Young star making schools a better place
His boyish charm, sharp mind and ambition have seen this young entrepreneur reach heights his peers can only dream of.
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Having been named one of the most inspirational South Africans by MSN and a guest on renowned media guru Jeremy Maggs show, this 22-year-old’s achievements make us proud to call him one of own.
The young businessman is an Alberton resident but facilitates most of his impressive work with various communities in the south of Johannesburg.
Khethi Ngwenya reportedly was the CEO of the Young Entrepreneurs of Soweto organisation at only 17 years old before he made his transition into a serious businessman.
Being an achiever from a young age, the young businessman attended the School of Achievement during his primary school years but absolutely refused his father’s plea for him to attend a university after he graduated from high school.
Ngwenya has been the Managing Director of his founding company, SchoolMedia since 2010, which serves as a platform that targets the youth by helping them access specific lifestyle information such as how to further their education, start living and eating healthier, environmental awareness, crime awareness and sports development.
“We mostly target schools in the townships because that’s where we believe the most information is needed,” said Khethi. Although Khethi and his team mainly target schools in information disadvantaged areas such as Soweto and other areas in Johannesburg south, Mondeor High School and Athlone Boys High School are also some of his many clients.
The success of SchoolMedia has been attributed to their positive interaction with school communities and being at the fore of advising on what’s happening in climate change, health, safety, drugs, career guidance, teenage pregnancy and expose them to government, NGOs and private sector opportunities.
A number of learners from three schools got an opportunity of a lifetime when they won the Cleanest School competition and got the VIP experience at the Soweto Derby.
Khethi has worked with brand giants including Orlando Pirates, Eskom, Adidas SA, AFCON and many other well-known brands. He also assists various schools in Gauteng to sell advertising space by placing display systems in schools such as A4, A5, A3 and A0 signs in bathrooms, outside classrooms, in the hallways and sporting areas to ensure that information is made accessible to scholars.
“The vision for SchoolMedia is to give marketers an accessible, effective and cost effective medium across the country while reinvesting in the communities with a share of the ad cost given back to the school.”
A 20 percent share of revenue generated is reportedly given back to the schools they work with in their efforts of giving back to the community by contributing to the school’s development. “It goes into a trust set up by the National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB),” adds the young business leader.
