WOMEN’S DAY ISSUE: The New Cameroonian Woman ISSUE NO. 006 - MARCH 2020
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ebangha Njang
• • • CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ebangha Njang ART DIRECTOR Bine Moukouri WRITER Ebangha Njang CONTENT CURATOR Ebangha Njang COVER (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Anyi Tabe Isabella Ngingyu Miranda Angwere Yvonne Angwi CONTRIBUTORS Eric Bannavti Suiseka PHOTOGRAPHY Studio 89
Sa Majesté Magazine is published by Sa Majesté Company. Houston, Texas USA Contact: +1(832)-584-4212 Email: samajestemag@gmail.com
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“On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.” —UN Secretary-General, António Guterres Hello everyone, Welcome to this Women’s Day special issue. The International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and/or communities. With this issue, we focus on young Cameroonian women who in the truest sense, never left the country for “greener pastures” abroad or never turned to the trend of “selling what they have to get what they want” ; but rather are achieving their goals and following their passions in a society where the woman’s place is believed to be in the “kitchen”. I wanna dedicate this issue to the women, men and children (especially) killed in the North West, South West and North of Cameroon. Pray For Peace. Happy reading and happy women’s day! Ebangha Njang Editor-In-Chief, Sa Majesté Magazine. samajestemag@gmail.com 2
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anyi tabe DIGITAL MARKETER
SMM: Hello Anyi! Thank you for being part of this project. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. ANYI: Hello Sa Majesté Magazine. Thank you so much for this opportunity, I feel honoured. My name is Anyi Tabe Taboko Joana, a holder of a Bsc. Degree in Journalism and mass communication with a minor in political science from the prestigious University of Buea. I am a multimedia professional who believes that sending out the right message to the right audience at the right time using the right channel is not an option but the core of a calling as mass communicators. SMM: You’re very welcome. BizConnect237. Let’s jump right in! What is it about? Tell us more please. ANYI: Bizconnect237 is a social enterprise, a digital marketing and advertising online platform dedicated to educating and promoting small and medium-sized businesses while connecting them to their desired clients and sponsors. We connect people with ideas, opportunities and latest trends to make money online/offline and better their entrepreneurial skills. Bizconnect237 offers ser-
vices like business consultancy, brand awareness, social media management, graphic designing and affiliate marketing. Our mission is to consistently promote the digital growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Cameroon’s economic potentials. SMM: Growing up did you see yourself getting into Advertising & Marketing? ANYI: (Hahaha…..) I did not see myself getting into advertising and marketing. I had always wanted to become a police officer or a teacher but things changed when I got into the University of Buea to study journalism and mass communication. I realized I was paying more attention and doing better with advertising courses. Adding this to my love for business, I started growing some interest in advertising and marketing and here we are today. SMM: How do you feel about people who disregard the power of proper marketing? ANYI: Marketing is one of the vital importance of any kind of business. I think that people who disregard the power of proper marketing do so out of ignorance. The bottom line of any business is to make money and marketing is an essential channel to reach that end goal. Without marketing, many businesses would not exist because marketing is ultimately, what drives sales. Therefore, it is important for business owners to use marketing to promote their businesses, brands and services. SMM: And you’re absolutely right! Have you ever thought about getting into the entertainment industry and help some artists, actors with the proper
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marketingstrategies? ANYI: The Cameroon entertainment industry continues to grow at a rapid pace and the good news is that it still has a lot of untapped business opportunities and I would not mind getting into it to Market an Artist or an actor’s brand/ business with the right marketing strategy. Many stakeholders in the entertainment industry do not realize that in order for them to stay above their competitors it is important for them to make use of digital strategies in marketing their events, songs and personality. Digital marketing will give them a wide range of audience through the internet thereby attracting more attendance to their events, gaining more sponsors, getting endorsements, making sales and promoting their entertainment brands. Well let’s see what the future holds for Bizconnect237 and the Cameroon entertainment industry. SMM: What would you term as great tools in marketing? ANYI: There a myriad marketing tools at our disposal. Some important marketing tools are social media, Google analytics, internet marketing, surveys, classified adverts, customer loyalty programs, direct mails etc. Some of these tools are specifically for boosting sales while others focus on gathering consumer data. These tools will 5
