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In the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Slop, Trust is a Human Advantage (By Bas Wijne)

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Artificial Intelligence

The recent fallout from OpenAI’s indexing scandal – where shared ChatGPT conversations were found discoverable via Google Search – is a stark reminder of what happens when content is detached from context, consent and control

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 14, 2025/APO Group/ —By Bas Wijne, CEO, APO Group (www.APO-opa.com)

AI-generated content is flooding the internet, and much of it is low-quality and misleading. Editors call it ‘AI slop’: hallucinated quotes, fake press releases, and algorithm-chasing headlines. In an era where content is cheaper and faster than ever, trust has become the rarest commodity. That’s where professional public relations – once accused of ‘spin’ – is playing a new, unexpected role: safeguarding credibility in a post-truth landscape. 

AI has a place, but it doesn’t replace people 

Let me be clear: AI isn’t the enemy. It’s a powerful tool for information analysis, workflows, and insight. But it has limits. Besides the slop factor, the phenomenon of model collapse – AI models producing increasingly inaccurate results as they are trained on the outputs of earlier models – is a looming risk. In this context, two pillars of PR – direct executive access and verified press releases – are lifelines for journalists and the public.

AI can mimic a CEO’s tone. It can generate a passable quote. It can even create a fake press release that looks real on first glance. But it cannot replicate what matters most:

  • A real interview, with real stakes
  • A direct connection to a decision-maker
  • A verified statement backed by accountability
  • A local voice who understands the nuance, not just the keywords

Delivering news you can trust 

APO Group (www.APO-opa.com) is proud to be the largest pan-African PR and communications consultancy and Africa’s only dedicated press release and media content distribution provider, through our proprietary newswire Africa Newsroom (www.Africa-Newsroom.com).

In the absence of a pan-African regulatory authority equivalent to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, Africa Newsroom serves as the de facto Primary Information Provider for Africa: an outlet trusted to deliver official, verifiable corporate and public sector communications across the continent. Every piece of content distributed by Africa Newsroom is reviewed, optimised, and traceable by our team.

On the PR side, when our team arranges an interview between a journalist and an African minister or facilitates a press briefing with the CEO of a global firm expanding into Nairobi or Abidjan, we’re doing something AI can’t: building trust through human access. 

In just the past month, we’ve facilitated over 200 executive interviews for brands like Coca-Cola and Canon – connecting journalists to real decision-makers rather than AI-generated personas. That’s not automation. It’s deep relationship work.

 

AI-generated misinformation is a global issue, but its effects are sharper in emerging markets, especially across Africa

Press releases still matter – when they’re done right 

Too many people write off the press release as an outdated format. But when done well – fact-checked, compliant, attributed, and distributed to the right people at the right time – a press release becomes something else entirely: a verified signal in a noisy, synthetic world. 

The trust cascade: PR → Journalists → Public 

The recent fallout from OpenAI’s indexing scandal – where shared ChatGPT conversations were found discoverable via Google Search – is a stark reminder of what happens when content is detached from context, consent and control. Public confidence took a hit, and brands using shared links for internal communications or published content are still scrambling to contain the damage.

When information ecosystems break down, trust becomes a chain reaction. PR plays a key role in this cascade:

  • We provide credible inputs: real people, real quotes, real data
  • Journalists vet and amplify those insights
  • The public consumes the final story with confidence it came from somewhere accountable

 

Without that initial layer of professional PR, we risk a content ecosystem built on synthetic sand.

Why this matters even more in Africa 

AI-generated misinformation is a global issue, but its effects are sharper in emerging markets, especially across Africa.

Here, independent media outlets are often underfunded, and institutional trust is fragile. The damage from fake news – amplified by generative AI – can be reputational, political, financial. Even existential.

This is why APO Group exists: to bridge the gap between credible African stories and the global media ecosystem.

Human truth is the competitive edge 

The future of communications isn’t human or AI. It’s both. But right now, only one side builds relationships. Only one side is accountable. Only one side engages with intent when the story matters.

At APO Group, we’ll keep investing in technology. But our core belief won’t change: the most trusted content still starts with real people. 

