Ethical AI in South Africa: Managing Business Risk

SA businesses are embracing AI, but ethical blind spots are becoming a major operational risk. 

 

South African organisations are accelerating their adoption of Artificial Intelligence, but many are overlooking the single factor that could derail efficiency gains, expose them to regulatory scrutiny, and damage brand trust, says Alkemi Collective CEO Bradly Howland. 

 

He argues that ethical AI is no longer a marketing conversation, but a core business governance issue that belongs on leadership agendas alongside compliance, cybersecurity, and reputational risk. 

 

“AI is now integrated across customer service, fraud detection, recruitment, content creation, and decision support systems. Yet the governance frameworks around how these tools are designed, trained, and deployed remain worryingly thin,” he says. “Companies are moving faster than their risk controls, which is a red flag for any board.” 

 

Recent investigations into bias within fraud detection tools used by medical schemes have highlighted how untested or unbalanced datasets can result in discriminatory outcomes, operational failures, and significant reputational exposure. 

 

“These are not theoretical risks. When an algorithm misclassifies, the consequences are felt by real people and the financial and reputational fallout lands with the organisation, not the software provider,” Howland adds. “You cannot outsource accountability to a machine.” 

 

He believes the challenge for South African businesses is twofold. First, the country’s social and economic complexity makes biased automation particularly dangerous. Second, the rapid global push towards AI regulation means organisations without proper governance will soon find themselves out of step with emerging compliance standards. 

 

“South Africa cannot afford a trust deficit in technology. If consumers or stakeholders believe AI reinforces old inequalities or operates opaquely, the damage will be lasting. Ethical AI is not a moral accessory; it is a business continuity requirement.” 

 

A framework for responsible AI in South African organisations 

Howland argues that businesses should urgently strengthen four areas of governance if they want to protect long-term value and maintain stakeholder trust: 

 

Transparency

AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs should be clearly disclosed to internal and external stakeholders. Transparent communication reduces reputational risk and aligns with emerging global standards. 

 

Data and bias auditing

AI systems must be trained and tested on data that reflects South Africa’s racial, linguistic, and geographic diversity. Regular audits should be mandatory to ensure models do not reinforce historical inequalities or embed unfair decision-making. 

 

Human oversight

Human decision makers must remain ultimately accountable. All AI-supported actions, from content production to risk scoring, should be vetted for accuracy, cultural alignment, and compliance with ethical and legal frameworks. 

 

Skills development

Teams need deeper fluency in both the capabilities and the limitations of AI. Without upskilling, organisations risk misusing tools, misunderstanding outputs, and missing early warning signs of algorithmic failure. 

 

“AI can transform how businesses operate, but only the organisations that prioritise governance, clarity and trust will see sustainable value,” says Howland. “At Alkemi, we work with clients to interpret and oversee their AI use, shape ethical communication frameworks, and guide responsible adoption. Our focus is on helping businesses set the right guardrails and communicate transparently so that stakeholders understand, trust, and support the role AI plays in their operations.” 

 

Why this matters for business media audiences

According to Howland, the organisations that treat AI governance as a strategic business issue now will be the ones that gain a competitive advantage as regulation catches up. 

 

“Boards want clarity, executives want capability, and consumers want trust,” he says. “The communications industry has a critical role to play in helping companies navigate this new frontier with intelligence, responsibility, and transparency.” 

 

He adds that as South Africa’s economy becomes more digitally dependent, ethical AI will influence capital decisions, brand reputation, regulatory compliance, and customer loyalty. 

 

“AI is a business tool with ethical consequences. If we do not address the governance gap, the cost will be measured not only in failed campaigns, but in damaged brands, unnecessary litigation, and eroded public trust.” 

AI in the Workplace: Why Human Judgment Still Matters

By Bradly Howland 

CEO, Alkemi Collective 

 

A few months ago, one of my team leads submitted a first draft of a client strategy document in under two hours. It was polished, well-structured, and covered all the expected ground. It was also, on closer reading, almost entirely generic. The AI had done its job. The thinking had not. 

 

That moment sits with me, because it captures something the industry is not yet being honest enough about. Artificial intelligence has not simply made us more efficient. It has changed what efficiency means… and in doing so, it has created a new and underappreciated risk: that we begin to mistake fluency for insight. 

