This week’s Comms Spotlight is Nancy Atieno Onyango, CEO and Founder of Show Up Communications. Nancy started her career as a scientist but along the way, she tried her hand at performing arts and then transitioned to Communications. She is big on empowering the next generation with the skills to thrive globally, while prioritising local solutions and talent to reshape Africa’s image. In this interview, Nancy shares how learning French opened doors for her to lead projects across Francophone Africa, and how taking bold steps with purpose has shaped her career and vision.
As CEO and Founder of Show Up Communications, what does your role entail?
At Show Up Communications, I steer the ship by providing strategic leadership, setting the tone for the company’s culture, vision, and long-term goals. I oversee team development, ensuring we identify, nurture, and cultivate talent to deliver exceptional results for our clients. My responsibilities also include business development and client relations, where I focus on building strong partnerships to drive growth and revenue.
Show Up Communications supports organisations across Africa and beyond in areas like climate change, health, ICT, and nutrition, offering services such as media relations, marketing campaigns, event management, and crisis communications. My role is to ensure we remain at the forefront of strategic communications, amplifying African voices and stories on a global stage.
Telling Africa’s story is crucial because it shapes how we see ourselves and how the world perceives us. For too long, Africa’s story has been told through the lens of others thus often distorting our realities. By reclaiming our storytelling, we can showcase Africa’s potential, challenges, and triumphs authentically.
This is why I am passionate about skills development and equipping young Africans with the tools to tell their own stories and thrive in a globalised world. My “Africa-first” approach is about prioritising local solutions and talent whilst remaining globally competitive.
How did you begin your career in Communications and what steps did you take to grow professionally?
My journey into the exciting world of communications was not a straight line. Although I trained as a scientist at Kenyatta University, I soon realised my passion for storytelling and connecting with people. My early involvement in youth groups, church activities, and organisations like I Choose Life—where I worked on behaviour change communication—laid a firm foundation for me.
I soon transitioned into the performing arts, using festivals and creative projects to empower young people and build their confidence. This led me to roles in media and communications, including my time as Editor-in-Chief of This Is Africa, where I managed a pan-African newsroom.
Over the years, I have worked with organisations like the UN, FAO, and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, which sharpened my skills in strategic communications, storytelling, and project management. As I look back I now realise that each step that I have made in my career, whether in Kenya, South Africa or the Netherlands, has been about leveraging my strengths, embracing new challenges, and staying curious.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my deep involvement with the Rotary Club of Nairobi and with my local church. Over the years, these two institutions have been instrumental in my personal and spiritual development and also provided spaces where I built professional networks.
I believe that institutions like these, along with mentorship and continuous learning, are key to unlocking Africa’s potential. As an avid reader, writer, and traveller, I believe in the power of stories to connect, inspire, and transform. Africa’s future lies in the hands of its people, and by investing in skills development and storytelling, we can shape a brighter tomorrow.
Tell us about a major challenge you’ve faced on your career journey and how you were able to overcome it.
One of the most significant challenges I have faced is the language barrier in Africa. With 19 Anglophone, 24 Francophone (including partial Francophone countries), and 6 Lusophone countries, communicating effectively across regions requires understanding linguistic nuances and cultural contexts.
Francophone Africa, in particular, represents a significant portion of the continent, with over 350 million French speakers projected by 2050, making it the largest French-speaking region in the world.
Early in my career, I realised that I needed to have a working knowledge of French to effectively lead teams and manage projects in Francophone Africa. I took it upon myself to learn French, achieving a working proficiency that allows me to read, understand, and engage with French media and teams.
For example, in Francophone West Africa, where countries like Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali are key players, French is not only the official language but also the lingua franca for business, education, and governance.
My love for books and travel has been instrumental in learning more about different cultures and fostering cross-border collaboration across linguistic divides. For instance, during a project in DR Congo, where French is the official language but over 200 local languages are spoken, understanding cultural and linguistic diversity was critical to building trust and achieving project goals.
