Valentine Okafor
Chain Reactions Africa, the Lagos-headquartered independent communications consultancy, has emerged winner of the Large Consultancy category in the inaugural Africa Consultancy Performance Index, while ranking third overall among Africa’s top five PR consultancies.
The recognition by Earned First, the global PR intelligence and media platform serving Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, was announced and presented at PRAXIS Africa during Africa PR Week in Nairobi on August 26, 2026.
Chain Reactions Africa ranked third overall alongside South Africa’s Retroviral, Dialogue Communications and Clockwork, and Burson Africa, which completed the top five.
According to the organisers, Chain Reactions Africa won the Large Consultancy category based on its performance across five evaluation pillars: Business Performance; Creative Impact & Client Outcomes; Innovation & Thought Leadership; Talent & Culture; and Industry Leadership. The consultancy recorded particularly strong performances in Business Performance and Creative Impact & Client Outcomes.
The third-place ranking is significant given the calibre of competition, placing an African independent consultancy among and ahead of established firms and global PR networks operating across the continent. It adds to Chain Reactions Africa’s growing record of continental and global recognition, following its second-place overall finish at the SABRE Awards, alongside honours at the African SABRE Awards, World Public Relations Awards and Commonwealth Environment & CSR Awards.
Commenting on the inaugural Index, Arun Sudhaman, Founder/CEO of Earned First, said the rankings were designed to recognise consultancies demonstrating strong and measurable performance across business, creativity, innovation, talent and industry leadership, providing a holistic assessment of consultancy performance across Africa.
Reacting to the recognition, Israel Opayemi, Founder and Managing Director/Chief Strategist, Chain Reactions Africa, said:
“This means a lot to us at Chain Reactions Africa. We are deeply grateful for this recognition. It represents more than a ranking; it is an acknowledgement of the journey we have taken, the people who have built this consultancy and the ambition we continue to have for African communications.
“To be recognised alongside and ahead of some of the biggest names on the continent is particularly meaningful. It tells us that an African independent consultancy can build world-class capability, compete with global heavyweights and remain deeply rooted in the realities and possibilities of our continent.”
Founded in 2010, Chain Reactions Africa has built its growth around strategic advisory, creativity, technology, research and cultural intelligence. In 2025, the consultancy recorded 18.5% revenue growth, expanded its team by 17%, from 44 to 53 employees, and achieved a 60% new-business win rate.
Its work includes LAMATA’s public engagement around Nigeria’s first intra-city electric rail line, NIVEA’s SABI hygiene-education programme, which contributed to a 40% sales lift, and Indomie Heroes, which strengthened the brand’s positioning around children and youth development.
Innovation is anchored by Ara by Prophet, its AI and cultural-intelligence platform, and ÀRÁMÀNDÀ, its audience-intelligence and research platform. Women lead every business function, while an 80% staff satisfaction rate reflects its investment in talent and culture.
The Africa Consultancy Performance Index evaluates PR consultancies across five dimensions: Business Performance; Creative Impact & Client Outcomes; Innovation & Thought Leadership; Talent & Culture; and Industry Leadership.