 

The productivity gains from AI are real

The productivity numbers are real. Research from MIT and Harvard Business School consistently shows that AI-assisted knowledge workers complete tasks 20% to 35% faster, often with measurable quality improvements. Across the communications and marketing industry, output volumes have surged. Agencies that once needed teams to produce a content campaign can now do it with a fraction of the headcount. Clients are asking for more, faster, and at lower cost. The market is obliging. 

 

However, here is the argument I want to make and I accept it may be unpopular in some boardrooms: the productivity gains from AI are real, but they are also creating a form of output inflation that we are not yet equipped to manage. 

 

The Hidden Cost of AI Productivity

Output inflation works like this. As the cost of producing work drops, so does its perceived value. When content is abundant and cheap to generate, differentiation becomes harder. The premium shifts away from production capability and towards something far more difficult to automate: judgment, interpretation, and the ability to navigate genuine complexity. Yet the commercial pressure is moving in exactly the opposite direction. More deliverables. Faster turnaround. Shorter thinking cycles. 

This is not a technology problem. It is a leadership problem. 

 

Organisations embedding AI into their workflows are making implicit choices about what they value. If the metric is speed and volume, then depth and originality will be quietly deprioritised. Nobody announces this. It simply happens, gradually, as the incentive structure shifts. Over time, it hollows out the very capability that justified the premium in the first place. 

 

AI adoption in South Africa

In South Africa, this dynamic carries an additional layer of complexity. AI adoption is uneven - not just across industries, but within them. Some organisations are accelerating rapidly, deploying tools across research, content, and client service. Others are still building foundational digital infrastructure. The result is a dual pressure: to catch up quickly, often without the governance frameworks or strategic clarity needed to do so responsibly. 

 

The risk of moving fast without that clarity is not only reputational, it is also structural. An organisation that uses AI to replace thinking, rather than to enhance it, is not becoming more competitive. It is becoming more fragile, dependent on tools it does not fully understand, producing work that is difficult to defend when it matters. 

 

What AI means for communications

For the communications industry specifically, this should prompt some uncomfortable self-examination. Our value proposition has never been rooted in volume. It lies in the capacity to read a situation accurately, to shape a narrative under pressure, to exercise judgment when the facts are contested and the stakes are high. These are not capabilities that can be automated. But they can be eroded - through neglect, through underinvestment, and through the slow substitution of speed for thought. 

 

The organisations that will succeed in this next phase are not those that use AI most aggressively. They are those that are most deliberate about where it stops. 

 

That means protecting time for thinking, even when technology makes it possible to move faster. It means being explicit about where human judgment is non-negotiable, and building that distinction into how work is structured, priced, and evaluated. It means resisting the temptation to let a client brief become a prompt, and then mistake the output for a strategy. 

 

AI has made work faster. Whether it makes work better depends entirely on the choices that sit around it - the questions we ask before we run the tool, the standards we apply when we review the output, and the intellectual honesty to know the difference between something that looks good and something that is good. 

 

Speed is not the test. Judgment is. 

 

Howland is the CEO of Alkemi Collective and President of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA). 

CMO Role: The Future of Marketing Leadership

The decline of the CMO is a strategic misstep for business 

By Bradly Howland 

CEO: Alkemi Collective 

President: Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa 

 

The CMO role is undergoing a significant shift. New research from Forrester confirms a downward trend that many business leaders have failed to take seriously.  Fewer than 60% of Fortune 500 companies now have a marketing leader reporting directly to the CEO, down from 63% in 2024. The number of executives still holding the actual title of “Chief Marketing Officer” has slipped below 50%. While these percentages may appear marginal, they reflect a more consequential erosion of influence. The traditional authority and centrality of the CMO are being dismantled - and quietly, in plain sight. 

 

This is not just a change in reporting lines or nomenclature. It is symptomatic of a wider strategic misjudgement that risks undermining long-term brand value, customer trust, and market competitiveness. At a time when brands are navigating unprecedented complexity, economic instability, and social expectation, sidelining marketing is a high-risk move. 

 

Over the past decade, the role of the CMO has been steadily carved up. Newer titles (Chief Growth Officer, Chief Customer Officer, Chief Digital Officer) have emerged, each assuming a fragment of what was once a unified portfolio. As responsibilities have splintered, so too has the strategic power once concentrated in the CMO’s office. In many organisations, marketing now sits further from the centre of influence, relegated to execution rather than leadership. 

