PR Founder Jessica Hope Celebrates 10 Years Lifting Africa

Getting kicked out of her job in 2016 became the unexpected launchpad for Jessica Hope's dream career.

Today, the PR agency she founded after that setback just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Wimbart has become a vital voice in African tech, connecting innovators across 20 countries with audiences worldwide.

Hope's journey to this milestone started in Manchester, where she worked as a journalist alongside Jason Njoku of iROKO. After years in traditional PR roles, including leading communications at London's Jewish Museum, Njoku recruited her to iROKO as Global Head of Communications. She spent three and a half years building their presence, even opening their New York office.

When that chapter ended abruptly, Hope saw an opportunity others missed. In 2016, very few PR professionals focused exclusively on African tech. The ecosystem was young, with limited international coverage and few platforms telling these stories.

Hope decided to fill that gap by prioritizing authenticity over polish. She turned down work when her team couldn't deliver excellence, building trust slowly but surely. Founders and venture capitalists appreciated the genuine care Wimbart brought to their stories.

That patience paid off. The agency grew organically without outside investment, maintaining its commitment to quality while expanding across the continent. Hope admits if she started today, she might scale faster, but the steady approach built something lasting.

What surprised Hope most wasn't building a successful agency. It was discovering she's a business builder, not just a PR professional. She's created jobs for young communications professionals and built a team culture where people bring their authentic selves to work.

The Ripple Effect

Wimbart's impact extends beyond individual client wins. By connecting African innovators with international media, Hope helped shift how the world sees African tech. Her work came during a crucial growth period when global attention was just beginning to turn toward the continent's innovation scene.

The agency's success also proved that African-focused professional services firms could thrive while maintaining high standards. Hope's decision to grow organically and prioritize quality over quick profits created a sustainable model others could follow.

Her team has launched numerous young PR careers, creating a ripple effect of communications talent across the continent. Those professionals now carry forward Wimbart's commitment to authentic storytelling in their own work.

Looking ahead, Hope sees continued opportunity despite recent pullbacks in international tech coverage of Africa. The stories are still there, waiting to be told with the care and authenticity that defined Wimbart's first decade.

Ten years in, the journalist turned PR founder has proven that getting kicked out sometimes means getting kicked forward.