopolitical risks, speak with authority, and maintain credibility.
Strategic communication shapes perception as much as performance. In a fractured world, it safeguards reputation, builds trust, and positions companies to seize opportunity while managing risk. For South African firms with global ambitions, it is essential.
– Mauritz Venter
Junior Account Manager