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be of great use if implemented correctly. It is important to know which tool works best for your business. In other words, be selective, use what is able to develop and promote your business thereby helping you to achieve your business goals. SMM: I love how you know what you’re talking about concerning digital marketing. What has been your highest and lowest moments in your digital marketing journey? ANYI: Thank You! My highest moments so far is the fact that I decided to realize my dream; Bizconnect237 and in a bid to help friends and family start up their own businesses I found myself mentoring and helping them succeed. I wake up every day to educate, motivate and to share my experience with upcoming vendors so as to shorten the usual timeframe it would have taken them to find their way and cut all unnecessary back and forth. Helping Cameroonian startuppers grow profitable businesses through digital strategies that increase their visibility and attract paying customers gives me absolute fulfillment. My lowest moment in digital marketing journey will be the poor internet services and electricity in the country but I believe this situation will
Develop an interest in learning new things, meeting people, reading books and research. get better with time. SMM: About the internet services and electricity problems, I am sorry. So what’s your most proud project so far? ANYI: I have so many projects I am proud of but working with D-ana; a made-in -Cameroon natural hair product really made me proud. I was able to Market and sell more than what was expected and doing so in a short period of time. Overall, being able to help startup businesses and individu-
als grow from idea to established brand is satisfying. SMM: What’s one thing you wish people would know about women entrepreneurs? ANYI: Women entrepreneurs are changing the business landscape. Walk around the major cities and villages in Cameroon and you will quickly realize that women are a highly visible part of the economy selling all manner of products and services. Female entrepreneurs have the potential to reduce poverty and foster sustainable development in Cameroon in particular and the World at large. Cameroonian women entrepreneurs are fundamental key drivers of economic growth and inclusive prosperity, thus promoting women entrepreneurship should be a priority for all of us. SMM: What advice will you give your 12 year old self about life in general? ANYI: Looking back at my 12 year old self, I am sometimes amazed at how life 6
has turned. Nothing is exactly what I had originally planned. The only thing that stays the same is who I am, my values and my interests. So, here’s the advice I’d like to give my twelve-year-old self: You can plan ahead but your plans will definitely change when the time comes. So make use of every positive opportunity and be open to learning new things that will shape you into a better person. I had always wanted to be a police officer (it is not too late to become one though LOL) but as I grew older I started adopting the Cameroonian way of life and I started to “go with the flow”. Instead of finding things too far ahead I’ve learned to be spontaneous and embrace life as it comes. SMM: You really were into the police officer thing lol A lot of young girls don’t know Digital Marketing is at a rise and very lucrative. Any word of advice to young women who might get lost in what to become in future? ANYI: Right now, I am sure most of us must have heard the hype that digital marketing skills are in serious demand and the digital skill gap is said to widen. The job market is booming and brands are putting more of a focus on this marketing than before. The digital economy is embedded and it is not going anywhere. There is a solid budget going into digital marketing as opposed to traditional marketing. So I would like every young girl to give digital marketing a try. There is plenty of room for young women looking to enter the world of digital marketing and related careers. Starting an online business is the best way to start small but you must not stay small. Growth is a necessity. Do not limit yourself. Develop an interest in learning new things, meeting people, reading books, doing some research on the word. The internet is so rich simply throbbing with rich treasures, innovative ideas and intelligent people do not limit yourself. Stop worrying about a saturated market; all that is English. One person entrepreneur in your field cannot serve the whole world, start with a viable niche market. Provider Solutions, serve your target audience exceptionally well. Your
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growth starts from here.
SMM: Thank you so much Anyi for your time and insight into digital marketing. We hope at least one young girl gets inspired. ANYI: You’re very welcome and thank you too.
