Djembe Communications, the pioneering pan-African communications consultancy that recently received an Award of Excellence at the prestigious 2015 PRSA Silver Anvil, has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan to further grow its presence and build industry capacity in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) markets. The young consultancy is targeting the growth in demand from both African and international organizations for more sophisticated communications as these organizations look to realize the region’s significant economic potential.
As noted recently by the Holmes Report for the Best New Agencies for EMEA 2015, “Djembe is one of the best of the new generation of African PR firms, combining high-level strategic consultancy with a rigorous understanding of local market conditions across the continent”. This powerful combination has propelled Djembe to impressive growth that has seen the consultancy significantly increase from four employees at the start of 2014 to 27 across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America, and expand from one to seven offices in key African and international markets. For the second half of 2015, the consultancy will greatly increase its local presence in key African, Middle East, North American and UK markets.
According to Managing Director, Mitchell Prather, “Africa’s economic growth potential, coupled with the region’s very young demographic and burgeoning middle class segment is giving rise to greater market opportunities, which has led to a dramatic increase in demand from companies wanting to invest in brand building to develop a competitive edge. At the same time, many government related entities are increasingly focused on enhancing their reputation in international and local markets, which is crucial to attracting foreign investment while enhancing public confidence in these critical institutions.”
Africa’s growth metrics are leading the world. According to the Global Economic Outlook 2015, SSA will continue to experience steady growth at around five percent annually between 2020 and 2025. McKinsey forecasts consumer spending to grow from USD 860 billion in 2008 to USD 1.4 trillion by 2020, while according to Standard Bank, 14 million new households will join the middle class segment by 2030. In the communications sector, the Middle East and Africa saw the biggest surge in advertising spend in 2014, up by 14.6 % against 3.2% worldwide, which points to the immense opportunities in Africa right now according to a Nielsen study.
“It is not sufficient to be merely present in Africa’s growing markets. Djembe’s genuine desire is to support growth and development across the continent as we look to become the partner of choice for international and local organizations in this dynamic region,” said Sangitha Umakanthan, Country Manager, United Arab Emirates.
Having a well-established presence in Angola, Djembe has now expanded its service offerings into Ghana, Mozambique and Nigeria through wholly owned offices in response to the growing demand in the SSA region for high quality capabilities and services within the public relations and communications sector. Within a short span of time, Djembe has acquired an impressive clientele across the sovereign wealth fund, investments, banking and finance, transportation and infrastructure sectors.
“Whilst the African market is very exciting, it has to be approached with a deep understanding of both the unique challenges and opportunities across business and cultural landscapes. Djembe’s pan-African background, hands-on local capabilities and unparalleled market understanding, backed by our best-in-class teams across key markets enable us to deliver results that are real and measurable for our clients. Our recent industry recognition by the Holmes Report and receiving an Award of Excellence at the prestigious 2015 PRSA Silver Anvil further authenticates our belief that we offer world-class strategic communications platforms in Africa and beyond”, concluded Prather.