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PR group gets top award for spinning in 36 African countries

PR group gets top award for spinning in 36 African countries

Johannesburg – Burson-Marsteller Africa, a continental strategic communications and public relations group, won the Gold Award for African Network of the Year, for the second year in succession, at the annual PRISM Awards held in Johannesburg. These awards constitute the pinnacle of recognition in the PR industry.

Burson-Marsteller is represented in Namibia by its affiliate, Gys Reitz of Parrot Communications. Across the continent it has branded partners in 36 countries. It is part of the Young & Rubicam Group.

“We are thrilled to have received the Gold PRISM Award for African Network of the Year for the second year in a row,” said Robyn de Villiers, Chairman and CEO of Burson-Marsteller Africa. “Our commitment to growing partnerships has underpinned Burson-Marsteller’s activities across Africa and this award is a tribute to our partners and to every member of our African team, in all 53 countries we cover on the continent. Each one of our partners is individually respected in its own country, and collectively we are recognised as the pre-eminent African communications network.”

Jerry Mpufane, Chief Cluster Judge in the African Network of the Year category for the PRISM Awards and Chairman of M&C SAATCHI JHB Group Of Companies commented, “Burson-Marsteller Africa is clearly a leading agency with fantastic credentials. The judges were immensely impressed by the depth of talent and their diverse roster of great brands on their client portfolio. The judges also commended their expansive pan-African network, where there’s good evidence that many of the offices actually do collaborate on the same client projects. This is an excellent and admirable African story to be proud of.”

“In the case of Burson-Marsteller Africa, the African proverb ‘If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together’ is absolutely true. Partnership is everything to us,” according to De Villiers.

In April this year, Burson-Marsteller Africa received the highest number of accolades (10) of any agency network at the first ever African SABRE Awards, presented by The Holmes Report. It is also a finalist in The Holmes Report’s EMEA SABRE Awards category for African Agency of the Year which will be announced later this month.

In the picture are the staff members of Burson-Marsteller South Africa with the Prism Award 2017. Front Row: Mashudu Thangene (Junior Consultant), Fezile Africa (Senior Consultant), Ruth Kolevsohn (Director), Kamogelo Mmako (Junior Consultant) and Dimpho Legodi (Intern).
Back Row: Karl Haechler (Business Director), Melba Geca (Associate Director), Nichole Shub (Consultant), Glen Bvuma (Senior Consultant) and Nkateko Khosa (Associate Director).

About The Author

SADC Correspondent

SADC correspondents are independent contributors whose work covers regional issues of southern Africa outside the immediate Namibian ambit. Ed.