George Matsheke

George carries with him the story so many South Africans from our townships aspires to have. And that is a story of coming from a childhood of struggling to get by and being considered a statistic that will not make the ‘so called standards’ of success. He used all he has at his disposal to change his life for the better.

George Gladwin Matsheke was born in Alexandra Township and from a very young age, he identified a love for graphic design. After completing his Matric, and in his nature as a self-starter, he applied for, and won the DJ Fresh scholarship competition that ran regionally  on YFM at the time. Through this, he was able to complete a Diploma in Graphic Design from Boston Media House. He launched his career in the advertising industry at TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris as a Junior Art Director, working on brands like MTN and BMW among others. True to his eagerness to grow,  he became a contestant on the reality TV show called ‘The Cut’.  The participants were  challenged with several tasks and he got to shoot a music video, design the look and feel for a  local awards ceremony and shoot a TV advert for the 46664 concert.

While working in the media industry, he observed that there was no publication that reflected  himself and his peers in the creative industries. So he started an online magazine called  ‘Studio83’ and later added a publication called ‘Celebrate Life’. These became homes for designers, photographers, illustrators, writers and artists across

the global platforms to share their work, exchange ideas and keep abreast with the latest trends in their respective fields.  Their global footprint was very impressive for unknown brands birthed in Africa.

George continued his growth in the industry and worked for other agencies like Metropolitan Republic, and as a Creative Director for Africa Investor magazine. Over ten years of experience in this industry, have culminated in the founding of Seanokeng Media, an online digital marketing agency and a role of Creative Director, in his latest online  magazine called ‘Marvin’, which deals with all issues related to what it means to be a man in  general and navigating life as a black man in particular. Marvin has grown and has been endorsed by publisher and media specialist Khanyi Dlhomo of Ndalo Media, who sings her praises for the work he has done in the digital magazine space.

In his personal capacity, he has expanded his brand by establishing himself as a speaker,  specializing specifically in being a mouthpiece that advises brands on how to speak to the millennial generation with buying power, in a way that resonates with them.  With the help of Boston City Campus and DJ Fresh, he has established the Marvin Scholarship Programme, which is taking one student a year to tertiary. He has also been chosen as one of the top 10 Influential Gentlemen for 2016 because of his impact to the media industry.

CONSULTING:
George Gladwin Matsheke
george@marvin.co.za     |      www.marvin.co.za

SPEAKING BOOKINGS:
Estelle Baffoe
Estelle.Baffoe@basiqblaque.com     |     www.basiqblaque.com

SPEAKING AGENCY:
Paul McConnon      (0)11 465 4410
paul@uniquespeakerbureau.com    |     www.uniquespeakerbureau.com