Puthumile Ngwenya: Using Film, TV and Radio to tell inspiring and uplifting stories
Puthumile Ngwenya is a film school graduate who has helped produce documentaries for the UN. She has worked in Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya and South Africa. Currently, she is on a Zambian morning talk show called Fresh In The Morning. She also owns a company Sole Source that organizes fun events for the modern African millennial. In addition, she has done radio, written TV scripts and freelance writes and also edits for digital magazines in Zambia. She is also the content creator for Wikreate Africa Limited. In short, Puthumile Ngwenya is a storyteller extraordinaire. She tells us in this interview about how she’s using everything from film, to TV, to radio to tell stories that uplift and inspire. What did you want to be as a child? As a child, I wanted to be everything! A vet, an astronaut, Janet Jackson, an actress, a dancer! I mean is it any wonder I fell in love with theatre and film? Do you think formal education (having a degree) is really important when pursuing a career in media? My major was Live Performance, which was divided into music, acting, and a sub-major in Scriptwriting. It was important for me because I really learned how to be an all-around production person through our practical’s and film shoots. I had to intern under departments unrelated to my degree so I learned so much. I would advise anyone to educate themselves or job shadow someone in the field they want to be in. It makes you better at what you do. How did you become a co-host on the Fresh In The Morning Zambian talk show and what is your mission with the show? One of my former co-hosts from radio started the Fresh TV station and he saw something in me. He knew my background, but I had given up on working in front of the camera until he persuaded me. My mission is to entertain but also talk about serious issues we Africans don’t always talk about and help further the conversation. We all want to make a change, share stories, shed light on others plight and elevate people…that’s the goal! They say women don’t support women. Have you experienced this with female colleagues in the industry? I have seen it with other women and I know a few who have tried to block my success. But more so, I feel the men are more insecure and have tried to cut me down because I am a no-nonsense person, I know my worth…I really do. So my experience, especially in TV production working with women, has been wonderful, we support each other, back each other and we laugh at the people who think they can pull us down! [bctt tweet=” I have big dreams and my goals are always changing – @leelabee ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] The media industry has a reputation for being somewhat turbulent work wise. How do you stay motivated during the less productive times? In the past, I have been depressed over losing jobs or late payments. Trust me, it is not for the faint of heart. It has also taught me to draw up my own contracts because a lot of people just verbally hire and agree to pay you. Thankfully I have family support and people to lean on, I freelance but I recently started my own company Sole Source last year, with three partners, so I stay busy. I always find a way because I have faith, I know my talent and skill set, I won’t be defeated. What’s your proudest career moment so far? It is yet to come, I mean last year I pulled off coordinating Rocktober 17 a local music festival and that was challenging and exhausting. As I mentioned I have a new company, I also recently got back into Producing for TV and acting…so the best is yet to come. I have big dreams and my goals are always changing. You describe yourself as an Afro-feminist. What is that exactly? I am African…and proud. All it really means is that my feminism is aligned with that of continental African women. Others have been fighting their fight and intersectional feminism is something that came later, I have to fight for my people. For me being a feminist is what I am and who I am by virtue of being a woman, I want equality for all. I want black women to be safe, to stop being raped, murdered and killed…Africa is not a monolith we deal with things other women globally do not. Name some women whom you admire or look up to? My mother, she was strong and worked hard. I also really connect with the spirits, activism, and artwork of the likes of Nina Simone, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Esther Mahlangu. I also look up to my peers across all industries but locally in Zambia that’s Becky Ngoma and Seya Fundafunda two great filmmakers. What’s a piece of advice you are happy you ignored? You will never produce your own TV segment or documentary until you are 35. I did it at 26, so thanks to my former boss…you know who you are. You lit a fire within me that made me quit my job and move to East Africa where I fell in love with film again. Top five career tips? Network, I mean really get to know the people in your industry the ones you admire and the ones you don’t. Believe in yourself, nobody else will or has to. Do not take no for an answer and when you do get told no, ask why…you should know what you are doing wrong. Don’t knock other people down or get into industry beef. Just stay in your own lane and keep your nose to the grindstone. Listen to your gut every time! Trust me it always helped me avoid bad business deals, sticky situations and a lot of drama. Anything new you are working on that you want us to look out for?
5 Marketing Tips from Business Guru P.Diddy
Sean “Puffy/Puff Daddy/ Diddy/Brother Love” Combs is one of the greatest marketing geniuses on earth. He has remained relevant and dominant to hip-hop music, culture, fashion, business and entertainment over the past 20 years. Last year, Sean was also recognized as one of the Forbes 100 Greatest Living Minds. He is also often considered one of the top 3 of 5 wealthiest hip-hop artists on the Forbes list. Amidst all these, you may wonder, how does he keep all eyes on him? In this article, we will discover 5 tips from Diddy that can help us improve our marketing game and slay! 1. Say Your Name If there is one thing Diddy always does, is use every advantage to promote his products or name. Whether its an interview on Ellen or a cameo on The Breakfast Club, Diddy always has his products such as a bottle of Ciroc. You should take advantage of every airtime you get to promote your brand and products. Through being strategic, you should find a way to guide the conversation in a way that allows you to talk about your products. This will help increase your revenue and the reach of your brand. 2. Make The Circle Bigger The fact is you can only be in one place at a time, but you need to get the word out about you, your brand or business. You need people spreading a positive word about you to others. Diddy figured this out in his early days as a music producer when he started Bad Boy Records, which celebrated its 20-year reunion tour last year. Diddy has been instrumental in the careers of musicians like Notorious BIG, Mase, and more recently French Montana. Whenever a record of their plays, it will at some point announce “Bad Boy.” Through shaping and promoting the careers of the musicians he worked with, Diddy also extended his marketing reach. When you help other people achieve their goals, you also, in turn, grow your circle of influence and people who will do anything for you. 3. Stay On the Beat Is Diddy an expert of the FMCG, Film and Music industries? Probably not, but he knows enough of the field to spot a real opportunity. You don’t want to seem like you are all over the place, but rather that you ‘happened’ to be in a certain place or sector because you keep your finger on the pulse. Whatever you are working on, you need to know all the new developments and contribute to the conversations in a meaningful way that elevates the topic. Diddy lost his father to gun violence at a young age. Though he became successful, he didn’t forget to empower his people. His response to Black Lives Matter through building a world-class school in Harlem, the neighborhood he grew up in. 5. Have Fun Diddy always looks like he is having a great time, from salsa dancing in his underwear to the energy he brings when he is hosting shows. People are attracted to someone who is upbeat, so plaster a smile on your face and get hyped about whatever you do! We are always exchanging energy so make sure you put out positive vibes only! DO YOU HAVE ANY BUSINESS LESSONS TO SHARE? Let us know here.
