Edelman has just announced a proposed acquisition of South African-based communications consultancy Baird’s Renaissance. The acquisition is expected to go through within the next 30 days marking Edelman’s official entry into the South Africa arena. According to the announcement Francois Baird (at left), founder and chairman of the agency, will also lead Edelman Africa.
Commenting on the announcement, Baird offered this:
“Now, we look forward to proudly taking our place in the world as Africans, able to bring Africa to the world. After 20 productive years as an Edelman affiliate, I am very proud that my team and I will now truly be part of the Edelman family. There is enormous opportunity to leverage the strength of the entire Edelman network, intellectual capital and talent to benefit this dynamic continent and to deploy our Africa expertise and network to the benefit of Edelman clients.”
“The acquisition of Baird’s represents the culmination of a long-standing successful partnership. It will be a platform in which we can build new relationships with companies in Africa, and strengthen the way in which we support existing clients in this growing region. This acquisition provides Edelman with the capability to support clients throughout the entire continent.”
The South Africa agency currently employs 20 full-time staff and 10 consultants and a client roster of government, financial, telecommunications, health, tourism, energy and mining brands.
Edelman South Africa, the firm’s’s 67th office worldwide. Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, with more than 4,800 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities.