Social media is instant, which means that the speed of a crisis is also instant. In this article, Saads Abrhahams from media update unpacks the real-time nature of social media crises and how PR pros can protect — and even strengthen — brand reputation under pressure.

City Lodge Hotels has announced that it continues to back the communities it serves, reaffirming its long-standing support of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) with a R30 861.99 ceremonial cheque handover at a breakfast hosted at Road Lodge, Sandton.

An outsourced specialist digital media agency (vs an in-house resource) may be the missing link for many South African brands, big and small, say Cheryl Ingram, CEO of TDMC (The Digital Media Collective), and Caleb Shepard, TDMC Media Director. 

To celebrate 30 years of the Frappuccino, Starbucks has announced that is turning its birthday into something more meaningful. Starbucks South Africa is aiming to raise a minimum of R50 000 for Tiny Owls Baby Home. Starbucks says that with every Birthday Cake Frappuccino sold, R5 will be donated to the organisation.  

SuperSport has announced that it is giving fans the chance to vote for their preferred 15 players active over the course of the last 30 years, a selection not limited to Rugby World Cup winners, with SuperSport's 'Dream Team' campaign.  

The African Marketing Confederation's (AMC's) annual conference has opened pre-registration. The conference will be held between Wednesday, 20 and Friday, 22 August in Ghana's Labadi Beach Hotel. 

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic has announced that, due to heavy rainfall across Cape Town, leaving parts of Khayelitsha township submerged under water, it has launched an emergency response to rescue and care for animals affected by the floods. Homes are knee-deep in floodwater, and countless pets have been left vulnerable.

TikTok has hosted its inaugural Digital Well-being Summit in Johannesburg, bringing together policymakers, mental health experts, NGOs and industry leaders across Sub-Saharan Africa. Delegates from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and beyond gathered to further strengthen efforts to support and protect community well-being on the platform.

From bursaries to GenEra to women in leadership, Sarah Dexter, CEO of MullenLowe South Africa and Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) Education Tribe Lead, shares how the ACA is continuing to invest in talent and education as a long-term commitment to industry resilience.

WARC has released Creative Impact Unpacked, a report highlighting the key themes from Creative Impact, one of five content streams at Cannes Lions 2025. Creative Impact, featuring 29 sessions presented by 65 speakers over the festival, is a guide to proving the value of creativity in building resilient brands and delivering commercial results.