The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Programmes are advancing engineering innovation and sustainable development across sub-Saharan Africa.
We were engaged to raise the profile of the Africa Grants and Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, positioning them through a lens of diversity, inclusion, and impact.
Working with Academy stakeholders, we developed a unifying communications framework and toolkit to help awardees and partners share their stories with confidence. This informed a series of thought leadership articles on the value of UK–Africa collaboration. Anchoring activity around World Engineering Day, we secured 387 pieces of coverage in outlets such as Forbes and CNBC Africa, reaching an estimated 350m people in less than two weeks. Ten in-depth case studies, based on interviews with partners and beneficiaries, brought to life the Programmes’ transformative impact on skills and capacity building.
Our partnership has extended to global moments of advocacy. Ahead of COP26, we media trained Academy spokespeople and led targeted outreach under embargo, securing top-tier coverage in Kenya, Ethiopia and across the continent. A coordinated press release delivered a further 1,000 media hits, elevating awareness of the Academy’s leadership in tackling urgent issues such as open waste burning.
Most recently, we are supporting the Academy with strategic communications for the Africa Prize. By profiling 16 exceptional finalists, coordinating photo and video storytelling across seven countries, and preparing innovators for media and public speaking, we are showcasing Africa’s engineering excellence on the world stage. Early results include 388 pieces of coverage, with high-profile features in The Telegraph and BBC News Africa, reinforcing the Prize’s reputation as a catalyst for innovation and impact.






