Sixty-eight jobs created; seven successful divisions established; offices in three South African cities; productive partnerships in 10 countries including India, Kenya, Botswana, China and Australia; Excellent, effective communications services delivered in 31 countries; more than 150 happy clients, including some of South Africa’s biggest, most prestigious and visible businesses and entities; Level 1 B-BBEE status and thousands and thousands and thousands of rands spent on coffee. 

“Numbers are a good way to measure growth. Flow’s numbers are great. But more important than numbers – way, way more important – are the people whose lives have changed through the success of the company: the people who have contributed to Flow’s success, and the people who have grown professionally and personally with us,” says Flow’s founder and chief executive officer, Tara Turkington.

She remembers those heady early days when Flow consisted of little more than herself in a spare room at home, overrun by a baby and three dogs, and soon her first two colleagues: “I loved it back then, and I love it even more today. I love that Flow has created 68 jobs for amazing people, many of them very young. I love the spirit of partnership we share with our clients. And I love doing the work that somehow makes the world a better place.”

Today, Flow occupies a two-storey building in Dunkeld, having outgrown its headquarters in Illovo at the beginning of the year. The agency also has branches in Cape Town and Durban. Its client list includes giants of the South African landscape: the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Nando’s South Africa, the Gauteng Tourism Authority, Hollard, the CSIR, Fair Trade Tourism, South African Airways, Flight Centre, Lafarge and SABMiller.

These and many other businesses have come to Flow for services such as web and app development, public relations, digital communications, design work, media training, social media campaigns tactics, writing and editing, video production and exhibitions.

“At Flow, we work with people we like on work we love, to make the world a better place wherenever we can. This, with the talent and dedication of everyone in the Flow team, has brought us this far. It will continue to be the source of our growth,” says Turkington.

Managing director Tiffany Turkington-Palmer adds: “I think of Flow as a family – we care for and about each other, have real conversations about real things, and are all driven by the same values. Although we have grown from five people to 68, we remain motivated by the same passion: to do our best work and make a real difference.”

And as much as Flow is passionate about its diverse clients, the feeling is mutual.

“Over the past 10 years, I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with various members of the Flow team, and can only say, ‘Wow. You are all an inspiration.’ Thanks for your support,” says Tony Rubin, general manager at the SAB World of Beer and former managing director of Maropeng, which was Flow’s first client (Flow researched and wrote all the words for the exhibitions at Sterkfontein Caves and the Maropeng visitors’ centre in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site).

“Freaking awesome team, they’re as passionate about my business as I am! My life would be a lot less colourful without all the Flowstars,” says Clodagh da Paixao, marketing manager for Hollard Broker Markets.

"Besides providing us with excellent, friendly and professional service, Flow has gone above and beyond the call of duty, helping an old-school, conservative organisation take its first steps into the modern world of social media,” says Larry Oellermann, CEO of the South African Society for Marine Biological Research.

“Flow Communications has been both a service provider and a resource in achieving our ultimate goal of preserving and sharing Nelson Mandela’s legacy. We wish them well on the occasion of their 10th anniversary and hope for many more ‘10s’ to come,” says Sello Hatang, chief executive at the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

“We are proud of our association with Flow Communications since 2009. Their approach to managing numerous and ground-breaking campaigns, like Table Mountain’s New7Wonders campaign and recently our recruitment drive, has always been professional. Their guidance and innovative thinking are indeed key assets that we appreciate. We wish them well for the next 10 years,” say Collette van Aswegen, marketing manager, and Fazielah Williams, content marketer for the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company.

“The first 10 years have been about consolidation, and in the next five to 10 years we will soaring into the skies in terms of growth,” concludes Bheki Shongwe, chairperson of Flow Communications.

For more information, visit www.flowsa.com. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.