Sunday Tribune

Sylvester is out to build his own brand

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RENOWNED brand strategist and marketing whizz Sylvester Chauke, 35, who is working on having his company achieve a global footprint, stresses it’s upon young entreprene­urs to build a better future for themselves.

The young go-getter, who serves as chief architect of his marketing and brand communicat­ions agency DNA Brand Architects, which he establishe­d in February 2012, says he is also excited to form part of the judging panel for the 2017-18 SA Premier Business Awards (Sapba).

The awards ceremony, an initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry in partnershi­p with Brand South Africa and Proudly South African, is to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Joburg this week.

Chauke, who was named Young Entreprene­ur of the Year in the 2015 Sapba ceremony, says he is honoured to be chosen as a judge for the awards.

“It is an honour to be able to contribute to the selection of the cream of the crop in business today. I understand the effort it takes to participat­e and I also get great joy from awarding and celebratin­g the great businesses around us,” he says.

The Soweto-born entreprene­ur’s hard work and determinat­ion catapulted him to industry stardom as the brains behind the quirky Nando’s ads created between 2008 and 2009.

He has won over 28 sought-after national and internatio­nal awards, but singles out the Sabpa one as “very special” to him.

The awards include the World Confederat­ion of Businesses – Inspiratio­nal Company; Golden European Award for Quality and Commercial Prestige; BBQ Awards – Young Leader of the Year; National Small Business Chamber – National Entreprene­ur Champion; European Business Assembly’s Best Enterprise Award; and the latest, the CNBC All Africa Young Business Leader of the Year in November.

“We’ve won a couple of awards in Africa, Europe, Dubai, Berlin in Germany, and in the US,” he says, adding: “I look at them quite often. It’s more about the encouragem­ent they represent than the awards themselves. They say perhaps we are on the right track, perhaps we are doing the right thing. They are very encouragin­g.”

He describes running his company as a phenomenal journey, saying he is already expanding its footprint in African countries including Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. He also revealed that DNA Brand Architects would be opening its Cape Town office in the next three months.

“We also plan to expand globally because we have a few clients who are global,” says Chauke, who has travelled to all continents except Antarctica, and likes bonding with his team.

“It’s most amazing when I travel with the team. It’s incredible to see the world together – with a business eye.

“Look, travelling also says possibilit­ies because you think with a global mindset when solving your problems,” he adds.

Today he employs over 30 great minds, stressing: “I also wanted to contribute to the narrative of a South African and African approach to brand communicat­ion and build a team of new thinkers in this space.

“As entreprene­urs we have a lot to do to stimulate and grow our economy and it is awesome that we are seeing young entreprene­urs starting and growing their businesses. Every employment opportunit­y we create as we grow our businesses is a much-needed contributi­on to our economy.”

He is optimistic that South

Africa, Africa’s most industrial­ised economy, is in an “incredible space” and stresses that it’s up to young entreprene­urs to “truly build a better environmen­t for ourselves in a stable and thriving economy”.

Chauke is not shy to call out the government, saying it has an important role to play to stimulate the growth of young entreprene­urs in the county.

“An opportunit­y that I see is for the government to create an enabling environmen­t for businesses to thrive. This includes infrastruc­ture that works, uninterrup­ted services like water, electricit­y, traffic lights, telecommun­ication lines that function and airlines that are competitiv­e.

“More can be done to allow more job creation and participat­ion to take place.

“Moreover, entreprene­urship should become a school subject so that young people can engage with the matter early on in their developmen­t,” says Chauke.

@luyolomken­tane

 ??  ?? Sylvester Chauke, named Young Entreprene­ur of the Year in 2015, says hard work and determinat­ion are the keys to success. He is the brains behind the quirky Nando’s ads created between 2008 and 2009.
Sylvester Chauke, named Young Entreprene­ur of the Year in 2015, says hard work and determinat­ion are the keys to success. He is the brains behind the quirky Nando’s ads created between 2008 and 2009.

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