For this reason, I like to remind my team that Africa’s diversity is both a challenge and an opportunity, and overcoming it requires intentional effort and adaptability.
What changes would you like to see in the Communications landscape across Africa?
I would like to see a greater emphasis on storytelling that boldly showcases Africa’s rich diversity and potential. The PR industry in Africa is growing, with the continent’s market size estimated at over $1 billion. Despite this, we still rely heavily on tired Western tropes that only pay lip service to Africa’s true promise in various sectors.
This is further underscored by findings from the report Building Partnerships in an Unequal World: Africa in the Political Discourses of the West, China, and Russia, which analysed over 124 public statements from leaders of the G7, China, and Russia between 2020 and 2023. The report threw a much-needed spotlight on persistent stereotypes and contradictions that undermine Africa’s agency in global politics.
Because we began debunking such tired tropes during my time being in charge of This Is Africa, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see initiatives like Africa No Filter carrying this vision forward. I explored this in detail recently whilst writing about Africa’s mining potential after attending this year’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town.
I therefore think that we need more platforms that bring together Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone communicators to share ideas and collaborate. Additionally, there’s a need for more investment in data-driven storytelling.
Africa’s demographic dividend—its youthful population—presents an opportunity to harness data and narratives that showcase our potential. Finally, I would like to see more mentorship and upskilling programmes for young professionals, ensuring they have the tools to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry.
You were one of the mentors in the sixth batch of the Comms Mentoring Programme. Can you tell us about your experience?
Mentoring in the Comms Mentoring Programme was a deeply rewarding experience. I signed up because I believe in the power of mentorship to transform careers – having had the good fortune of benefiting from such initiatives myself.
Many young professionals enter the workforce without adequate support, and I wanted to help bridge that gap. My mentees were talented but struggled with identifying their strengths and selling their craft. Together, we worked on building their confidence, understanding their unique value, and positioning themselves for growth.
Mentoring Juliah Njoroge and Emmanuel Nissi Ngema was as much a learning journey for me as it was for them. Whilst balancing my time and offering meaningful, actionable support had its challenges, the true value of the experience lay in the mutual exchange of ideas and insights.
Mentorship, I discovered, isn’t a one-way street; it’s a shared space where both mentor and mentee grow together. By creating a safe environment for reflection and exploration, we were all able to gain greater clarity in our respective paths. I’m grateful for what I learned through their perspectives, questions, and ambitions.
What advice would you give to your younger professional self?
I would tell my younger self to embrace uncertainty and take more risks. The world is flat, and understanding global dynamics is just as important as mastering local contexts. Don’t be afraid to travel, try new things, and ask questions. Raise your hand as many times as you need to because every “no” is an opportunity to learn and grow.
My personal motto is “When a door closes, there’s always a small window or vent waiting to be discovered.”
“You cannot plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Who ever planted an iroko tree—the greatest tree in the forest? You may collect all the iroko seeds in the world, sow them in the soil, and still, it will be in vain. The iroko tree chooses where to grow, and we simply find it there. So it is with the greatness in men.”
Professional success, much like the iroko tree, cannot be forced—it emerges organically from a combination of talent, purpose, and the right environment. Just as the iroko tree grows slowly but stands tall and unshakable, true success is built through patience, effort, and a solid foundation.
When success comes too easily, without hard work, skill, or a clear sense of purpose; it often fades just as quickly. Sustainable success, like the iroko tree, takes root deeply, withstands the test of time, and stands strong against the winds of change.
I would also emphasise the importance of building strong networks and nurturing relationships. Seek out mentors and build a strong network of quality relationships. The power of quality friendships, mentors, and professional connections cannot be overstated. I am living proof of it.
Finally, I would remind myself to trust the process. Not every step will make sense immediately, but each experience contributes to the bigger picture. Believe in your ability to make an impact because the world is waiting for what only you can offer.
