Van Damme, Patel and Stanton launch The War Room
South Africa’s corporate affairs landscape is getting a new heavyweight player. Former MP and disinformation specialist, Phumzile Van Damme, geopolitics strategist, Khadija Patel, and award-winning communications leader, Keri-Ann Stanton have launched The War Room — a new advisory offering designed to help organisations navigate today’s era of risk, disruption and reputational volatility.
Launching February 2026, with client engagements opening from March, The War Room provides strategic counsel across geopolitical risk, crisis response, reputation management, executive positioning and digital-era stakeholder communications.
‘We are seeing geopolitical and economic risks top the list of challenges in the corporate affairs world,’ says Patel. ‘Excos and Boards need answers, scenarios and context fast — which is where we come in.’
Van Damme adds: ‘I work with data first and foremost to isolate an issue. While we can offer pointed solutions in the moment, it’s about working with client teams to build a long-term plan in a digital-first world.’
Stanton says: ‘The War Room is built for leaders who need clarity at speed — where policy shifts, public sentiment and digital crises can reshape an organisation overnight. In fact this has moved so fast we already signed our first client in December, ahead of our launch.’
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