ai – Tokiso Molefe

Is There Still Space for Research in a Rapidly Moving World?

Lately, I’ve been sitting with a question that keeps resurfacing as I reflect on my PhD journey: Is there still space for research in a world that moves this fast? When I began my PhD, my focus was (and still is) Online Reputation Management. Artificial Intelligence was, at best, a paragraph in my proposal –Continue reading “Is There Still Space for Research in a Rapidly Moving World?”

Why Online Reputation Management Is a Growth Strategy for South African SMEs and Not a Luxury.

For many South African small and medium enterprises, reputation is often treated as something that “will take care of itself.” The focus tends to fall on sales, operations, and survival – understandably so in an economy where SMEs face structural barriers, limited resources, and intense competition. However, neglecting the importance of a solid reputation canContinue reading “Why Online Reputation Management Is a Growth Strategy for South African SMEs and Not a Luxury.”

The Research-Driven Communicator: Why Data Is the New Soft Skill in PR

In South Africa’s fast-evolving public relations landscape, we often celebrate “gut feeling” and “creative intuition.” Those instincts still matter, but they’re no longer enough. As I move between my PhD research and industry work, one insight keeps resurfacing:The most influential communicators of the next decade won’t only be storytellers, they will be social scientists. WhereContinue reading “The Research-Driven Communicator: Why Data Is the New Soft Skill in PR”