[Interview] Jermaine Charles, Marketing Manager, Official Merchandise Company, South Africa
Jermaine Charles is a Zimbabwean born entrepreneur based in South Africa, where he founded Mzansi Extra Large or ZAXL, a streetwear fashion platform. Jermaine is currently Marketing Manager for Official Merchandise Company South Africa, a company focused on getting the entertainment industry better branding solutions.
Would you please introduce your company to us?
Our company is Official Merchandise Company South Africa. We are a merchandising startup that services clients in the music and entertainment industry. Our goal is to enable artists, DJs and bands to earn money aside from music and performances through the sale of their merchandise.
In which industries does Official Merchandise Company operate?
OMC operates in the entertainment industry mainly, mostly focused on recording artists and events.
What are the USP’s of your business?
Our services consist of merchandise production and retail so we are able to offer a one-stop solution to the problem of artists getting their merchandise to their fans, from independent artists to major label artists.
Who are your clients?
African based musicians and events producers who have longstanding events, such as Kool Out (Johannesburg).
Our goal is to produce merchandise for every African artist that has fans anywhere in the world.
What prompted you to create Mzansi Extra Large, your fashion platform?
It was funny. I could not get a t-shirt from my favorite brand at the time, Ama Kip Kip, in Cape Town. Then I kept hearing the same complaints friends who liked the brand but it was unavailable here. As a hiphop DJ at the time, I met up with people starting their own brands who were struggling to get distribution in small and large boutiques alike. I decided to do something about it.
What can be done by entrepreneurs and government to stimulate the business environment in South Africa?
Entrepreneurs need to bootstrap their businesses and remain flexible. The niche you may identify with could lead you to a more lucrative one, so you need to be open-minded and not force your ideas to work.
Government can improve internet infrastructure and make more funds available to smaller, innovative businesses that may not need millions of Rands but a few hundred thousand here or there.
What can you say about the targets, plans and ambitions of OMC for 2015?
We aim to have no less than 10 clients signed up to our retail services and produce 1000 units of merchandise per month.
Do you believe Social Media and the Internet to be a plus to the business environment, as it applies to your industry?
I worked in advertising and social media marketing for a short time, thus I was able to see the opportunities available via the internet and social media. With the range of internet tools and freemium services, you can in many instances start a business with little or no money. They are an invaluable plus.
What expectations do you have for South Africa´s economy in 2015?
Internally the economic environment is always going to be challenging, so our goal should be to focus on the global market and benefit from the exchange rates.
Which African countries will emerge top in 2015?
I believe South Africa will gain some new ground this year given the focus on entrepreneurship and the new ministry of small businesses that has been set up.
Kenya I think will also do well as it is one of the prime examples of how some countries are creating solutions to their unique problems using ICT.
I´m also pretty excited to see the prospects in Angola given the work that has been done the last five years, especially in the oil industry.
za.linkedin.com/in/jermainemcharles
Africa Business Communities is conducting a series of interviews with CEO's in Africa. Are you a CEO in Africa and interested in an interview? Please send an e-mail to Andrea Ayemoba: andrea@africabusinesscommunities.com