Our combination of professional PR and trusted, continent-wide media distribution offers something rare: scale and trust. Reach and rigour. The ability to connect journalists to real sources – in all 54 African countries – at a time when bots are flooding inboxes with synthetic noise.

That’s our commitment to our clients, to the media, and to the public. And in the age of AI slop, that’s what makes the difference.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APO Group Insights.

Business

Afreximbank Backs DOTT Services Limited, Uganda with a US$28 Million Facility for Regional Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Projects

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The financing will enhance DOTT’s capacity to execute strategic projects across the continent, facilitate intra-African trade in goods and services and strengthen regional value chains

CAIRO, Egypt, November 4, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has activated and approved a US$28 million dual-tranche facility for DOTT Services Limited, the leading Uganda-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, and has begun disbursing funds to support the execution of its EPC projects pipeline, valued at more than US$550 million.

 




 
 

Provided under Afreximbank’s EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, the facility is designed to strengthen the capacity of African EPC champions to secure and execute large-scale infrastructure projects across the continent. Specifically, the financing will support DOTT Services Limited in executing contracts and pursuing near-term opportunities valued at approximately US$550 million across Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Commenting on the transaction, Mr. Humphrey Nwugo, Director of Regional Operations at Afreximbank’s Eastern Africa office, said:

Through the initiative, the Bank provides support, including financing, twinning and matchmaking

“This facility reflects Afreximbank’s commitment to building strong African EPC champions capable of delivering the infrastructure that underpins Africa’s industrialisation, trade and economic integration. By supporting DOTT Services Ltd, a well-established regional contractor with operations across five African countries, we are addressing a critical financing gap that has historically constrained the ability of African firms to participate meaningfully in large-scale, cross-border infrastructure projects.

The financing will enhance DOTT’s capacity to execute strategic projects across the continent, facilitate intra-African trade in goods and services and strengthen regional value chains. It also advances Afreximbank’s EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, which seeks to increase African participation in the development and delivery of Africa’s infrastructure.

Through partnerships such as this, we are ensuring that greater value, expertise, employment opportunities and economic benefits are retained within Africa while fostering the emergence of globally competitive African contractors.”

Mr. Nwugo further noted that most local commercial banks lacked the capacity to support intra-African and regional projects because they were poorly placed to absorb the associated cross-border risks, while international banks tended to prioritise non-African contractors. As a result, African entities were often left without adequate financial support.

He said: “Afreximbank’s EPC Initiative was therefore designed to address this challenge by supporting African EPC contractors in securing and executing a greater share of infrastructure contracts across the continent. Through the initiative, the Bank provides support, including financing, twinning and matchmaking, as well as issuing letters of support, among others”, he explained.

DOTT Services Limited presence in Africa spans 28-years, with operations in Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). It also has European offices in Italy and the UK, and a workforce of over 6,000 people. The company procures from, and distributes to, African countries goods such as bitumen, asphalt, steel and spare parts, as well as yellow goods equipment and services, making it a significant player in intra-African trade. Its track record of promoting trade-supporting infrastructure across the continent makes it a natural partner for Afreximbank’s EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, which seeks to build African EPC champions capable of delivering the infrastructure that underpins intra-African trade.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 

 




 

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Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) invests in Africa’s leadership potential through EDGE

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Developed in partnership with Henley Business School Africa, the programme equips high-potential leaders with the skills, experiences and perspectives needed to drive growth, create value and deliver impact across the business

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 4, 2026/APO Group/ –Thirty-one leaders from across 12 African countries have graduated from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa’s (CCBA) (https://www.CCBAgroup.com) EDGE Senior Leadership Acceleration Programme, marking the completion of the programme’s second generation and the first pan-African EDGE cohort.

 




 
 

Created by CCBA, EDGE is the company’s flagship senior leadership development programme. Building on previous participation from The Coca-Cola Company, the programme was further expanded in 2026 to include leaders from Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, creating a broader pan-African learning experience across the Coca-Cola system.

Developed in partnership with Henley Business School Africa, the programme equips high-potential leaders with the skills, experiences and perspectives needed to drive growth, create value and deliver impact across the business.