 

The reality is that marketing has evolved far beyond its traditional creative brief. It is no longer just about generating demand or managing campaigns. Marketing today sits at the intersection of trust, technology, purpose, and performance. It connects internal strategy with external perception, translating company values into experiences that resonate with stakeholders - customers, employees, investors, and communities alike. 

 

Excluding marketing leadership from strategic conversations creates a vacuum in this space. Disconnected brand narratives, reactive communications, and inconsistent customer experiences are all downstream consequences of that exclusion. The risks are not theoretical. They manifest in reputational damage, declining relevance, and missed growth opportunities. 

 

The fragmentation of the CMO role has also weakened internal alignment. When customer insight, data interpretation, channel strategy, and brand narrative are managed across separate leadership tracks, businesses lose the coherence needed to drive sustained performance. Clarity of voice, purpose, and positioning becomes harder to maintain. 

 

This trend is particularly concerning given the increasing scrutiny placed on companies’ ESG performance. Purpose is no longer optional, it is a business imperative. Stakeholders now expect consistency between what a company says and what it does. Without a strong marketing leader at the executive table, ESG risks becoming superficial, performative, or misaligned with broader strategy. 

 

A capable marketing leader brings not just storytelling, but substance. They are responsible for aligning internal culture with external expectation, managing reputational risk, and embedding brand trust into every customer and stakeholder touchpoint. These are essential leadership functions, not peripheral tasks. 

 

South African companies are not immune to these shifts. In fact, many are navigating even more fragile trust dynamics - across economic lines, historical legacies, and increasingly vocal stakeholder groups. Local brands must manage global competition, social responsiveness, and technological adaptation simultaneously. Strong marketing leadership is not a luxury in this context. It is foundational. 

 

This shift also coincides with rapid advancement in data analytics, automation, and AI. These tools offer extraordinary insight into customer behaviour, but they require strategic interpretation. The human judgment to turn raw data into commercially intelligent decisions still resides with leadership. Removing marketing from the top table means removing the function best positioned to make meaning of those insights. 

 

The responsibility does not rest solely with the C-suite. Marketers must also show up differently. It is no longer enough to be creatively talented. The profession must consistently demonstrate impact in business terms; market share, revenue growth, customer lifetime value. Influence is earned through credibility, clarity, and commercial fluency. 

 

Within PRISA, the repositioning of communication professionals as strategic advisors has become a core focus. As an institute, we are working to elevate professional standards and reinforce the strategic value of communications, PR, and marketing in the business ecosystem. This is not about chasing relevance. It is about restoring rightful influence - through rigour, capability, and measurable impact. 

 

The CMO role is not disappearing because it is obsolete. It is shrinking because its value is being misunderstood, both externally and internally. The role must evolve, certainly. But it should evolve into something even more powerful, not more peripheral. 

 

Business leaders who fail to recognise this shift risk operating with a strategic blind spot. The brand voice, customer trust, ESG credibility, and cultural alignment that marketing leads are uniquely positioned to manage cannot be delegated down or divided across competing roles. 

 

There is still time to course correct. Boards and executive teams must reevaluate how marketing is represented at leadership level. Marketers must assert their value more boldly and speak in terms that drive business confidence. 

 

The need has never been greater. The companies that succeed in the years ahead will not be those with the flashiest campaigns. They will be the ones with the clearest sense of purpose, the strongest customer alignment, and the courage to put marketing where it belongs… at the heart of business strategy. 

PR Industry in South Africa: Shaping the Future

Why agencies must help shape the future of communication

South Africa's PR industry operates in a world where trust is increasingly fragile, misinformation can spread faster than the truth, and the value of credible communications is under real pressure. The role of our industry has never been more critical.

The Role of South Africa's PR Industry

South Africa’s communications professionals sit at the intersection of business, government, and society. They help brands build and maintain trust, shape the stories that inform public understanding, and hold themselves accountable to ethical practice in a space where the stakes are high.

 

Despite this importance, the structures that support and professionalise the field often need strengthening. Industry bodies like the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) play a vital role in this work, and agencies cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.

