A powerhouse climbing up the ladder

ITS BEEN A MINUTE... There’s nothing as beautiful as seeing young people soar. To see them make their dreams a reality, seeing their vision through and proving that, black child, your dreams are VALID! I love to see it!

Bonkhe Shabangu, also known as Tadm, is one of those talented young people and I had an interesting chat with him and he enlightened me on where he comes from and how he is where he is right now. Bonkhe is a teacher by profession, definitely a cool teacher. He is a social media influencer, an author, a clothing brand owner, a whole powerhouse I tell you.

He says that his becoming has been through participation and exposure to diverse activities. The University of Eswatini, Luyengo Campus, where he trained as a teacher, BSc Agricultural Education, launched him as that's where he even got the nickname "Tadm". “To package and position myself as a personal brand started in 2015 when I launched myself as a youth motivational speaker.” He mentions. Cotton Sway is the third clothing brand under his name, as he was first introduced to running a clothing brand in 2012 while he was at Luyengo Campus, a place that he regards as very entrepreneurially active.

“Over the years, I gained experience and exposure to branding and design. My influencer portfolio developed from my love for marketing as a field of work.” He says. Bonkhe’s consistent presence on social media has also helped him in positioning himself as an influencer. “To sum it up, I am a product of constant reading and practice.” He explains.

Tadm says of all the things he does, he is most passionate about teaching. As a primary kid, he was always fascinated by the idea of being an English Lecturer. However, over the years, he developed much interest for entrepreneurship because it's through it that he is able to develop new skills and gain, in terms of personal development. When I asked Bonkhe about his view on independence and financial freedom amongst young people he says that he considers it very important because when a person is independent, they develop a sense of responsibility. They also understand that their accountable to themselves hence they cannot afford to slack or let themselves down. “Being independent pushes you to perform at your best because you're always faced with challenges.” He empasizes.

He says that securing financial freedom is a major goal, especially in a country where the economy is not as big and growing very slowly. He empasizes that we all want to make money to sustain our lives and also meet some of our wildest dreams. It all lies in leveraging your talent, education, skills and being in constant look-out for opportunities. Bonkhe says motivation is like bathing every day because it's necessary. His motivation is intrinsic. He is a very positive person. It is with that level of positivity that each morning he wakes up eager to make moves and build a name for himself. “I consider myself as a versatile young person. That's one quality that pushes me to try new things, do more, and make an impact where I can. I don't think there's a day where I'd feel like I don't have anything to do, or that I'm clueless with what to do.” He says.

Tadm says in the next few years he is planning to do the most with the remaining youthful energy and opportunities lying ahead of him. He is working on switching careers, from teaching to the private sector and doing full time business. As for now, he is focused on cementing Cotton Sway as a TOP-OF-THE-CATEGORY household clothing brand.