Social Work, Development & NGO Sector
Communications Officer (NGO/Development)
Storytelling and advocacy communications
What this life looks like
You tell the stories that move people to act. Communications Officers in the development sector produce the writing, photography, video, social media, and advocacy materials that communicate an organisation's work to the world — donors who fund it, governments who should support it, communities who need to know their rights, and the public whose understanding of global development shapes political will. In Africa's increasingly media-saturated environment, communications professionals who can tell African stories on African terms are doing some of the most important narrative work available.
What she actually does
You write compelling stories about programme beneficiaries and development impact, manage social media channels and websites, produce newsletters, reports, and advocacy publications, create multimedia content including photography and video, develop messaging and communications strategies, support media engagement and press events, write speeches and talking points for senior staff, ensure brand consistency across all outputs, and manage relationships with media and external communications partners.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| International NGOs | All major development organisations have communications teams — both global and country-level roles |
| UN Agencies | UNICEF Communications, UNDP Communications, WHO Africa Media — large communications departments |
| Advocacy Organisations | Amnesty International Africa, ONE Campaign Africa, Greenpeace Africa — communications-heavy advocacy organisations |
| African NGOs | African-led organisations increasingly investing in professional communications: Akili Dada, Camfed, AWF |
Why it matters in Africa
The narratives that dominate global media coverage of Africa — crisis, poverty, charity — distort reality and undermine Africa's development by reinforcing helplessness rather than agency. African communications professionals who can tell more complete, more accurate, more empowering stories about African communities, challenges, and achievements are not just serving their organisations — they are contributing to a long-overdue transformation in how Africa is represented to the world.
Your pathway in
- Study Communications, Journalism, Development Studies, or a technical field combined with communications skills
- Build a strong portfolio: writing samples, photography, video content, and social media management experience are all relevant
- Develop digital communications competencies: social media strategy, email marketing, website management, and digital analytics
- Gain experience with storytelling in development contexts: story-based communications is different from journalism and requires specific skills and ethics
- Connect with the Communication for Development (C4D) network and SBCC (Social and Behaviour Change Communication) community
Skills you will need
- Development storytelling and narrative
- Digital content production (photo, video, social)
- Writing for different audiences
- Media relations
- Communications strategy
- Ethical storytelling with communities
A woman in this field
Susan Onyango
Kenya
Susan is the Communications and Engagement Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute, based in Nairobi. She has spent over twenty years in international development — before WRI she was global communications coordinator for CIFOR-ICRAF, and worked with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Netherlands Development Organisation. Her job is to make sure African environmental work is actually heard: she writes about what Africa should expect from the UN climate talks, and about rebuilding after Kenya floods. She studied communication at the University of Nairobi after a first degree at Kenyatta University, and works in English and Kiswahili.
Take your first step
- Study the 'Poverty Porn' debate in development communications — this critical discussion about how organisations photograph and write about communities in poverty is essential ethical groundwork for any development communicator
- Research the NEAR Network (Network for Empowered Aid Response) at nearnetwork.org — they advocate for more equitable representation of Southern perspectives in development communications
- Build a portfolio: start a blog, social media account, or newsletter on a development topic you care about and develop your voice through regular public writing and content creation
- Study the BBC Media Action and Communication for Development (C4D) frameworks — they represent the most rigorous approaches to communications in development contexts