Partnership creates African communications powerhouse

The new partnership should serve to strengthen the spirit of co-operation and integration in the African Union. Says Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, CEO of Tshirundu Communications, "Globalisation and harmonising between nations worldwide has seen a rapid increase in the need for international communications campaigns to be conducted.

"While multi-national PR campaigns are easier to pull off in the west where colossal communications companies reaching out to several countries can be found, this has not been the case in Africa, which has been disadvantaged in terms of capacity to effect campaigns across several nations.

Common platform

"The agreement between Tshirundu Communications and Global Media Alliance will fulfil the need for a common communications platform to carry messages from South Africa and the rest of the world into Africa."

Tshirundu Communications, which comprises the long-established firms, Simeka TWS Communications and Graphicor, specialises in public relations, public affairs, perception management, investor relations and graphic design.

Tshirundu Communications is an associate of Burson-Marsteller (BM) company, which provides clients with strategic thinking and programme execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and web-related services. BM has 57 wholly-owned offices and 45 affiliate offices, together operating in 59 countries across six continents.

Tshirundu Communications is BM's exclusive Africa associate, working on numerous accounts which require PR interventions in various African countries.

Same high standards

Tabane says while his company are very capable of providing services in Southern Africa, it becomes a challenge when communication interventions are required in other sub-Saharan countries. "It is important that the same high standard of delivery associated with both Simeka TWS Communications and Graphicor is carried into every country in Africa where we work.

"We are most confident that working with Global Media Alliance, we will continue to bring insight, innovation, creativity and superior value to every client assignment in Africa."

GMA which specialises in public relations, event management, sports management, investor relations, media management, and television and radio broadcast, was founded by Edward Boateng who is presently MD. GMA has it operational headquarters in Accra, Ghana.

Turner Broadcasting

Boateng is also a senior advisor to Turner Broadcasting System, parent company of CNN and co-founder and CEO of the Foundation for African Media Excellence (FAME). He was part of the team that worked with the SABC to launch the first all Africa News Channel, SABC Africa, in 1998.

Previously, Boateng was the regional director of Turner Broadcasting System, where he led the establishment of CNN as a brand name in Africa, the launch of the Cartoon Network Channel and Turner Classic Movies in Africa.

He is the initiator of the Inside Africa programme currently on CNN and founder of the CNN Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Awards.

He says the launch of a communications firm that could serve the length and breadth of Africa "seamlessly and with uniformity of standards" is long overdue.

"We are excited about the partnership forged between Global Media Alliance and Tshirundu Communications. This agreement will open doors throughout Africa," concludes Boateng.