Behind the scenes: Making the MediaHeads.

MediaHeads 360 and sister company United Stations have formed a partnership with Boston Media House in the pursuit of recognising excellence and assisting graduates to enter the media industry. As established media industry contributors, both MediaHeads 360 and United Stations recognise the value of providing tactical opportunities to graduates as they enter the creative economy. In this article,?MediaHeads 360’ current Intern, Raymond Mabusela, talks to his peers about joining the Team and shares their thoughts here.

Meet 00 (double O).?

You might be thinking they are a character in the newest Bond franchise, but the connection is much closer to the cast and crew of MediaHeads 360, and 00 is far from being shaken! Born in the year 2000,?Enhle Mhlanga?is a millennial, and her ID number starts with 00. She was ten when the World Cup Soccer came to South Africa and her earliest memory is of waiting for her Dad to return home in the afternoons, he would drive past their house pumping Kabelo ‘s anthem,?“It’s my house”?and she would be filled with glee as he turned the car around and pulled up onto the driveway.

Enhle never worked on a 2010 campaign but will be sitting next to someone who did, and it is this process that is key to ensuring the relevance and development of our industry.?“It’s a scary time for us”, quips Enhle, “we’ve spent time learning at college and applying ourselves, but it doesn’t guarantee you a job. The creative industry seems saturated and often hires people with no formal education and we (as graduates) need to ensure we’re relevant to agencies”. She speaks with ease about her connection to the creative economy, knowing that it isn’t considered as a traditional career. “I was free spirited and spoke my mind, creative spaces were always interesting to me.” But it isn’t only about being creative, the creativity is lost if you’re unable to understand your purpose, create connections and manoeuvre accordingly.?

Thando Ndlovu?says the MediaHeads 360 and United Stations internship is a welcomed challenge for her, “there’s a reality here for us. At school they’ll follow up on you, remind you of deadlines and give you allowance if you fail. I need to adjust here, there’s less room for error and I need to remain disciplined.” Thando is a pragmatic creative who believes in painting the world with more than one brush and believes you need to take opportunities, review them, and if it makes sense, make them yours. The thing that scares, but excites Thando is that she’s living the life she envisioned for herself as a creative, “my life is actually in my hands right now, I need to act on my ideas.”?

Thando speaks openly about the need for experienced practitioners to be lenient with their younger colleagues. “We don’t always have it all figured out, be prepared to sit down with us and navigate a way forward when necessary.” Thando is destined to be a strategist as she’s always wondering what people are thinking, “if we can get in their heads and understand what they are thinking, it would save us a lot of time.” Creating spaces for young people is key and Thando speaks about her admiration for Ricky Rick who shared ideas and didn’t just buy off them, opening up the industry needs to be more than a buzz word.

Yonela Mbalo?agrees that opening the industry is key but also states that?young practitioners must explore other things, be open to a variety of options, gain skills and become valuable to the industry. Yonela is a straight talker and considers herself to be non-linear. She is concerned that as a country, we’re running on past glories and that there are far too many decisions being made by older people for the youth without their input or consultation. She’s also an advocate for open dialogue, “we have a vision and perspective, don’t squash that, let us think outside the box and share.” Yonela has a positive energy and doesn’t mince her words, “if I were to give my 16-year-old self some advice, I’d tell her that everything is going to be OK, the future is untapped!”.

Self-belief and trust in oneself are key in embracing opportunities and?George Letlapa?believes it is these properties that have helped him navigate his journey this far. He loves what DJ Sbu has done in inspiring young people to be successful and never to miss an opportunity to help others. In the case of George Letlapa, the media practitioner, it’s a case of Curious George, with Letlapa being an avid reader and consumer, always wanting to know more about the world around him. His sister had a continuous supply of magazines, and this fed his curiosity for a wide ambit of topics. His aim is to travel in the next five years to expand his horizons, “I want to set myself apart because of my holistic experience and knowledge. George wants to have simplistic impact and describes his goal as wanting to create the next stop-sign, “imagine one thing that can change the world like that!”.

Changing spaces is how?Khumoetsile Mosidi?sees the creative industry. Her outlook is tempered by being authentic and further believes, “collaboration is the theme, and collaboration is the dream,” What about working with someone more than double her age? She’s keen to represent her demographic to be the vessel between brands and the consumer but most importantly to be the change she wants to see within the industry. The reality of being at verge of graduating is that there are challenges ahead, and Khumoetsile is cognisant that it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

Some of the attributes that resonate through the group are universal. There is a desire to uplift the communities that formed part of the village that raised them, from people to places, when one wins, everyone must win. Young creatives aren’t just here for the free wi-fi and Friday drinks, they have thoughts and ideas and want to showcase these with the correct guidance and discovery along the way. They’ve worked hard and understand challenge. Many industry freshers are the generation who studied their qualification in Covid, they understand adaptation, anxiety, and advancement.?

The Team at MediaHeads 360 spend hours Activating, Captivating and Amplifying for brands. As we wrap up Youth Month 2023, we’re looking forward to the challenge of doing the same for the next generation of Media Heads!