Chauke’s empire built from inner dreams
Media guru trumps despite frustration
Failing to get his dream job led businessman King Chauke, a public relations and media graduate, to build his own media empire.
Chauke, 39, who is originally from Malamulele in Limpopo, said all he wanted was a job as an executive producer at one of the big channels where he could execute his own ideas.
“The annoyance of not getting the job that I wanted in the media space made me decide, if someone is not creating a door for me then I would create my own.
“I wanted to be an executive producer of a show where I would take decisions, implement [them] and can account for them.”
Chauke decided it was time to follow his dreams and created Kincha Media in 2001, which he owns with former soccer player Brian Baloyi.
“At one point I came up with an idea, but the executive producers wanted to implement something they did not understand. That annoyed me. I prefer to start something where I would be responsible for my own ideas,” he said.
Chauke’s company started only creating and producing, but has since grown to add artist management and events organising.
Chauke grew up surrounded with traditional music that he has since turned into his business’ heartbeat.
Kincha Media started off mainly focused on conceptualising ideas and selling them to channels.
He said his company met challenges such as: “Being undermined because you are a small company and you don’t have the required infrastructure. Financial support also was a problem, even from our own government.”
Kincha Media’s big break came when former managing director of e.tv channels, Monde Twala, approved their show Isiko in 2016.
“Isiko did well on e.tv, thanks to Monde Twala who believed in a vibrant and good concept from a young black entrepreneur, and I think he will remain one of the very few people whom I believe understands transformation in the media industry,” Chauke said.
“I am a very cultural person and I noticed that a lot of people do not take cultural reality programmes seriously. However, since Isiko’s first broadcast, there have been other similar shows such as Imvelo on SABC.
“People are starting to see that we can make something out of our own culture and I am happy to be a trendsetter.”
His other projects include managing artists such as Tsonga music star Benny Mayengani and organising cultural events such as Hlanganani Traditional Music Festival and the Collins Chabane Cultural Heritage Festival.
“I am the founder of the annual Collins Chabane Cultural Heritage Festival launched in 2015 in honour of the late minister who was an uncle, adviser and someone who has taught me how to go out there and challenge the world.” he said. Tuesday February 6 2018