For the C-suite, the question is no longer whether your organization will face a contested information environment. Build trust reserves in peacetime: Transparency, credible thought leadership and strong relationships create goodwill to draw on under fire. You cannot build trust mid-crisis; you can only spend it. The organizations that will lead in Africa’s next decade are not those that avoid the contested information environment. When your organization’s reputation is tested in Africa’s information environment, and it will be, will you defend from a position of strength, or improvise from one of weakness?