 

PRISA has served as the home of the communications profession in Southern Africa for decades. This is not about legacy for its own sake, but about real, present-day relevance.

 

Today, PRISA’s work is essential in addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the industry. Its commitment to ethics is crucial in an age of disinformation, AI-generated content, and declining media trust.

 

The PRISA code of ethics is not just a symbolic document, but a practical framework for navigating complex client demands, public scrutiny, and the responsibility to the truth.

 

“Ethics is not negotiable,” says Bradly Howland, CEO of Alkemi and President of PRISA. “Our industry is under the microscope in ways it has never been before. We must be able to show clients and the public that we hold ourselves to real standards. Without that, our credibility collapses.”

 

Education and professionalisation are equally important. The sector faces a serious skills challenge, and PRISA’s role in accrediting programmes, supporting continuing professional development, and promoting professional standards directly improves the quality of work agencies and practitioners deliver. Transformation remains a core priority as well. A diverse, inclusive industry is not only fairer but smarter, better able to serve a country as varied and complex as South Africa.

 

When Howland accepted the role of PRISA President in June, it was with the conviction that the industry cannot keep doing things the same way.

 

“We have to be more professional, more accountable, and more relevant to business and society,” he says. “That means updating what PRISA offers, making sure it is financially sustainable, and building real value for members while advocating for standards that protect our industry’s reputation.”

 

“This is not work any one person or organisation can do alone. It needs buy-in from the entire industry, and especially from agencies that help set the tone for how we practice.  At Alkemi, the commitment to this work is deliberate and active,” Howland adds.

 

He explains that supporting the industry is smart business.

 

“We invest time mentoring the next generation of practitioners because we want a strong talent pipeline. We have worked to revitalise the PRISMS because our industry needs a credible, aspirational showcase of excellence. We also believe in using our own platform to drive conversations about ethical practice and the evolving role of communications.”

 

Howland adds that this is not charity, but strategic thinking. “If the industry is healthier, we are all better off. Clients see more value in our work, talent stays in the sector, and standards rise across the board.”

 

“If you work in an agency, run one, or call yourself a professional in this field, the challenge is clear. Get involved. Support the work of your respective professional bodies. Offer your expertise. Help hold our industry to higher standards,” he says. 

 

“We often tell clients we are their strategic partners. We need to be strategic partners in shaping the future of our own industry too. If we do not do it, someone else will - and we may not like where it ends up,” says Howland. 

Bradly Howland Appointed PRISA's New President

The Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) is proud to announce the appointment of Bradly Howland as President, ushering in a new chapter for the Institute as it strengthens its role as the professional home for communicators across the region.

Bradly, who was inaugurated at PRISA’s 68th Annual General Meeting in Sandton on Friday, 27 June, brings over 20 years of strategic communications experience to the role. He is the CEO of Alkemi Collective, a strategic marketing and storytelling agency with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg. With a career rooted in values-led leadership and narrative clarity, Bradly takes on this role at a defining time for the profession.

“We are entering a new era for PRISA,” Bradly said. “It’s time to rebuild our credibility, elevate professional standards, and re-establish our relevance in a world where communications has never been more vital. My focus is on creating a PRISA that is respected, responsive, and rigorously committed to its members and the future of our profession.”

 

A vision for growth, accountability, and credibility

Building on the foundation laid by Past President Oscar Tshifure, Bradly’s leadership will focus on accelerating PRISA’s professionalisation agenda. This includes advocating for clearer industry standards, stronger ethical frameworks, and greater recognition of public relations as a strategic leadership function.

A cornerstone of the year ahead is the launch of PRISA’s Accountability Charter, which will outline shared expectations for practitioners, clients, and organisations. The Charter is part of a broader set of initiatives to improve ethical client-agency relationships, ensure fair resource engagement, and promote long-term credibility over short-term tactics.

PRISA will also introduce:

“This is about more than events and newsletters,” Bradly added. “This is about building a professional movement - one that empowers members with resources, challenges outdated models, and leads with purpose, relevance, and respect.”

 

Re-establishing PRISA’s voice in the industry

With its renewed brand identity and structural reforms already in motion, PRISA is doubling down on its commitment to become the leading authority on public relations and communication management in Southern Africa. Through strategic partnerships, member-focused programming, and visible advocacy, the Institute is working to ensure that public relations professionals are seen as trusted advisors in boardrooms, government departments, and media narratives.

