For six years now, South African entrepreneur Thato Wesi has been at the helm of Wesmop Communications Agency, leading the company from strength to strength and establishing it as a force to be reckoned with in the public relations space.
Founded by Thato in 2018, Wesmop is a public relations and communications agency that offers clients strategy development, crisis management, event management, marketing management, copywriting, content development, project management, public speaking training, and other services.
Over the years, Wesmop has succeeded in building a strong reputation by forging strategic and fruitful partnerships with its clients.
“Many of these partnerships have also brought in funding and investment. One of my clients now has a three-year-long relationship with us, while another is a multinational entity. We have achieved this through post-relationship management on behalf of my clients,” says Thato, the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Communications Officer.
Born in the Qwaqwa area of the Free State Province in South Africa, Thato demonstrated her intelligence at Sentinel Primary School and Retief Hoërskool before deciding to enroll at the University of the Free State for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Criminology.
“I later moved to Johannesburg after I got married and pursued my postgraduate diploma in communications management at the University of Pretoria. After that, I completed my Master of Philosophy degree in Strategic Communications Management.”
With a strong academic background, Thato was able to land a comfortable job in the corporate sector. However, she explains how the seeds of entrepreneurship – sown into her heart by her mother and father – eventually sprouted.
“Growing up, I have always aspired to be a business owner in some way. I remember how, when I was young, I wanted to build or develop things from scratch, whether by solving a problem or simply starting something from the ground up.
“This desire grew from the time I spent with my father. He would always have some project happening in the garage, like building aluminum windows or making biltong after going hunting with his colleagues on weekends. I also remember how we grew crops and raised animals in our yard. We didn’t have to buy vegetables because we had plenty in the garden.
“I think this experience created a desire in me to start a business and venture into entrepreneurship. Another factor that inspired me to leave my corporate executive job and focus on my business full-time was the ill-treatment and mediocrity I encountered in the corporate sector. I strongly felt I had to build something that would not only empower me but also other women.”
The transition from working for a company to starting her own business was not difficult for Thato because of her strong desire to use the knowledge she had gained during her university studies to make money while also empowering young women to realize their full potential.
“I love building brands, and I love advancing the role of public relations and communications, as I believe it is still undermined and misunderstood.”
As a fledgling entrepreneur, Thato has also focused on gaining more knowledge about leadership as she seeks to accelerate Wesmop’s growth.
To this end, she has been part of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) program, which focuses on entrepreneurship and leadership development. She also participated in the Executive Leadership program, an initiative funded by the International Women’s Forum (IWF), aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs.
With a current staff complement of five employees, Thato feels there is ample room for the company to expand into Zimbabwe and other countries – an objective she plans to achieve within the next five years.
“We are looking to expand into other African countries. With our mission to empower young women, we have to start on this continent. Through our public speaking workshops, we aim to achieve this by empowering women to speak with conviction. I see the workshops expanding throughout the SADC region and even into the western parts of Africa.”
Thato Wesi’s achievements so far at Wesmop Communications Agency are a testament to the ability of women entrepreneurs to excel – and even surpass their male counterparts – when it comes to establishing a sustainable business.
She has demonstrated to emerging women entrepreneurs across Africa that the sky’s the limit. With her leadership, Wesmop will soar higher, and she is determined to take as many women as she can on that journey up into the skies with her.