The 2026 cohort marks an important milestone for EDGE as the programme brought together leaders from across the Coca-Cola system

The graduating cohort represented leaders from multiple countries and business functions. Through classroom learning, business projects, mentoring and coaching, participants gained practical experience in addressing real business opportunities and challenges.

With CCBA serving more than 840,000 customers across Africa, the company requires leaders who can navigate complexity and create value in diverse markets. EDGE helps build these capabilities through practical, business-focused learning.

“People are at the heart of everything we do, and programmes like EDGE demonstrate our commitment to investing in their growth and future success,” said Natasa Prodanovic, Chief People and Culture Officer at CCBA.

“The 2026 cohort marks an important milestone for EDGE as the programme brought together leaders from across the Coca-Cola system. By learning alongside colleagues from The Coca-Cola Company, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, participants were able to build meaningful connections, share diverse perspectives and strengthen collaboration across our markets.”

The curriculum focused on strategy, value creation, transformation, commercial decision-making, leading self and leading teams. Participants also presented business projects aligned to organisational priorities as part of the programme’s graduation requirements.

EDGE forms part of CCBA’s broader commitment to developing future leaders and building the capabilities needed to drive sustainable growth and impact across Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.

 

 




 

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Africa and Caribbean trade potential could reach $1.65 billion annually by 2030: International Trade Centre (ITC)-Afreximbank report

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The report finds that around 80% of Africa’s annual goods export potential to the Caribbean remains untapped

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, November 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Annual trade in goods and services between Africa and the Caribbean could reach up to $1.65 billion by 2030, excluding mineral fuels, according to a new report launched today by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.

 




  

The report, Reshaping Africa-Caribbean Trade: Opportunities for Economic Transformation, (https://apo-opa.co/4eiz62u) finds that while Africa and the Caribbean share deep historical and cultural links, trade between the two regions continues to represent only a small share of each region’s overall trade, despite complementarities across sectors ranging from agribusiness and manufacturing to services and the creative economy.

A look at the numbers

The report finds that around 80% of Africa’s annual goods export potential to the Caribbean remains untapped, with are significant opportunities for export growth if trade and investment is actively promoted and facilitated.

Africa and the Caribbean must transform a shared history into shared prosperity

Caribbean export potential lies in the services sector, reaching $481 million. The report identifies business opportunities across several priority sectors, including processed food and animal feed, chemicals, minerals and metals, apparel and textiles, leather and footwear, tourism, transport services and creative industries.

These findings – and more – are based on trade and export potential analysis, detailed sector assessments and a survey of 1,175 businesses and business support organizations across Africa and the Caribbean.

Tapping into priority sectors

ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton (https://apo-opa.co/3WHHZMU), in launching the report, said: ‘At a time of major shifts in global trade, countries need to strengthen regional ties and invest in value addition, to build resilience. We know the major trade opportunities between Africa and the Caribbean – and now we can focus on helping businesses take advantage of those opportunities through better market intelligence, improved logistics and greater access to finance.’

Commenting on the report, Denys Denya, Senior Executive Vice President at Afreximbank, said: ‘Africa and the Caribbean must transform a shared history into shared prosperity. With our CARICOM office in Barbados, about $1 billion in approved transactions and a $5 billion regional financing commitment, Afreximbank is advancing this vision through financing, deposit mobilization under CENDEP, business links through the annual Afri-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum, local-currency payments through CAPSS and creative-industry collaboration through CANEX. This report offers a practical roadmap to turn untapped potential into bankable opportunities across agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism and the creative economy. Through targeted financing, stronger transport and logistics links and strategic partnerships, we can build a Global Africa connected by heritage, trade, investment and shared opportunity.’

The report finds that businesses continue to face significant challenges, including high transport costs, limited direct shipping links, regulatory barriers, limited access to finance and difficulties in identifying trusted commercial partners. It highlights that future economic cooperation should extend beyond traditional trade in goods, including through joint investment ventures, digital services, creative industries and tourism. It also calls for targeted action to improve market intelligence and business matchmaking; expand access to trade finance and payment solutions; strengthen transport and logistics connectivity; support sector-specific value chain development; improve regulatory cooperation and market access; and foster stronger partnerships among business support organizations.

Read the full report HERE (https://apo-opa.co/4exHBH9)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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