Young, Gifted & Killing It! 2019 in review
by Veli Ngubane (@TheNduna) Young, Gifted & Killing It! 2019 has been a celebration of talent, excellence and of growth, and their hard-earned lessons and sage advice have made their interviews some of the best over the four years of this column. Here’s our recap, along with their advice for young creatives wanting to get into the business.
January: Ernest Nkosi
Director, filmmaker, creative director & promoter
Multitalented Ernest Nkosi (@ernestnkosi) is a filmmaker, creative director and promoter, and the director behind Brand South Africa’s #OneAfricaOnePeople for Africa Day.
VN: What advice can you give to young creatives wanting to get into the business?
Ernest Nkosi: Trust the process of your journey and punch the first person that tells you to get a real job in the throat when things don’t seem to be going well.
February: Sibu Mabena
Creative communications head at Duma Collective
Multitalented Sibu Mabena (@sibumabena) is still running Duma Collective, a creative communications agency. She’s currently working on #FriendsOfAmstelSA and the 2020 #FeesForAllMegaConcert.*
VN: What advice can you give to young women wanting to get into the business?
Sibu Mabena: Start today!! Right now. With whatever you have, start today. Waiting for whatever you are waiting for is only going to eat away at your opportunity to do what you want to do! Start!!!!
March: Nkululeko “Legend” Manqele
CEO of The Bar Group
Nkululeko “Legend” Manqele (@legendmanqele) has seen an addition to his stable with the acquisition of Ndalo Media, which means that he is the new owner of Destiny and Destiny Man magazines. 2019 has indeed been a year of growth and opportunities for the Pietermaritzburg-born entrepreneur.
VN: What advice can you give to young creatives wanting to get into the business?
Legend Manqele: The industry today is not what it was when I started in it 11 years ago. Then, I had to physically be in the presence of industry structures — production houses, people, sets etc. Today all it takes is a smartphone, great wifi and some inspiration for young creatives to produce, launch, share and promote their own content. Nollywood films made off of smartphones rake in millions. The advice is really to showcase your talent and the industry will be here to receive it — we’re all on our phones, anyway, so you’re more likely to get a response from work submitted via a tweet than a physical CV. Social media is your biggest opportunity as a launchpad, so use it. Also, remain hungry, remain interested and connected. We need young creatives to drive the newness of the industry and not wait to just replicate what happens abroad. Through digital, we have all become globally accessible so abroad is as much “here” as “here” is “here”. You never know who is looking for an idea you may have and would want to collaborate with you.
April: Amahle “Jaxx” Jaxa
Chief of operations at Until Until
Queenstown-born Amahle “Jaxx” Jaxa (@Jaxx_Amahle) is currently chief of operations at Until Until while studying towards a BA in politics, philosophy and economics through UNISA. The 25-year-old shares her opinions on how the industry is doing in terms of transformation and how women are portrayed in the media.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a career in the creative industry?
Amahle Jaxx: Any young person should know that, without an education, life is harder. Patience is needed in the creative industry because there are so many moving parts; it’s not like working in a bank where every day is the same. You have to be extremely reliable because the creative industry works a lot on referrals. You are easily replaceable; therefore ,you have to work hard — as you would in any job, I guess.
May: David Tshabalala
Co-founder of & creative director at Suketchi
Free State-born David Tshabalala (@SlayingGoliath) is co-founder and creative director of branding and design agency, Suketchi. As a graphic designer and illustrator, he’s been busy we featured him in May — he was involved in the limited-edition branding of Danone Yogi Sip and the launch of the new Audi Q3.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a career in the creative industry?
David Tshabalala T: The internet and social media is such an ideal resource! There hasn’t been an easier time in our recent history where you could directly communicate with the powers that be, for advice and insight. I would encourage that person to use these outlets to spark conversations with people and companies that they would like to work for.
June: Mashudu Modau
Lutcha founder/Yoco community & partnerships manager
Mashudu Modau (@mashstartup), entrepreneur and founder of podcast network Lutcha, shares with us his entrepreneurship journey, as well as insights into the future of African media.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a career in the creative industry or starting their own business?