Mo Abudu: It’s an honor that people liken my work to that of Oprah Winfrey
Mo Abudu is one of Africa’s most successful women. She is a media giant for Africa in broadcasting, an entrepreneur, and a talk show host. She is the founder of Ebonylife TV, an African multi-broadcast entertainment network, that portrays Africa at its best. Over the years she has created a signature brand that resonated with black audiences both in Africa and its diaspora. Described as Africa’s very own Oprah’, Mo is keen in her resolve to rewrite Africa’s story. We learn more about her journey and of her trending project (Sisterhood awards) for African women in the industry, that is empowering women to work together to accomplish great things while also celebrating women who have excelled in laudable achievements’ Ebony life is a contributor to the Annual Discop Africa and we caught up with the station in presenting its projects with the rest of Africa in exposing African content to the rest of the world. What’s your background, and why business? I was born in the U.K to Nigerian parents. I moved to Lagos in 1993 and spent more than a decade in the corporate world, where I launched a consulting firm, and later a hotel. However, my love for film and telling African stories brought me to a totally different ball game. I found myself working towards Ebony life TV channel and films. There are so many African stories that are yet to be told”. “Let’s take these stories to the world now, that’s the journey we’re on,” says Mo. How difficult is it to own and run and whole TV station? It’s been just over a decade since I launched the ritzy entertainment and lifestyle network, Ebony life channel in eastern Nigeria. I have now opened a new studio in Lagos, the country’s entertainment and media capital. For me, it has been all about keeping with a philosophy passion and love. [bctt tweet=”There are so many African stories that are yet to be told – @MoAbudu” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You are often nicknamed the “ Oprah of Africa”, why do you think people call you that? In 2013 I had decided to put my investments and time to the launch of my network, Ebony Life TV. It was the first fully Nigerian-owned entertainment channel to be carried on the South African pay-tv platform – DStv. Many take my work and development in the broadcasting industry as a following in Oprah’s footsteps. It’s an honor that they liken my work and journey to that of Oprah Winfrey. My contributions and work in the range of original reality programming, drama series, and news magazines may be the outline that makes people compare me with Oprah, I guess. Also, talk shows have somehow resonated with black audiences both in Africa and its diaspora. Ebony Life now airs in the U.K. and the Caribbean. It is soon to be airing in the U.S. and Canada. Who are the inspiring people you’ve come across on this journey? In 2006 I launched “Moments with Mo,” it then became the first syndicated daily talk show in the continent. I’ve sat across from a remarkable range of guests, from Nigerian Noble Laureate, Wole Soyinka to fashion designer, Diane von Furstenberg, and even then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. [bctt tweet=”In 2013, I put my investments and time to the launch of Ebony Life TV – @MoAbudu” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is your vision for creating African content in broadcasting and film? We have many African stories that are yet to be told. When I first approached DStv with the proposition that Africa was ripe for its own Oprah Winfrey or Ellen DeGeneres show, I had already planned for a global TV channel opportunity. I explored channel possibilities with SKY in the UK and knew that I needed a big platform to project Africa in a different, more positive light. This was what incited me to start thinking of establishing Ebonylife TV and take African Stories to the world. The network’s global ambitions, sums up with the tagline “Made in Nigeria for the world”, tell us more about that? To address this, Ebonylife TV last year partnered with Disney to co-produce “Desperate Housewives Africa,” which drew rave reviews across the continent. Ebonylife TV has acquired the rights to “Dynasty” and “Melrose Place” from CBS Intl, and we are the next seasons of “Housewives.” We want an increased African audience to be glued to the same TV shows as their friends and family overseas. Tell us about the release of the movie “Fifty”? The movie “Fifty,” was Ebonylife TV’s first feature film, which was picked up by Netflix and released worldwide. The film was showcased four successful career women facing difficult midlife crises. “Fifty” is a film that reflects my broader desire to tap into unaccustomed narratives of Africa — and African women in particular. [bctt tweet=”We’re celebrating women who work together to accomplish great things – @MoAbudu” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about the Ebonylife TV Sisterhood Awards you’re hosting. This is what we have established annually to empower women to work together to accomplish great things and seek to celebrate women who have excelled in laudable achievements. The Ebonylife Sisterhood Awards was launched during my 50th birthday celebration in September 2014. The event was themed – “Mo @ 50, Celebrating sisterhood”, it was a celebration of the deserving, but unsung women in the society. Women not often celebrated or celebrated enough, but who are making significant impacts in their particular areas of influence. We recognize awardees based on their demonstration of excellence, commitment, innovativeness, integrity, and national impact. Do you have any career lessons to share? Let us know here.