Bloomwit, Africa’s leading PR and communications agency and academy, has released its 2026 Visibility Report for African SMEs, shining a spotlight on the critical role small and medium-sized enterprises play in the continent’s economic landscape. The report highlights a key challenge: while SMEs drive growth and innovation, limited visibility continues to hinder investor interest, customer loyalty, and overall business expansion.
The findings reveal a striking gap that despite accounting for over 90% of businesses and up to 80% of jobs in Africa, fewer than 15% of SMEs allocate budgets for public relations or communications strategies. Even more alarming, only 1.8% have basic online assets, like professional websites, essential for structured PR and visibility initiatives. The report underscores the direct correlation between visibility and SME growth, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
Data from the report highlights the forces influencing SME visibility:
Key Findings from the 2026 Visibility Report
● Fewer than 15% of African SMEs allocate budgets to public relations or communications strategy.
● Only 1.8% operate foundational owned assets such as professional websites, a core requirement for effective PR and media engagement.
● Founder-led visibility dominates, with LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) emerging as primary platforms due to low cost and high reach.
● Traditional media, particularly radio (65%) and free-to-air television, remain strong credibility drivers, while digital news penetration exceeds 70% in several African markets.
● Well-executed visibility campaigns deliver an estimated 3–6X return on investment within one year.
● Over 60% of PR budgets are now linked to measurable leads and traffic metrics, with 76% of organisations tracking PR-driven conversions through analytics tools.
● AI adoption in communications rose from 26% in 2024 to 46% in 2025, signalling a shift toward data-informed, performance-driven PR.
Commenting on the report, Bloomwit’s Head of Operations, Gloria Oti said, “This report confirms what we’ve observed working with African SMEs. In markets with 44 million competitors, the gap between having a quality offering and actually acquiring customers is bridged by strategic visibility. Our research shows that well-executed PR campaigns deliver 3-6X return on investment, yet most SMEs still operate without structured communication strategies.”
For SMEs that invest strategically, visibility campaigns combining earned media placements, organic social media, micro-influencer engagement, and local SEO typically generate three to six times return on investment within twelve months. The report positions PR as a growth infrastructure that supports credibility, trust, and market expansion.
Key Predictions for 2026
The report projects that inter-country digital coverage will become a major growth lever for African SMEs, enabling access to regional markets and international investors. By 2026:
● 60% of new PR contracts are expected to include performance-based clauses tied to defined KPIs.
● 45% of high-growth African startups will adopt fractional agency models rather than full in-house PR teams.
● Successful PR partnerships will increasingly prioritise multi-lingual storytelling, including Yoruba, Igbo, and Swahili, to reach the 85% of consumers who discover brands through local-language touchpoints.
Bloomwit provides end-to-end PR and communications support designed for African market realities, including PR strategy development, media outreach, brand positioning, crisis communications, executive visibility programs, and customized training workshops.