Mashudu Modau: Sign up to any experiences that empower, enable and educate you. Not just those that involve your interests or desired career paths but those that offer personal growth. Oh, and of course, patient with yourself.
July: Nomaswazi Phumo
Strategist at M&C Saatchi Abel
Soweto-born and -raised strategist Nomaswazi Phumo (@NomaswaziPhumo) shares with us her routine for solving some complex brand problems through her kickass strategy.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a career in the creative industry?
Nomaswazi Phumo: Be interested. Always ask why. Read anything and everything.
August: Farah Fortune
Founder & CEO of African Star Communications
Farah Fortune (@fcfortune), African Star Communications founder and CEO, shares with us her life journey, from being born in Cape Town and being raised in Europe to working on the Oscar-winning movie, Tsotsi, and also running a women-empowered agency in South Africa.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a career in the PR or creative industry?
Farah Fortune: Look at the digital side of the PR and creative industry. Make sure the institution you wish to study at is progressive and already adapting [its] coursework to the current technological climate. Look for good mentors, too, preferably ones who are able to guide you into your chosen profession.
September: Tshepo Tumahole
Copywriter at Joe Public
Now an award-winning copywriter currently at Joe Public, Tshepo Tumahole’s career kicked off after winning a copywriting bursary he’d heard about on YFM and being given a break by Ahmed Tilly (then at Black River FC). He hopes to share credits with an astronaut, zookeeper, mine worker and Doctor Khumalo one day.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a career in the creative industry or starting their own business?
Tshepo Tumahole: Never stop learning and never think of yourself as too young to do something. Whatever you set your sights on, you can achieve, especially in the creative industry. There are so many amazing people in this industry who will not only inspire you but will catapult your career.
October: Mimi Kalinda
GCEO & co-founder of Africa Communications Media Group
Mimi Kalinda (@MKalinda), group CEO and co-founder of Africa Communications Media Group (ACG), has juggled crisis comms in Nigeria, airline work in Ethiopia and B2B work in Zambia; she’s also an author and has led workshops on telling stories and narrative in leadership locally and internationally. Get a taste of this powerhouse storyteller here.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a career in the PR or creative industry?
Mimi Kalinda: Find a great mentor who will teach you the ropes and push you to your limits. You will hate the process sometimes, but it will be worth it if you stick it through. Also, you don’t know much. Be comfortable with and humble enough to seize every opportunity to learn. Finally, be flexible. You don’t need to have a plan for every single step of the journey. It’s perfectly fine to go with the flow, as long as you let excellence be the guiding value of everything you do.
November: Ayandamantombazane Mhlongo
Senior integrated marketing manager at MTV & MTV Base
Soweto-born, Thohoyandou- and Hillbrow-raised marketing superwoman Ayandamantombazane “Ayanda” Mhlongo (@KINGAya_) shares her insights on youth culture and her career highlights.
VN: What advice would you give someone completing their high-school education this year and looking to follow a creative industry?
Ayanda Mhlongo: Don’t stop learning. Learning doesn’t have to be going to school every day; learn from your environment, learn from your peers, job-shadow a person in the industry you want to work in. Work experience is key in this industry. In order to thrive in this industry, you need to be up to date with the latest trends, have knowledge on your industry and be able to provide key insights from your environment.
*Correction published at 9.04am on 6 December 2019. We incorrectly reported Sibu Mabena’s involvement with the #KFCWeddingProposal and a Toni Braxton concert. We regret the error.
Veli Ngubane (@TheNduna) entered the world of advertising with a passion after completing his BSocSci (law, politics and economics) at UCT and a post-graduate marketing diploma at Red & Yellow, where he’s currently advisory board chairman. He also sits on the IAB’s Transformation & Education Council, is a DMA board member and Loeries, APEX, Pendoring, Bookmarks and AdFocus. He is the group MD of AVATAR and co-founder of M&N Brands, which is building an African network of agencies to rival the global giants. In his monthly column “Young, Gifted & Killing It”, he profiles award-winning, kick-ass black creative talent in South Africa.
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