Past session

Don't Just Translate, Localize: Winning Hearts and Minds in Francophone Africa

Africa O’Clock

Wednesday, July 1st 2026, 12:00pm CAT. 2h. Online.

What this session is about.

Global brands often hand their African PR briefs to teams in Paris, or simply run English copy through Google Translate into standard European French. They think they are being efficient. But in reality, they are completely missing the heartbeat of the region. A billboard or press release written in stiff, formal Parisian French completely alienates a consumer in Abidjan or Dakar. To build real trust, a brand has to understand the local humor, the street slang, the social hierarchies, and the deep cultural values that a dictionary simply cannot teach you. This webinar is about moving past the language barrier and learning how to actually connect with the people.

Who you will hear from.

Moderator
Lusine Sargsyan
Founder, Africa O'Clock
Founder of Africa O'Clock and a PR and communications professional with an MBA and a background in European politics. She has worked with media agencies and collaborated with top-tier international outlets such as The Economist and CNN across markets including Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire. She founded Africa O'Clock during the Covid period to help fill communication gaps between African markets, international companies, and global media, and today bridges the gap between international companies operating in Africa and African founders seeking international exposure. She facilitates media coverage campaigns in both local and international publications, including Forbes, International Business Times, Entrepreneur, and Reuters. Fluent in English, French, Russian, and Armenian, with intermediate Spanish, she brings a multilingual, cross-cultural approach to media relations and international PR.
Panelist
Daniel Kodjo
Editor-in-Chief, 7info
Professional journalist and Editor-in-Chief at 7info, Côte d'Ivoire's leading 24-hour news channel. Known for his professionalism, rigor, and strong command of current affairs, he has built extensive experience in broadcast journalism. As a news anchor, interviewer, and debate moderator, he is recognized for addressing a wide range of topics with accuracy, impartiality, and insightful analysis.
Panelist
Teknoush
Content Creator
Ivorian content creator specializing in comedy, with more than 5 million followers across his social media platforms. His offbeat sense of humor has made him one of the most followed creators in Francophone Africa. With a background in IT, Teknoush, whose real name is Mohamed Lamine Sibi, worked in the corporate sector for seven years, including at Willis Towers Watson, Atos Syntel, and Telus Mobile, before returning permanently to his home country. He remains a source of inspiration for the new generation of content creators.
Panelist
Bennet Otoo
PR Manager - Africa, Yango Group
PR Manager, Africa, Yango Group. A seasoned public relations and communications professional with over a decade of experience spanning marketing, corporate communications, brand management, and stakeholder engagement across Africa. He has built a strong reputation for developing communication strategies that drive brand growth, enhance corporate reputation, and foster meaningful stakeholder relationships. His career includes work with Ecobank Ghana Limited, Jumia, and the USAID-funded ADVANCE and Feed the Future (FtF) programs implemented by ACDI/VOCA, across technology, e-commerce, logistics, last-mile delivery, artificial intelligence, agriculture, and international development. His expertise covers media relations, crisis communications, strategic partnerships, corporate affairs, and digital communications.
Panelist
Neema Balolebwami Nelly
AI Advisor & Public Speaker
Panelist
Chara Tsitoura
Director of Communications & Branding | Co-Founder, Afrilanthropy