Uncovering truths that unlock progress, understanding and impact

Tell us about your PR company.

We. Communications began in the Pacific North West in the US in the 80s, founded by two power house women in the local PR scene, Melissa Waggener Zorkin and the late Pam Edstrom. Over the years the agency has expanded in size and geographic footprint beyond North America to the EMEA region, which we form part at We Africa. The agency now also has a significant presence across APAC, from Australia, to China, India, Singapore and more recently Malaysia.

The agency is firmly rooted in its tech foundation having spent decades at the intersection of technology and humanity, bridging the gap between what businesses create and how people experience those creations. It has established strong positioning in sectors such as Healthcare to Consumer and Corporate capabilities including executive communications, reputation management, crisis comms and sustainability communications.

What does working in the PR sector mean to you?

Working in the PR sector means partnering with our clients to help support them tell their brand purpose stories. It means being thoughtful, mindful and intentional about how we communicate with different stakeholders. It means giving honest counsel even when clients don’t want to hear it. It’s by uncovering and speaking to those truths that we unlock progress, understanding and impact.

This last year I have had the incredible opportunity of sitting on the judging panels of some of the leading awards in our industry, from PRWeek Global, to PRCA Global and SA Sports Industry Awards (focusing on the comms beat.) Having access to review these campaigns provides a front row seat into the incredible creativity and strategy being leveraged by brands and agencies in today’s communications space. I absolutely treasure the opportunity to get behind the scenes of amazing campaign work from multiple regions internationally. It also confirms to me how incredibly talented our own industry is in South Africa and the broader continent - with local agencies very often being shortlisted or winning categories at these global awards. I often think we punch well above our weight given budgets in these markets.

What do you love most about the PR industry?

I also thrive on the pace and constant change. I love that no day is ever the same. One day we are dealing with a client crisis, reaching out to media with hourly updates and tracking coverage sentiment, the next we are seeding info to motoring media about the launch of a brand new fleet of car brands into the country and the next we are supporting large corporates like Vodacom amplify their financial results.

Our agency is engaging daily with a range of AI platforms to understand how they can be used most effectively to enhance our work and support our clients. It’s an exciting learning curve, and we're focused on identifying tools that bring real strategic value. These include streamlining processes to enriching content development and data insights.

We understand that we are no longer just crafting messages for human audiences, there has to be consideration around optimisation for AI. LLMs now act as investigative agents, transforming how information is prioritised by popular platforms, both new and old. This shift demands a new level of strategic precision, where every piece of content must be discoverable, credible, and aligned with how machines interpret trust.

Our hands-on approach around AI is helping us drive productivity and scalability but ensuring that humanising complexity in communications is always at the heart of what we do.

What excites you about corporate communications in Africa?

What excites me most about corporate communications in Africa is the pace of change and the richness of perspective. We are a continent that is asserting its voice digitally, socially, and culturally.

The stories coming out of Africa today are no longer just reactive; they’re proactive, strategic, and driven by a deep understanding of local nuance and global influence.

With 84% of Africans relying on social media for news, brands must prioritise clarity, empathy and authentic voices to stay relevant.

The rising intricacy of the communications landscape is heightening the stakes beyond anything we’ve previously seen. In fact, according to our eighth Brands in Motion (BiM) global research study, communicators are grappling with this complexity more than they did five years ago. In this environment, even a small misstep from a brand can snowball into a reputational storm.

Among the top drivers of this communications quagmire are the explosion of new media channels and the lightning-fast spread of information.

Mobile phones have become the African continent’s newsroom. A staggering 84% of Africans now rely on social media as their primary source of information. To keep pace, African media outlets are no longer just publishing stories online; they’re repackaging radio segments into podcasts, turning interviews into YouTube shorts and live-tweeting breaking news.

Looking ahead, we can expect a surge in indigenous digital platforms and streaming services that reflect local cultures and preferences. For brands, this means the communications landscape will only grow more layered. More local. More complex.  

To compound these challenges, our research has uncovered a significant confidence gap among communicators. While 61% are convinced that their organisations excel in navigating complex communications, only 39% of audiences share this sentiment. The disparity in perceived effectiveness is striking.

The silver lining is that this complexity brings opportunity for those who can effectively cut through the noise. No doubt about it, it is an exciting time to be involved in corporate communications in Africa – not for the feint hearted however!

How important are platforms like Bizcommunity for your media presence?

Absolutely critical. Bizcommunity remains one of the most respected trade titles which we always encourage our clients to target. Not only does the platform come with industry credibility but it speaks to a targeted audience including decision-makers, professionals, and trendsetters - many of whom are influential in their sectors

What is your company’s greatest achievement to date?

I would have to say, a highlight that is fresh in our mind is being named in the top 10 in Africa list of best agencies and then ultimately winning Provoke Media’s Best Agency in Africa 2025 at the Sabre Africa Awards held in Kenya last month. Whilst this is naturally prestigious as forms part of a global programme that identifies and rewards agencies across regions, it really resonates for us cause it is a true 360 acknowledgement of our agency. From the work we do to support clients across Africa, to the culture focus on the local team, the acknowledgement of the social impact we have working with individuals and organisations in our local communities through our We. Impact programme to the commitment we have to the PR industry. This includes our association memberships with the likes of PRCA, to keynote addresses, to sponsorships and support of key industry conferences on the continent such as PRCA and APRA, awards and industry association collaboration i.e. the work done with fellow board members of the PRCA Africa.