Why silence can be risky for your reputation in the age of scrutiny.
In today’s fast-paced media environment, silence during a crisis is rarely a neutral act. Many brands still believe that staying quiet will buy them time or help them avoid further scrutiny. Often, silence has the opposite effect – it can breed confusion, invite speculation and ultimately erode the public’s trust in a brand.
Let’s explore two recent public-facing incidents in South Africa that show the need for crisis communication management.
Incident 1: ACSA’s choice to be silent
Recently, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) faced a leadership scandal when allegations surfaced that the CEO had misrepresented their postgraduate qualifications and the board chose not to respond publicly for several days. The media quickly filled the gap with headlines like “Leadership crisis rocks ACSA: No action despite scandal” (The Star), which dominated the news cycle, and the organisation lost control of the narrative. The longer the silence continued, the more damaging the public perception became. What could have been a contained issue evolved into a full-blown leadership crisis.
Incident 2: The 2025 Budget Speech Postponement
Contrast the ACSA incident with the 2025 Budget Speech postponement. While the delay sparked frustration with different stakeholders, the Ministry of Finance at least made an effort to explain the situation. South Africans may not have liked the answers, but they received them. The public came to understand that the Government of National Unity (GNU) negotiations were at the core of the postponement. In this case, communication allowed the state to manage expectations, drive the narrative and maintain a degree of transparency.
The difference between these two responses is clear. One party addressed the issue head-on and shaped the public narrative. The other stayed silent and allowed the situation to spiral out of control. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for crisis response, but inaction almost worsens the impact.
Your reputation is like a bank account
One helpful way to understand brand reputation is to think of it as a bank or trust account, a concept inspired by Stephen Covey’s “Emotional Bank Account” in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Every promise your brand keeps is like a deposit. Every slip-up translates to a withdrawal. When a crisis hits your brand, the balance between deposits and withdrawals is tested. If you’ve built trust over time, you’ll have goodwill to rely on. But if your account is empty, the damage can be severe and sometimes irreversible.
At Hlengani Associates, we support clients through a wide range of crisis scenarios. One thing we’ve seen repeatedly is that the public does not expect brands to be perfect, but there is an expectation of a presence that they can associate your brand with. Showing up matters, because in the court of public opinion, silence can often be your loudest and most damaging response.
Unsure how to communicate during a crisis? Contact us here to speak with our expert team.
