ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between power dynamics and representation in communication strategies aimed at fostering social change across Africa. Many current approaches ignore deep-rooted power imbalances and neo-colonial influences that hinder development efforts. Progress depends on rethinking how power is distributed and exercised within communication spaces. Case studies illustrate that traditional top-down, expert-led models reinforce hierarchies and marginalise indigenous knowledge systems. This chapter also critiques oversimplified portrayals zaof Africa in global media and development narratives, arguing that such perspectives distort the continent’s diversity and perpetuate stereotypes that hinder social progress. Drawing on Couldry’s theories of media, voice, and power, it emphasises that social change communication must consider who can speak, how voices are legitimised, and where they are recognised. In African contexts, communicative inequalities reflect broader structural inequalities, making voice a political and cultural resource. Moemeka’s insights on communication and participation further highlight the importance of locally grounded, people-centred approaches that empower communities as co-creators of meaning rather than passive recipients. By incorporating these perspectives, this chapter situates African philosophies of communication within global participatory theories, demonstrating how reconfigured communicative spaces can shift power, acknowledge diverse voices, and promote more equitable and transformative social change.