The Board also extends its sincere thanks to outgoing President, Oscar Tshifure, for his leadership during a complex period of rebuilding and transformation. Oscar’s steady guidance helped reposition PRISA for the next phase of growth.

Bradly will serve a 12-month term, during which he will focus on amplifying member value, strengthening industry standards, and guiding PRISA towards long-term sustainability and renewed authority.

Accountability in PR: Reclaiming ownership in a shifting industry

By Bradly Howland
CEO: Alkemi Collective

 

“Success has a thousand fathers. And failure is an orphan.”

(John F. Kennedy)

 

We’ve all felt it - internally within our agencies and externally in our relationships with clients.  

It’s the growing trend where ownership is diluted, responsibilities are blurred, and successes and failures are often orphaned. This is a problem that, I believe, knows no geographical boundary. It is a problem that is unfolding across global markets. 

This was the context for a recent episode of the PRGN Podcast where I had the opportunity to sit down with Abbie Fink to unpack an issue that’s quietly (but significantly) impacting the public relations industry.  

The accountability gap! 

 

The Culture of Deferral

Inside agencies, a culture of “collaboration” can sometimes be a double-edged sword. While collaboration fuels creativity and teamwork, it can also obscure individual responsibility.

When everyone is contributing, it’s easy for no one to be truly accountable. Deadlines slip, quality suffers, and ultimately, we fail to deliver the level of excellence we aim for.

This isn’t just about mistakes - it’s also about missing the opportunity to own and celebrate great work. If no one owns a project, who learns from it? Who grows? Who gets rewarded?

 

Clients aren’t off the hook

On the client side, we’re seeing similar challenges. Economic pressure is leading to tighter budgets, more reactive briefs, delayed approvals, and an expectation to deliver more with less. Yet, there’s often little acknowledgement of how those conditions affect outcomes. When agencies are treated as vendors rather than partners, it undermines the shared responsibility needed to achieve meaningful results.

A partnership requires accountability on both sides. Agencies need to deliver - but clients also need to enable success by being responsive, clear, and collaborative.

 

Leadership: Accountability starts with us

As agency leaders, we have a responsibility to model the behaviours we want to see. If we avoid difficult conversations, fail to acknowledge our own missteps, or blur lines to keep the peace, we reinforce the very culture we’re trying to change.

And let’s be honest - many of us have, at some point, bent over backwards to keep a client happy, even when it compromises our people or our principles. The result? A ripple effect where teams mirror that behaviour, mistaking passivity for professionalism.

But what if we drew the line differently?

 

Rebuilding standards: PRISA’s Charter and the push for professionalisation

As part of my work with the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), we’re developing an Accountability Charter that aims to formalise these expectations - both within agencies and between agencies and clients. While ethical codes already exist, accountability has remained largely informal, unenforced, and one-sided.

This Charter is a step towards professionalising the industry, not just in name, but in practice. It sets out to define what accountability looks like in real terms: timelines, roles, responsibilities, and yes - even consequences. The goal is not to create red tape, but to create clarity and mutual respect.

In the long term, we hope to see communication professionals in South Africa licensed in the same way doctors, accountants, and lawyers are. A regulated profession demands higher standards, greater responsibility, and shared trust.

We’ve already seen this work locally - the South African Freelancers Association (SAFREA) has successfully created publicly recognised standards for freelance professionals, including recommended rates and contract best practices. Over time, these have become widely accepted by clients and agencies alike. That kind of clarity and consistency is what we need across the broader PR and communications industry.

We believe that’s not only possible - it’s essential.

 

Breaking the silence: The power of collective action

One of the most promising things I’ve seen is the impact of agency owners talking to each other more openly. When we started including IP protection and usage penalties in our client contracts, it raised eyebrows. But now, it’s becoming standard practice.

The more we normalise protecting our work, enforcing fair boundaries, and holding clients to the same standards we hold ourselves, the stronger and more sustainable our industry becomes.

 

Final thoughts

Accountability isn’t a buzzword. It’s the bedrock of trust, performance, and long-term growth.

If we want better work, better partnerships, and a more respected profession, we have to take ownership - of the wins, the failures, the uncomfortable conversations, and the standards we uphold.

And that starts with us.