To learn more about Bizconnect237 please visit their social media pages: Facebook: Bizconnect237 Instagram: Bizconnect237 Email: anyitabe@gmail.com
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isabella ngingnyu ARTISTE MANAGER
SMM: Hi Isabella, how are you today? Thanks a lot for accepting to be part of the project. Tell us a little bit about yourself please. ISABELLA: Thank you Sa Majesté Magazine. I am honoured. Ngingyu Isabella is my name. I hail from the North West Region of Cameroon and from Nkambe to be precise. I am an Artist Manager and an entrepreneur. I studied performing and Visual arts in the University of Buea. I believe in winning. SMM: Growing up did you ever see yourself becoming an Artist Manager? ISABELLA: Sad truth is, I didn’t know there existed something as such. Growing up all I wanted was to be a Reverend sister, I even attended a mission school ran by Reverend sisters lol. That’s how the zeal died. While in school it was an obligation for one to belong to a social club on campus and that was how I found myself in the Journalism/Drama club. With time I became the leader of the club and being a journalist and an actor was all I wanted to be. After my
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Advanced Levels I applied to study Journalism, but I wasn’t taken so I had to go for the second option which was Performing and Visual Arts (PVA). It was still satisfying anyways. SMM: When did you fully get into the world of showbiz? ISABELLA: Maybe I should share my journey before landing on this question. In the university, I met people like Momini Dianee Bill(Phillbillbeatz), Nkeng Stephens(Dr Nkeng), Akepe Lesly(Mr Lee), Njikeng Stanley (NStan) and a host of others . These were all PVA students and my course mates too. We worked on projects together. I became interested in Music. Worked with the people I mentioned above. We recorded songs, shot videos, went for shows but the sad thing is I had no one to direct me and away from school, no one was interested in what I was doing so that was how the music story died. In 2015, I met Dijay Karl, Gilly Gilz, Ngole Stanley, Bongajum Lesley, Dr Ebasone, Neglect Buri, Roqzen, Tutu Biaka, Kakuri Peeres, they had Kokobar and Kokobar Promotions and I became a member of the team being the only female. We were behind the organization of almost every music event that took place in Buea from 2015-2017 before the crisis set in. During this period , I used my Facebook to promote every little thing that was happening around; from events to music releases, movie premieres and that was how these guys got me into blogging .Truth is i was completely clueless blogging. Gilly Gilz saw me through this process and that was how TONDA MAGAZINE came about (9th July 2016)
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So, I will say I fully got into showbiz in 2015 because after I met the Kokobar team, I didn’t turn back. SMM: TONDA! First and foremost, what does Tonda mean? Please tell us more about the Tonda brand; the Tonda Magazine and now there is a Tonda Beauty in Buea? ISABELLA: Tonda was my late aunt’s name (She was my favorite human on planet earth!) It’s a name in Limbum which means « How should we call it? » Tonda Magazine paved a way for a lot of things. Because of Tonda Magazine I became a PR for artist Blaise B. and now his manager. I’ve had so many people approach me to manage their artists but I accepted another artist (Matilda), she is great you should check her out. I had the opportunity to work with big companies and some influential people in society too. After Tonda Magazine I thought it wise to invest into another business and this time a Unisex salon. I named it Tonda Beauty Care because I want that name Tonda to be in everyone’s
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face lol. Tonda Beauty Care is in Buea at Malingo Junction after Amazing Pharmacy, first entrance to your left. SMM: Aww sorry about your aunt. So what separates Tonda Magazine from the multitude of others? ISABELLA: Tonda Magazine is still growing. Our vision is to stand out beyond the contemporary online media platforms. Tonda itself is a brand! Already spreading its services to beauty and fashion. That alone gives the brand a different view from other brands. The media sector, (Tonda Magazine) seeks to build credibility and provide value. We are committed to breaking the bandwagon of online news platforms being a space for gossip and negative gists. So many interesting projects are on the way. SMM: As a PR/Artist Manager, what are some of the challenges you face working with an artist, especially being a female? ISABELLA: (Lol) this question is always somewhere around the corner staring at me in the eyes. I never studied any of the above, I got into it and everyday has been an opportunity to learn and better myself in the various domains. I mess up sometimes. I find myself in situations I can’t handle. I will have people call me names, insult me, make a mockery of the whole situation. The good thing is the mistakes never repeat itself. I have found myself in situations where we go to places and my artist gets in and I am refused entry because they look down on me. An example was during Tenor’s Paposy concert. A guy (name withheld) from his team refused me entry into the private room which was meant for artists and their managers. The most challenging one has been the fact that most people won’t accept an artist cannot work with a beautiful smart young girl and not make his way into her panties. At times I have people insulting me and calling me names on social media. At first, I used to feel horrible but not anymore.
