APO Group Secures Gold Stevie® Award at Prestigious 2026 Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards
DUBAI, UAE – APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading pan-African communications consultancy renowned for its integrated advisory, execution, and proprietary news distribution, has been honored with a coveted Gold Stevie® Award. The esteemed recognition was bestowed in the ‘Most Innovative Public Relations Agency of the Year’ category at the seventh annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, an event proudly sponsored by the RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
A Triumph of Innovation and Strategic Vision
The Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards stand as the region’s sole business awards program dedicated to acknowledging innovation within the workplace across 18 nations. Widely regarded as the world’s premier business accolades, the Stevie Awards have celebrated achievements for over two decades through programs such as The International Business Awards®.
This year’s competition saw an impressive surge, with over 1,400 nominations from diverse organizations across the Middle East and North Africa. Categories ranged from ‘Excellence in Innovation in Products & Services’ to ‘Innovative Management’ and ‘Innovation in Corporate Websites’. APO Group’s victory in the ‘Most Innovative Public Relations Agency of the Year’ category underscores its unparalleled commitment to pioneering communication strategies.
Unprecedented Impact and Measurable Success
APO Group’s award-winning submission showcased a remarkable portfolio of work, collaborating with major international brands, vital humanitarian organizations, and global technology and business investment platforms. These impactful campaigns collectively generated an astounding over USD1.2 billion in PR value, secured more than 1,500 media features and interviews, and achieved over 20 million social media impressions. These stellar results are a testament to APO Group’s innovative communications model, built on seamless integration: strategy, on-ground PR, and guaranteed visibility operating as one high-impact system.
Campaigns executed for esteemed entities such as Africa’s Business Heroes, Canon, Mercy Ships, The Basketball Africa League (BAL), GITEX Africa, and the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) exemplify APO Group’s exceptional ability to operate at scale across diverse sectors and markets, consistently delivering innovative strategic communication with tangible, measurable outcomes.
Leadership Perspective on Integrated Communications
Bas Wijne, Chief Executive Officer at APO Group, commented on this significant achievement: “This award specifically acknowledges a communications model that treats consultancy, execution, and distribution as a singular, cohesive system, rather than disparate disciplines. The MENA Stevie® Awards reflect APO Group’s unwavering commitment to crafting PR and communications strategies that are perfectly attuned to the realities of operating across Africa.”
He further elaborated, “Effective pan-African engagement demands a profound understanding of individual market dynamics, the nuances of differing media ecosystems, and how audiences in each context connect with a narrative. We are immensely proud to empower African and MENA organizations to engage with impactful results across one of the world’s most complex yet rewarding media landscapes.”
Rigorous Judging and Global Recognition
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were meticulously determined by the average scores assigned by over 150 executives from around the globe, serving on six distinguished juries.
Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards, expressed her delight: “We are thrilled to recognize the achievements of such a diverse array of organizations across the MENA region in the 2026 edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards. We eagerly anticipate celebrating our Stevie winners during our gala event on September 11 at the InterContinental Hotel, Istanbul, Türkiye. The caliber of nominations received this year was truly exceptional, demonstrating the vast and growing innovation within the MENA region.”
A Legacy of Excellence and Continuous Acclaim
This latest accolade adds to APO Group’s impressive record of industry honors over the past year. The company has received consecutive Gold Sabre Awards and a Gold at the Davos Communications Awards for its excellence in strategic communications and campaign execution. Furthermore, APO Group was named Africa’s Leading PR Agency – 2025 by Brands Review Magazine and Best Public Relations & Media Consultancy Agency of the Year – 2025 by World Business Outlook.
Operating across all 54 African countries, APO Group provides comprehensive communications advisory services, public relations, and media distribution through its proprietary newswire, Africa Newsroom. This platform ensures content placement on more than 250 Africa-focused news platforms worldwide, guaranteeing unparalleled visibility.
APO Group’s growing success at these prestigious awards is evident. In 2025, Rania El-Rafie, Vice President, Public Relations and Strategic Communications, was awarded a Bronze Stevie® Award in the ‘Most Innovative Woman of the Year’ category, further highlighting the talent within the organization. Ms. El Rafie also chaired the Public Sector & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee in this year’s competition.
For more details on the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards and a complete list of winners, please visit https://MENA.StevieAwards.com.
#APOGroup #StevieAwards #GoldAward #MENA #PublicRelations #Innovation #Communications #Africa #PRSuccess #StrategicCommunications
