13 Oct 2016

Most youths are starting to venture into innovative small businesses to make ends meet.

One such young person is 20-year-old Mr Thebe Kegomoditswe also known as Cyc Jouzy.

He is a multi-talented individual,  a multi-media designer, photographer and film director of note.

Mr Kegomoditswe attracts most of his customers through Facebook.

Having produced over 45 music videos and shot photos at over 50 events since 2014, he had enough material to keep his page busy.

The profit he makes is enough to sustain him and his family.

His love for graphics emerged at the tender age of nine. “I still have a notebook on which I scribbled some graphics during those years, but then I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said.

Mr Kegomoditswe says in 2014 after completing his Form V, it was then that he started producing graphics that could be usable, and this propelled him to take the hobby seriously and he started learning more about graphic design skills.

“This was also after a friend refused to design something for me for free,” he reminisces.

“That came as a wake up call for me to learn the skill so that I could always design things for myself whenever I want. I also learnt that it is important to support others by giving them business rather than asking for free favours,” he mentioned.

His passion for photography and film was motivated after being overcharged for photographic services, a development that he said made him see potential in the field.

Mr Kegomoditswe has decided to take the multimedia industry to another level as he makes sure that his service is top notch and he makes sure he leaves his customers happy.

“Social media has really helped me market my business. I get a lot of requests for my services as well as complements through such mediums,” says the jovial Mr Kegomoditswe

He says people are attracted to him because they appreciate the passion he injects into his work, and that he has even attracted the interest of a few celebrities.

“The good thing is that I have never approached them to solicit business except for just one.  They just saw my work and contacted me and things started from there. That’s how my business spreads, my work speaks for me. They mostly require some graphics and just a few wanted music video productions,” he said.

What really keeps him going in such a small and congested industry?

“Where I am right now keeps me going. I want to grow and become who I dream to be because I have goals and waking up and realising that I have not reached them keeps me going. God provides all the strength I need,” he said.

However, being a photographer is a big challenge for Mr Kegomoditswe since he believes that Batswana still believe in “do-it-yourself” and do not see the need to engage a professional.

“If I started doing it for money I would have long quit, but I am hopeful that with time, Batswana will get to realise our importance and worth,” he says.

Every time he starts a new project, he looks back for inspiration from his previous works since he believes that he has to improve each time.

“If I fail to beat my previous work it pains me a lot. I am a great believer in making improvement,” he said.

For every inspiring entrepreneur, there has to always be someone in the same industry who inspires them. For the passion driven, Mr Kegomoditswe locally he looks up to one Mr Thabo Keorapetse whom he considers a good photographer, while  he salutes Phemo Champion in multimedia design and graphics.

“The two are also passion driven and ahead of me, that is why I like them because I know I can learn a lot from them,” he said. Furthermore, he mentioned that for his videos he looks up to a company called Space

Pictures in South Africa as he believes they are doing exactly what he has always wanted to do, only that his skills and eqquipment don’t allow him to achieve that.

To all the budding designers, photographers and videographers, Mr Kegomoditswe advised that the industry is all about passion and focus. “Everyone who is determined can survive in this industry,” he said. ENDS