SMM: I’m happy you got stronger. Bravo! So what’s your most proud project so far? Anything you want to share with us? ISABELLA: Of course! After listening to the demo of Le Goût De Ça by Blaise B, i told myself I was going to put in my last energy into the project to make it work!
You might not have the opportunity to do what you have passion for, pick up an opportunity, don’t sit and wait for someone else to make your dreams come true.
We partnered with J&R Concepts to organize a release party like no other which was the most successful release party Cameroon ever had. It was an outdoor release party with performances from other artists. We had more than 1000 people from media to fans to artists to bloggers. We organized a complete media and club tour for the artist which was something he had never done in his career. The aim of this media and club tour was for people to get to meet him for their first time. Like the release party, it was a success! 12
I also handled the street media promo. This was the most difficult but then, I did what I could do. At the end of the day I felt so satisfied. This year 2020 I am putting in that energy into every project from the artists I work with. The second was Tonda Beauty Care. Early 2019, I told myself I was going to set up a business before the year runs out. In May 2019 I embarked on setting up a beauty salon and it went operational early December 2019. SMM: Amazing work you did with Le Goût De Ça. Do you have any Cameroonian PR person or Artist Managers who inspire you? ISABELLA: Yes, I do. Let me start with PRs; it’s a team of three strong and hardworking ladies - Mafue Forchu, Santher and Viban Velvita. They have an agency called Imagenation. They are good at what they do! The last successful project they worked on was True Music Challenge by Ballentines with Fally Ipupa in December 2019 in Cameroon. It was a sold-out show! For artist managers, I have a female manager and a male. Pearl Louma (Daphne’s manager) and Fomunyan Clovis (MR Leo’s manager). From the successes of their clients you already know how much work they put in. SMM: Any word of advice for young women who want to follow their passions like you did? ISABELLA: Should I say it wasn’t passion? I found myself in this, I embraced it, I grew
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the love for it, I trained myself into doing it with passion. You might not have the opportunity to do what you have passion for, pick up an opportunity, don’t sit and wait for the government to make your dreams come true. SMM: That’s correct! Thank you so much Isabella. We appreciate you. ISABELLA: Thank you too, I remain grateful. To everyone in my team, especially to you Eselem Geraud, thank you for the push. We have been doing wonderfully great. God bless y’all. To learn more about Isabella and her Tonda brands, visit her social media pages below; Facebook: Tonda Magazine Instagram: tonda_magazine Email: ngingyuisabella@gmail.com
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miranda angwere HUMANITARIAN / BRAND AMBASSADOR
SMM: Hello Miranda. How are you? Thanks a lot for accepting to be part of the project. Tell us a little bit about yourself please. MIRANDA: Hello and thanks for having me as part of this project, I feel honored by the opportunity. I am Angwere Miranda, most people know me as “La Mirage”, from the North West Region specifically from Babanki but based in Douala. Professionally, I am an Accountant, Business Woman, Humanitarian, lover of Showbiz and above all a mother of one. SMM: You’re an Accountant! Do tell us more about that please. MIRANDA: Yes I have a “40hrs per week” permanent Job as an Accountant. I have a BSC degree in Accounting from the University in Buea, and I have been working in the financial sector, specifically in micro finance for more than eight (8) years, presently holding the position of a Credit Analyst. I am looking forward to pursuing a Masters in Business Administration. SMM: That’s wonderful! What led you to pursuing Accounting? MIRANDA: I actually grew around computers and IT in general, but somewhere along the way I thought going the accounting route would be the best bet for my future since I am a very enthusiastic, dynamic person with a strong business mindset and an enterprising
