Pretoria: The Effective Communicators Conference (ECC26) got underway in Swakopmund on Wednesday, with sessions on strategic communication, artificial intelligence, and media trust drawing delegates from different African countries to the MTC Dome.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the conference, hosted by the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT), runs from 14 to 17 July under the theme 'Communication Reconsidered: A driving force for constant progress.' Delegates arrived and registered on Tuesday, when MICT and Nampa also held a training session for regional information officers.
Proceedings opened on Wednesday with a panel on the African Public Relations Association's (APRA) 2026 forum, moderated by APRA Secretary-General Omoniyi Ibietan and featuring Zaffico PLC Director Irene Lungu; Chairperson of the WPRF/APRA 2026 Planning Committee, Professor Emmanuel Dandaura; and PetroFund Namibia Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, Shoki Kandjimi.
The Bank of Namibia's Director of Strategic Communications and International Relations, Kazembire Zemburuka, is also expected to address delegates on new media and disseminating the national narrative. Cluster sessions Wednesday afternoon will cover topics including 'Media expectations from communicators' presented by The Namibian news editor Ester Mbathera, and 'PR and public trust,' presented by communications academic Wonder Guchu.
Capricorn Group Corporate Affairs Manager Festus Nakatana and Green Hydrogen Namibia's Manager of External Affairs and Communications, Jona Musheko, will also address delegates in parallel afternoon sessions.
The conference continues on Thursday, designated World PR Day, with the official opening programme presided over by Namibia's Vice President, Lucia Witbooi, and her Botswana counterpart, Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe. The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, is expected to deliver a ministerial address, while the Governor of the Erongo Region, Nathalia /Goagoses, is expected to deliver welcoming remarks.
Hilda Basson-Namundjebo, communications strategist and Stantin Siebritz, AI specialist and managing director at New Creation Solutions, are also expected to address participants on Thursday. Thursday's sessions are set to include presentations on building and selling an admirable brand, public engagement and building public trust, as well as media literacy in combating misinformation.