Crisis communication in Africa: a crisis team that knows the ground
Cabinet 86 supports companies, institutions, major projects and executives when a crisis breaks out in Africa or between Africa and France. A cyberattack, allegations against an executive, a hostile campaign on social media, high-profile legal proceedings: we assess the situation, decide with you what to say and what not to say, and carry the response to the media, online communities and the authorities. We work from our offices in Paris and Abidjan and operate in Dakar, Conakry, Casablanca and Rabat, with day-to-day knowledge of the continent’s media ecosystems.
Why a crisis is not handled the same way in Abidjan as in Paris
The principles of crisis communication are universal: tell the truth, quickly, with a single spokesperson and verifiable facts. How they are applied depends on the ground. In Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal or Guinea, a crisis plays out on channels, with players and at a pace that are not those of Paris newsrooms.
The online press there is plentiful, fast-moving and unevenly independent. The same article can be picked up by dozens of sites within hours, sometimes rewritten, rarely sourced. Radio remains the leading medium in many regions, television gives a story its national reach, and correspondents for international media bring it to Paris and Brussels. Applied as it stands, a crisis plan designed for France often targets the wrong media at the wrong time.
WhatsApp and Facebook, where a crisis speeds up
In most African countries, public conversation does not start on X. It runs through Facebook, WhatsApp groups and statuses, and increasingly TikTok. A photo, a voice note or a screenshot moves from group to group, with no identifiable author, before it reaches the press. By the time a journalist calls, the story has often already taken hold.
- Detection. Private WhatsApp groups cannot be monitored. We follow what surfaces from them: Facebook pages that repost the messages, public statuses, relay accounts, online media quoting “messages going around”.
- Speed. A rumour can reach a national audience in one evening. The decision to respond or not is made within hours.
- Format. A PDF press release does not travel on WhatsApp. An effective response often takes the form of a short message, a visual or a brief video from a credible spokesperson.
- 1A photo, a voice note or a screenshot
- 2WhatsApp groups and statuses
- 3Facebook pages and relay accounts
- 4Online media quoting “messages going around”
- 5A journalist calls
Visible traces, followed by our monitoring. Illustrative curve, no data.
Local press, diaspora, regulators: the audiences people forget
The local press.It has to be read over time: long-standing relationships, political sensitivities, links with business players. Knowing which newsroom to call first is part of the job, and our Abidjan office gives us that reading every day.
The diaspora.Based in France, Belgium or Canada, diaspora communities run widely followed pages, challenge European media and can turn a local story into an international one. A crisis in Africa is therefore also followed from France.
Regulators and authorities.Media regulators, sector regulators, supervising ministries, local authorities, customary authorities: in many crises, the message that matters most is the one taken to them directly, before they discover the story in the press.
Our five-step method
- 1. Detect and assess. Everything starts with monitoring: online press, social media and open messaging channels, using monitoring tools and open source intelligence (OSINT) techniques. We assess the threat against explicit criteria: real reach, amplifiers, intent, legal risk.
- 2. Decide. Respond or stay silent, now or later, publicly or with a few key contacts: we set out the options and their consequences, and the decision is yours.
- 3. Respond. Key messages, a statement, Q&A for the spokesperson, content adapted to Facebook and WhatsApp, newsroom relations, briefing staff, partners and authorities, with a short sign-off chain set from the first hour.
- 4. Track. Situation updates several times a day, tracking of the spread and the amplifiers, measurement of the effect of each statement.
- 5. Rebuild. After the crisis, the stories remain in search results and in AI answers. We track them and build the reference content that puts the episode back in context: this is the work of our online reputation and executive reputation assignments.
Typical situations we handle
The four situations below are typical examples, described in general terms: they illustrate how we work and do not recount client assignments.
Cyberattack and data leak
The risk. Ransomware brings services to a halt, client or staff data is posted online, screenshots circulate before any official communication. The technical crisis becomes a crisis of trust.
Our first steps in the first 24 hours. Establish with your technical teams what is known and what is not. Publish a factual holding statement, without playing things down or speculating. Inform staff and the people affected. Review with your lawyers the mandatory notifications to data protection authorities. Never share the stolen data.
What we put in place next. Regular updates, answers to journalists, monitoring of where the data is reposted, communication on the protective measures taken, then a lessons-learned review.
Allegations of sexual misconduct against an executive
The risk. Allegations against an executive are published in the press or on social media. They involve the person accused, the organisation and the people who have come forward. Every word can weigh on the investigation as well as on the defence.