attitude. I guess some of it was in fact job security and being financially independent, and that really worked for me. SMM: You used to be a PR person for a Cameroonian rapper and you were pretty good at it! Do you still PR? What made you consider Public Relations? MIRANDA: Thanks so much for the compliment. Yes I still do PR Branding and very open to working with any passionate brand or Artist. I am very passionate about promoting and protecting brands and their reputations, I believe that’s the simple reason I considered to get into PR branding. SMM: This is something I honestly want to know. What is Mboko Gang? Who are the Mboko Gang Members? What is it all about? I know you’re a Mboko Gang Brand Ambassador. ( I lowkey feel like it’s a terrorist group and I’m even scared of asking this lol) MIRANDA: (Hahahaha) that sounds a little funny, I know the word “Gang” usually suggests trouble…but not this one lol. MBOKO GANG is a fan club created and named by the fans, through the common love for Mboko’s own JOVI aka MBOKO GOD, the famous and well loved Cameroonian rapper. Any die heart fan of Jovi and New Bell Music is a Mboko Gang Member. The Mboko Gang Movement is aimed at supporting their Mentor JOVI at all times wherever and whenever need be. The Movement seeks to permanently sup16
port internally displaced persons (IDPs), orphans at the Ayah International Foundation and Vulnerable/Orphan girls’ education through annual scholarships at the African Action On Aids based in Yaoundé through profits made from the sales Mboko Gang’s clothing line called the “Mboko Gang Merch” and also engage in other community activities within Cameroon that can best develop our communities and Cameroon at large. To ensure the respect of human rights, promote music, improve self-esteem, advance children rights and equality for girls; promote gender equality and women empowerment and engage in other positive projects which can help build our community. The vision of the movement is to build a society where everyone; especially the marginalized, are empowered both economically, socially, educationally and culturally with equal opportunity to enhance their capacities to exploit their potentials to the fullest. MBOKO GANG is just a gathering of youths who love the culture of their country and are ready to support it, and above all, very loyal fans of the musical genius JOVI. So it is safe to say any person who loves the culture and Jovi’s music can feel free to join the movement without any negative impact on his 17
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character as some people might think. To Purchase any of the Mboko Gang merch ( Tshirts, Hoodies, Hats, Joggings, Socks etc) locally you can contact any of the following numbers (237)678684388/675999372, www. mbokogang.com USA & Worldwide, www.luxmboa.co.uk UK & throughout Europe. SMM: I got a way better understanding of what Mboko Gang stands for now… Please tell us more about the 1 Girl 1 Pad Movement you’re involved in. I was so proud seeing that. Give us more information on it please. MIRANDA: After involving ourselves (Mboko Gang Movement) in several humanitarian and charity events, like supporting internally displaced persons, clean up campaigns, blood donations and others, we decided to initiate an “All Girls Project” or Campaign that could run for quite a period of time, so we decided to collaborate with “Be Period Positive”, (which is an initiative to educate both women and men on menstrual management headed by Batupe Josy) to initiate the “1 Girl 1 Pad Movement”.
During our menstrual hygiene activities we noticed that most young girls do not know how to carry out their menstrual hygiene management and some parents do not help the situation. Even though these girls talk about it in Biology but most at times in class, it is only considered a class topic and not a way of life. So we decided to concentrate only in Boarding schools for now as most of the children in Boarding schools spend very limited time with their parents at home; whom are supposed to be their first teachers in life when it comes to puberty and the changes it comes along with. The goal of this campaign is to teach teenage girls about menstrual management and hygiene and enlighten them on the importance of their periods in the life of a woman and most especially about
their first experience in menstruation. While enlightening them we give out free sanitary pads, one for each teenage girl, because we believe with just 1 Pad a difference can be made. For 2020 we have a reasonable number of boarding schools nationwide mapped out for this project. As it stands we have made requests for sponsorship from a few local sanitary pad production companies to facilitate the project, we just hope that works out positively. SMM: I pray it works for y’all too. Any way Sa MajestÊ Magazine can help please let us know. What’s your most proud project so far since you got into humanitarianism?
