THEY BECOME AFRICA'S FIRST POWERHOUSE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Johannesburg -- Africa can now boast its first powerhouse of corporate and government communications solutions serving all nations across the continent.

This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Tshirundu Communications, South Africa's largest 100 percent black-owned integrated marketing communications company, and Global Media Alliance (GMA), a West Africa integrated communications company which straddles several African countries with its branch offices and associate agencies. GMA has it operational headquarters in Accra, Ghana.

The new partnership gives true meaning to Pan African communications and will serve to strengthen the spirit of co-operation and integration in the African Union.

Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, CEO of Tshirundu Communications, said the signing of the MOU was historical because it created the first agency with the capacity to roll out integrated marketing and communications services in any African country.

"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 capacity to effect campaigns across several nations.

"The agreement between Tshirundu Communications and Global Media Alliance will fulfill 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 the distinguished 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 scores of accounts which required PR interventions in various African countries.

Tabane said while his company was very capable of providing services in Southern Africa, it became quite a challenge when communication interventions were 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."

Global Media Alliance which specializes in public relations, event management, sports management, investor relations, media management, and television and radio broadcast, was founded by Edward Boateng who is presently Managing Director.

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 South African Broadcasting Corporation 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 said the launch of a communications firm that could serve the length and breadth of Africa "seamlessly and with uniformity of standards" was long overdue.

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

"Through our diverse resources and knowledge about specific regions of Africa, we will match our unique professional expertise and interpersonal dynamics with the needs of our corporate clients and governments to achieve their desired business and communications results," said Boateng.

For further information, contact Yogin Devan on +27-31-2039800.

Asantewaa Donkor, +233-21-912074