Businessman Johan Sibiya has bought eight Jet Music South Africa stores.
This comes after the owner of Johan Sibiya Music Promotion (JSM) ,whose intention is to revive and focus on promoting local music, realised how South African artists take a financial knock from piracy and some dying as paupers in the music industry.
“As it’s known, Jet Music stores were closing down countrywide due to a lack of support and my decision to take over the businesses coincides with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to play 90 percent local music,” he said.
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Sibiya believes if his stores sell a majority of local music, business can be viable once more and says the downfall of most musicians can be blamed on depending on promoters to sell their music. “One of my goals is to offer space and give artists an insight on selling music through stores at a very low cost. It is not every artist that gets gigs every weekend, but knowing your work is out there, is much better than waiting to be booked to perform somewhere.
That is the culture I want to instill,” says Sibiya who also aims to broaden his horizons to Swaziland and Mozambique.
JSM Promotions is a reputable company that has uncovered and promoted a string of well-known musicians such as Swaziland-based Ncandweni Christ Ambassadors, Frans Dlamini, Shongwe and Khuphuka Saved Group, Soul Brothers, Thabile Myeni of Ncandweni Christ Ambassadors, Smangele Dlamini, Skorokoro Somzalwane to mention, but a few.