Burson-Marsteller buys minority stake in Engage Burson-Masteller, a Kenyan PR firm

Burson-Marsteller, a leading global strategic communications and public relations firm, today announced it has acquired a minority stake in Engage Burson-Marsteller, its exclusive partner covering Kenya and Tanzania.

The award-winning Burson-Marsteller Africa network covers 53 of the 55 countries on the continent, including Nigeria, where it is in partnership to CMC Connect.

“Today’s announcement reinforces our commitment to ensuring we have a strong presence in every region where our clients need world-class strategic counsel and cutting-edge integrated communications services,” said Jeremy Galbraith, CEO, Burson-Marsteller Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) and Global Chief Strategy Officer.

“Kenya is the biggest and most advanced economy in east and central Africa, and the acquisition of a minority stake in our partner there demonstrates our commitment to offering communications services in this important country.”

Robyn de Villiers, Chair and CEO, Burson-Marsteller Africa added “Our Africa strategy provides for us to strengthen our longstanding partnerships across the continent in a structured way, helping our partners to achieve their business objectives as we achieve ours.

Our team at Engage Burson-Marsteller, led by Desiree Gomes, has established a highly regarded and successful business in a competitive market over the past three years and I am thrilled that we have moved this important step closer.”

“Over the past three years we have been able to draw on Burson-Marsteller’s global insights and knowledge, and couple it with my teams’ communications experience in East Africa. I am delighted that, with this step, Engage Burson-Marsteller is moving even closer to the Burson-Marsteller brand and network,” said Desiree Gomes, Managing Partner of Engage Burson-Marsteller.

In 2014, Burson-Marsteller rebranded the network it acquired in 2011 to Burson-Marsteller Africa and simultaneously announced branded partner offices in 27 countries. Later that year, that number increased to 29 with the signing of two additional affiliate partnership contracts, both of which had been long-standing exclusive affiliates.

In October, the firm announced the addition of seven branded partners to the Burson-Marsteller Africa network, bringing the total to 36. Engage Burson-Marsteller is the second investment on the continent.

The Burson-Marsteller Africa network is headquartered in Johannesburg and continues to be run by Robyn de Villiers, who founded the network over 25 years ago. It was named African Agency Network of the Year at the Financial Mail AdFocus Awards ceremony in Johannesburg on November 23rd, for the second consecutive year.