Our first steps in the first 24 hours. Respect both the presumption of innocence and the accounts of those who have come forward. Attack neither the complainants nor the media. Coordinate immediately with the lawyers. Separate the organisation’s voice from that of the person concerned. Prepare a measured statement: the matter is being taken seriously and the organisation is cooperating with the judicial authorities.
What we put in place next. Support with governance decisions, internal communication, media and online monitoring, preparation for each stage of the proceedings.
Coordinated bot and troll attack
The risk. Within hours, hundreds of accounts repeat the same accusations, the same visuals, the same keywords. The sheer volume creates the impression of a scandal and can push media outlets to pick up the story.
Our first steps in the first 24 hours. Measure the real reach and the share of inauthentic accounts. Document everything: screenshots, timestamps, links, archives. Decide between silence and a factual response. Brief your trusted allies.
What we put in place next. Mapping of the campaign, an evidence file, reports to platforms, tracking of the narratives. Any attribution remains a well-supported hypothesis, never an accusation. See our protocol for countering information manipulation.
Legal proceedings in the news
The risk. An investigation, a search, charges or a trial involving the organisation, an executive or a partner. Coverage lasts for months, comes back at every stage and settles into search results.
Our first steps in the first 24 hours. Agree with the lawyers what can be said, respecting the confidentiality of the investigation and the rights of the defence. Recall the presumption of innocence without commenting on the substance. Inform staff, clients and partners. Set up monitoring of publications.
What we put in place next. A communication timetable aligned with the proceedings, key messages, a right of reply or a request for correction where content is inaccurate, tracking of search results until the case is closed.
A crisis team you can reach at any time
Our crisis team can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on WhatsApp, via the @cabinet86 contact, and we call you back right away. Our crisis monitoring set-up is up and running within 24 hours.
The team is led by Benjamin Gateau, the firm’s founder, with Rémi Barra, consulting director in charge of crisis management. It brings together:
- a press relations expert, for local and international newsrooms;
- monitoring analysts, who track the spread continuously;
- our legal partners, whenever press law, data protection or legal proceedings are involved.
What we do not do
We do not create fake accounts, we do not buy amplification and we do not spread misleading content. We never promise to make content disappear. These methods destroy the very reputation they claim to protect.
Before the crisis: prepare so you do not have to improvise
Crisis management starts before the crisis: mapping of reputational risks, a crisis communication plan adapted to each country, quick-reference sheets, holding statements, selection and training of spokespeople. We also run simulation exercises, with injected news alerts, journalist calls and social media posts. See our crisis communication training and media training.
Where we work
We have already carried out assignments in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, Morocco and Madagascar. Our area of work also covers Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Benin, Togo, Congo-Brazzaville and Tunisia, as well as French and European organisations active on the continent. We work in French and in English.
Frequently asked questions
What is a crisis communication agency?
It is an adviser that helps an organisation or an executive decide what to say, to whom and when, when an event threatens its reputation, and then carries that message to the media, social networks, staff and the authorities. Cabinet 86 combines monitoring, strategic advice and press relations, with first-hand knowledge of Africa.
How quickly can you step in?
Message us on WhatsApp, via the @cabinet86 contact: we call you back right away, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our crisis monitoring set-up is up and running within 24 hours.
Which countries do you work in?
Our priority cities are Abidjan, Dakar, Conakry, Casablanca and Rabat, and we have already carried out assignments in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Morocco and Madagascar, from our offices in Paris and Abidjan. Our area of work also covers Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Benin, Togo, Congo-Brazzaville and Tunisia.
How do you deal with a rumour circulating on WhatsApp?
Private WhatsApp groups cannot be monitored, but we follow what surfaces from them: Facebook pages, public statuses, online media that repost the messages. We first measure the real reach of the rumour, then recommend a proportionate response, often a short message, a visual or a brief video from a credible spokesperson.
How should you communicate when an executive faces allegations?
With restraint and in coordination with the lawyers. We recall the presumption of innocence without commenting on the substance, we attack neither those who have come forward nor the media, and we separate the organisation’s voice from that of the person concerned. Communication then follows the stages of the proceedings.
Do you work with lawyers?
Yes. Our legal partners are part of the crisis team, and we also work with your own lawyers whenever press law, data protection or legal proceedings are involved. Communication and law work together; one does not replace the other.