A day in the life of one of SA’s high-flying publicists
Stumbling into PR, Simphiwe Majola finally found the role he was rehearsing
CELEBRITY culture is defined by the global high-volume marketing of celebrities’ personal lives.
This culture is tied to consumer interests when the celebrities themselves become brands.
Before the advent of social media, public relations (PR) officers made sure that the celebrity culture ball kept rolling, and this is a job that brand strategist Simphiwe Majola knows very well and has mastered over the years.
Best described as a boutique agent for developing public relations strategies, Majola prides himself in creative media placements, successful brand introductions, and extensive contacts with local and international media.
He recently cut his signature long dreadlocks and now sports a modern-feel Jerry curl perm.
“Hey, doll, I can’t lie. I stumbled into public relations while I was studying fashion, and working at SA Fashion Week. I had been doing PR without even knowing that it was called PR,” he says.
In an exclusive interview with The Star, Majola said the life of a publicist was about constantly chasing opportunities that take precedence over one’s own endeavours.
“I was pulled into this industry. In my youth I was intrigued by the invisible pillars that hold up public sentiment. I was always co-ordinating some or other local spectacle or linking business networks with reciprocal interests. Publicity is my graduation from high school and beauty contests, it’s my vocation. In many respects, it was percolating in a special reserve. I discovered that I had been rehearsing for this role my entire life,” he said.
With over 15 years in the industry, Majola follows a strict itinerary comprising long days and even shorter nights.
“My mails start to trickle in from around 4am. I prepare at least three separate outfits to suit the demands of the day ahead. I use bath time as a moment for myself; I need to preserve an even mind. I usually attend early morning status meetings or client briefings on campaign strategy during breakfast,” he said.
In addition to that, Majola still finds time for a radio slot.
“I then present my fashion jurist radio slot with the Ukhozi FM panel. Mid-morning I’ll drop into a tertiary institution to conduct a career seminar or take one of my celebrity clients for social involvement speaking engagements.
“Midday, I’ll be taking lunch with a prospective client who seeks to solicit my services. Mid-afternoon, I meet potential sponsors for endorsement deals or I’ll be matching a personality to a brand,” he said.
Some of the local celebrities who have used his PR skills include Uyanda Mbuli, Idris Sultan, Basetsana Kumalo, Lorna Maseko, K.O, Pearl Thusi, Bonang Matheba, Don Laka, Ms Cosmo and Lebo M.
Another challenge he has undoubtedly mastered is the art of blending a personality with a tangible brand.
“Entrepreneurial personalities are imbued with clarity of convictions. Assembling the ideal blend of personnel with the threshold capacity in taking ownership of the intangible publicity service and packaging it into tangible brand necessities. It has been difficult empowering assertiveness about misgivings when executive decisions dwell on the wrong side of being right,” he said.
Having worked for several corporate events, he said fashion plays an important role in his working day.
“In the early evenings I visit the location of a scheduled event to audit the ambience and layout. This is to secure pre-event publicity and attend to media follow-ups and enquiries in the press room, before returning home to change into appropriate evening attire,” he said.
“Before I realise it, I’m already well into the early hours of the next morning. People I meet often assume that stories that accompany established names are just publicity spin-offs devised to pepper grit into glamour. People often mistake media coverage for wealth. They presume I live a champagne life, cushioned by fame, with caviar for breakfast,” he says.
Majola, who is in his late 30s, admits that he studied PR but never completed his studies because of the demands of his job.
However, what he lacks in academics he makes up for with years of hard-won on-thejob experience.
“The cart led the horse. I dabbled in the prospect of studying some time ago and even enrolled, but my career was catapulted into overdrive. I’ve unfortunately not got around to completing that endeavour,” he said.
Majola is able to take off his publicist’s hat only when he’s home in eMbulwane, KwaZuluNatal, surrounded by family and friends.
The flamboyant publicist said he has dreams of one day running his own boutique PR agency, called Simphiwe Majola & Associates, where he would be serving niche clients’ interests and competing with the best in the industry.
As South Africa is currently celebrating Youth Month, he has encouraged the youth interested in the world of PR to remain focused on their dreams at all times.
“Almost just doesn’t count. You must be there to be lucky. No matter what the magnitude of the setback, it should never erode your conviction. Don’t spend too much time wallowing in what you couldn’t do; rather, focus on what you can do in the meanwhile and the rest will follow,” he sagely added. @Zwane_2li2ls THE Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, has heard that the former Rabboni Christian School learner convicted of murdering the Brits school’s secretary was a bully and a problem child.
His co-accused, who was 16 when Hester Koster was murdered in November 2016, pleaded not guilty. He claimed he had no idea his friend was going to rob and kill the “kindhearted woman”, affectionately known as Tannie SB, when they asked her for a lift from school.
A former learner who was at school with the two teens testified on Wednesday that he saw the pair standing next to Koster’s car that afternoon. They told him they were going