A Katlehong entrepreneur is fighting unemployment through creative entrepreneurship after struggling to find a job since obtaining his qualification in public relations at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2015.
The 32-years-old entrepreneur, Sthembele Njobo, from Ext 3 Palm Ridge, Katlehong, was recently honoured with a certificate of recognition from Inside Education after he made it on the 100 South African Shining Stars 2022, under the category of Business and Entrepreneurship.
Njobo said he was nominated for his initiative called Taxi TV, meant for advertising, targeting start-up companies and entrepreneurs, and highlighting the successes and challenges that township communities face daily.
He shared that he is currently ‘incubated’ under The Innovation Hub at eKasi Lab Kathorus.
“We are busy with the pilot idea and are almost done with everything. It is a matter of commercialising it and installing the screens in the taxis,” said Njobo.
He said Taxi TV is not only a great source of information and entertainment but also a great opportunity for freelancers and graduates to get work experience.
“I am currently pushing the fundraising for the launch because at the moment it is just a pilot idea, but we want to launch it officially. In terms of financial support, I do not have any sponsors, excluding the partnership with the innovative hub.”
Njobo comes from an artistic background. He is a former rapper who first rose to fame with a hit single titled My Rap where he featured iFani in 2011, before switching careers to become an events strategist, TV producer, and publicist and he’s now a full-time digital entrepreneur.
“I was a job seeker who turned into a job creator. In May 2016, after a year of struggling to find a job, I founded a technology-driven company to help small businesses and independent artists in Kathorus maximise their online visibility,” he said.
He initiated Naugh Media Communications (NMC) which offers data-driven social media results with an internal media house.
It also offers a digital public relations strategy, content creation and copywriting for local SEO, paid advertising campaigns, media training, brand photography and video, SEO and crisis management.
He believes that search engine optimisation guarantees success for companies and that when customers search for products or services you offer, you need to rank high.
“Google’s search algorithm is the gatekeeper standing between you and your customers, so you need to impress Google first.”
Njobo also mentors creative entrepreneurs through a recreation space he set up at his Palm Ridge home during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“I have been receiving mentorship from various people. In return I am passing that knowledge to those in the creative space around me,” he said.
“Entrepreneurship is a lonely space. I empower young people to embrace mental fitness. I am pushing the narrative of breathing properly through meditation. It is an organic way of coping with depression.”
Another initiative he started is the pop-up cinema that caters for early childhood development where he introduces children to media from an early age.
He said they partnered with filmmakers like FDM Academy and the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) that have released movies, including animations.
“We use a projector, white backdrop and tripod. We create the platform for children to be entertained and understand storytelling from an early age,” he said.
“It is not for schools only. I have realised that when it comes to self-development it is wise to use storytelling instead of giving them information in a form of books only. Also using references in the form of visuals and audio is better and they can use it in the future,” he continued.
“We aim to create a digital library for children, for them to be able to tap into those archives.”
He said the reason for creating it was the lack of enough platforms for people to push what they produce in the township.
“My ultimate goal is to give young people a voice in the township so that they have their own voice heard through a black-owned media company from the township.”
