Burson

South Africa

Through a blend of continental scale, specialist expertise, creative innovation and investment in talent, Burson Africa has firmly positioned itself as a leading agency on the continent. Founded through the integration of two legacy operations, Burson Africa formally brought its unified team together on 1 September 2024. Under the leadership of co-CEOs Bridget von Holdt and Karl Haechler, the agency now operates with a core team of 22 people in Johannesburg, supported by a wider network of more than 300 professionals and 29 affiliate and partner agencies across over 50 African countries, 36 of which carry the Burson brand.

The past year marked significant business growth and transformation for Burson Africa. It managed over 200 clients across sectors such as technology, pharmaceuticals, finance, energy, and consumer goods. A growing demand for services including crisis preparedness, leadership coaching and public affairs has enabled the agency to broaden its offering, expand its regional footprint, and deliver increased revenue. Notable clients include Coca-Cola, Sage, Netflix, Sanofi, Dubai Chamber, IWG, Lenovo and CNN – for which the agency has worked for 15 years. The uptake of its crisis simulation product in particular has surged, with crisis and risk advisory services increasing by 80% year-on-year.

Creatively, Burson Africa continues to push boundaries with work like the Experian Up campaign, which used FinTok influencers to drive financial literacy among South Africans. The campaign, Experian’s first TikTok-led initiative, combined influencer activation with a News24 content partnership, resulting in a major boost in platform registrations. And its Shark Week 2024 campaign for Discovery Channel Africa, redefined how South Africans connect with sharks by blending local relevance, conservation storytelling, and strategic media engagement, leading to record-breaking engagement. The agency’s creative credibility was further underlined when South Africa Songwane served as the only African juror on the PR Lions jury at Cannes Lions 2024.

Burson Africa also invests in people and culture. More than 80% of its team, including its leadership, are women, and the average tenure approaches five years. It maintains an emphasis on wellbeing, offering flexible work options and access to health professionals. Programmes like Starting Blocks – a virtual internship initiative launched in 2020 – have provided practical training to 450 aspiring professionals from 27 countries. Interns from its Johannesburg hub regularly progress into permanent roles.

The agency continues to show its commitment to industry development and youth empowerment through affiliations with PRISA, APRA, PRCA and ICCO. It contributes to key industry reports, delivers talks on ethics, and supports initiatives such as Primestars, a non-profit focused on youth development. —Maja Pawinska Sims