Coffee With Judith Middleton, Founder and CEO of DUO Marketing + Communications
Our Collectivist PR agency for Africa, including South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Ghana and Kenya
Q: What’s the elevator pitch for DUO?
Judith: DUO Marketing + Communications was founded in 2004, so we’re now 21 years old. Our goal from the very beginning was to create a niche tech PR agency for Southern Africa.
At the time, there were no niche tech agencies, and we were discouraged from doing it because people thought it was too specialised. But looking back, it’s been our biggest advantage.
We’ve evolved from a traditional PR agency into a full-service digital agency, and today we serve a wide range of tech companies—enterprise, consumer, fintech medtech, healthtech, and more.
Q: Did you start DUO out of necessity, opportunity, or was it always the plan?
Judith: It was a bit of fortuitous luck and timing. I had been working in the UK tech industry, which I loved. When I returned to Cape Town, I was offered an opportunity to work in a public-private partnership promoting the city’s ICT sector.
That initiative led to the launch of the first tech incubator on the continent, and it gave me strong access to the tech space. As we worked with over 70 tech startups, I saw a huge opportunity for PR.
So, in 2004, I launched DUO—despite never having worked in an agency. I’ve always had a commercial mindset, with a passion for both comms and tech. We reinvented the agency model by focusing really hard on return on investment, with reporting as our core value proposition.
Q: What does your typical workday look like now?
Judith: My day often starts with reviewing our financial position—I’m very disciplined about that.
I try not to get too involved with client work. I have a phenomenal team, and they’re far more hands-on and effective in that space.
My role focuses on innovation, recruitment, product and process development, and finding ways to improve efficiency so we can deliver more value to our clients.
Q: Who are the key team members driving the business forward?
Judith: We have three directors—two women and one man—which gives us a nice balance.
Lesley heads up the enterprise division. She’s excellent at client management, upselling, and team leadership.
Anish has been with us for 11 years. He’s our Digital Enablement Officer and handles training, development, and digital campaigning. If someone joins DUO as a traditional PR specialist they will leave DUO with strong digital skills thanks to him. He’s also a trained journalist, so he contributes a lot of content—his dual skill set is incredibly valuable.
Then we have Shey, who came from Accenture Song. She leads the consumer team and business development proposals. Her strength lies in simplifying complex technical messaging into clear, differentiated communications. It’s her superpower.
Q: How would you describe DUO’s culture?
Judith: I’d say we’re driven by both people and process.
Our people are the core of our success, but we also rely heavily on the structured processes we’ve built over the years. Without those, things just don’t work as they should.
There are elements of culture, innovation, and entrepreneurship too, but people and process are our two defining strengths.
Q: What kind of companies do you work with?
Judith: Our ideal clients are scaling entrepreneurial ventures.
Working directly with founders and innovators is a privilege—it gives us a deep sense of the business rhythm. That allows us to identify pressure points and areas where PR and marketing can add real value.
Q: What services do you offer?
Judith: We create powerful digital campaigns, which are all data-driven, so decisions are based on evidence—not guesswork. That’s been a game-changer for us over the last 12 years.
Many of our CEO clients trust us to test ideas, report on results, and evolve our approach.
Everything feeds into our 21-step lead generation framework, which is built on content. That includes messaging, PR, advertorials, blogs, SEO, and more.
Q: What’s been your best year so far, and why?
Judith: Probably year two. That’s when we saw real market traction and began working with major players.
I remember feeling apprehensive about approaching big brands like Vox. I remember thinking, how dare we? But, we did—and we’ve been servicing them for 20 years now!
It’s become a true partnership. We understand their market, products, and messaging. They’re also led by one of the most inspiring people in tech, so the work continues to evolve and excite us.
Q: What should international tech companies know before entering the African market?
Judith: Tech in Africa is booming, and there’s been strong foreign investment—especially in medtech and fintech.
One common mistake is treating Africa as one country. It’s more like Europe—each country has unique languages, cultures, and expectations.
Multinationals often enter the market assuming their global messaging and products will land—but they don’t always. News must be localised, not just to the geography, but also to the language. South Africa alone has 11 official languages!
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