Chain Reactions Africa Leads Continent With Gold Win, 10 Nominations At SABRE Africa 2026 Awards

Chain Reactions Africa has reaffirmed its position as one of the continent’s most formidable reputation advisory firms with a commanding performance at the 2026 African SABRE Awards.

The Nigeria based communications consultancy not only clinched Gold in the Travel & Leisure category for its work on the Lagos Shopping Festival, but it also led the field with a record 10 nominations, more than any other public relations firm across Africa this year.

The SABRE Awards (Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation & Engagement), which will hold in March this year in Johannesburg in partnership with the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), attracted more than 500 entries and over 120 finalists, the fiercest competition in its history. Chain Reactions Africa’s performance, set against this backdrop, sends a powerful message about the growing strategic importance of reputation in Africa’s business landscape.

Highlights from its 2026 nominations include: Guinness Nigeria’s Premier League Trophy Tour in the Company of the Year category; 9mobile’s ‘A Symphony of Voices’ in Reputation Management, and ‘The Vibranium: Rebranding 9mobile to T2’, recognised for Measurement & Evaluation.

Its strategic communication for the Presidency’s ‘From Promises to Proofs’ campaign and the Indomie ‘Show Some Love to Mum’ initiative also made the final shortlist, as did sustainability driven campaigns such as ‘Standing for Climate Action. Repping the Future’ for C40 Cities and Lagos State Ministry of Environment.

This latest achievement builds on a sustained trajectory of excellence. In 2024, the firm made SABRE history by winning seven trophies, the most ever claimed by a Nigerian consultancy in a single year and in 2025 it maintained that momentum with four wins.

Internationally, Chain Reactions Africa earned five nominations at the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management World PR Awards, reflecting its rising cross-border relevance and exportable intellectual capital.

Speaking on the achievement, the consultancy’s managing director and chief strategist, Israel Opayemi, said the achievements reflect a deliberate philosophy.

“When reputation is engineered with insight, strategy and cultural relevance, it becomes a strategic advantage. We help organisations convert trust into market leadership and narrative into enterprise value,” he said.

As Chain Reactions Africa prepares to walk the stage in Johannesburg later this year, its SABRE success not only reinforces its authority in African communications but also highlights the increasing role strategic reputation plays in driving business outcomes, stakeholder engagement and long-term institutional resilience.