Waggener Edstrom Communications makes a push into Africa

Independent communications agency Waggener Edstrom Communications (WE) has partnered six new strategic firms in Africa to meet increasing client demand.The six new partners are Core Public Relations, Corporate Talk Group, Exclamation Marketing, Hotwire PRC, Lift Consulting and XLR8. This extends the agency’s service network to 18 new markets in Africa and more than 100 globally.Communications management consultancy XLR8 will help represent WE and its clients in Nigeria. Lift Consulting provides communications, public relations and media relations expertise in Angola, and Core Public Relations extends WE’s reach into Namibia. Integrated communications agency Hotwire PRC shares its local expertise in Botswana, Mozambique and Tanzania. Corporate Talk Group provides coverage in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Exclamation Marketing extends WE’s reach into other markets including Rwanda for coverage footprint.Johannesburg will serve as an African hub for clients in the region. These clients include the likes of Nissan, SolarCentury and Microsoft. New general manager James Wilson will lead and direct a number of existing pan-regional accounts in the African continent.Chris Talago, executive vice president and general manager, Waggener Edstrom EMEA, said, “Our new partners bring local expertise, allowing us to extend our quality of service and our consistent focus on results to additional markets.”