Most parents are not open enough to enlighten young girls before their first menstrual experience. Embarrassment and shame are obvious results
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MIRANDA: Thank you. Even though I’ve been actively involved in several humanitarian activities in 2019, such as that of “Young Mothers Initiative” which is an initiative founded by my humble self to encourage and support young struggling single mothers and other charitable activities. “Happy Mother Happy Child”, which I am a member too is an NGO which economically empowers women in order to fight maternal and child mortality founded by Asanji Queen & Velveeta Viban. I am also an Ambassador for “I’m Human Org”, an initiative which seeks to give a voice to people who feel their gender, physical attributes or impairment puts them at a disadvantage, and several others with the Mboko Gang Team such as Clean Up Campaigns, Free Blood Donation, supporting internally displaced persons etc. My most proud project I’ve been involved in so far will definitely be the “1 Girl 1 Pad Movement” by the Mboko Gang Movement in collaboration with Be Period Positive.
Personally I feel so connected to the project, talking from a place of experience, a lot of mistakes are being made by parents in the lives of their teenage girls, most parents are not open enough to enlighten them before their first menstrual experience which further attracts embarrassment and shame especially from the opposite sex when it finally comes. More so, I had been a victim of menstrual embarrassment while in a boarding school, and most of us were also victims of the said circumstances and we all know what it means for a young teenage girl out there in this situation; the embarrassment, the shame, the tears... So giving these little ones the best education on personal menstrual hygiene and waste measures is a major priority to us. The project personally pushed me way beyond what I thought were my limits. I never ever knew I could teach a multitude of teenage girls. Thank God with the help of my Collaborator, Batupe Josephine and our teammates it was a success. Thanks so much to all the donors & volunteers who made the kick-start of the “1 Girl 1 Pad Movement” a success, we only hope for the best.
SMM: You should be really proud of yourself! I love all the projects so far. Do you have any Cameroonian celebrity/humanitarian who inspires you? MIRANDA: Yes... Ayah Ayah Abine of the AYAH International Foundation. AIF greatly inspires me; he has basically given up his life to catering for and supporting both externally and internally displaced persons plagued by the current Anglophone crisis through his Charitable Foundation. His selfless nature is simply applaudable.
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SMM: You’re truly a business woman! What is Mimi’s Kloset all about? And how can people have access to the clothing? MIRANDA: Mimi’s Kloset is my Fashion Brand. It’s a Cameroonian trendy online store delivering nationwide. We have a fabulous collection of trendy shoes, bags, watches and other fashion accessories from high quality fashion brands at affordable prices. Anyone can have access to us through our Facebook page ‘Mimi’s Kloset’ and Instagram page Mimis_kloset_ or through WhatsApp at (237) 678684388. SMM: Any word of advice for young women who might be inspired by your hustle and want to follow their passion like you did? MIRANDA: My little advice to young Queens; have a career path in mind but be flexible, organized and stay focused. Learn how to be financially independent. Be opened to opportunities that come by and don’t minimize any, because no opportunity in life is too small. Accept challenges and don’t give up even if it seems like they may lead you down a different path and above all put God First!! SMM: Thank you so much Miranda. It was an amazing talk with you. You’re an inspiration. MIRANDA: Thank you too.
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yvonne angwi BLOGGER / PR
SMM: Hello. How are you Yvonne? Thank you for accepting to be part of the project. Who is Yvonne? YVONNE: Hello, I’m doing great, thank you. Thank you too for finding me worthy to feature on your prestigious magazine, i am very elated. I am Yvonne Angwi, from the North West region of Cameroon, specifically from Oshie in Momo division. I am a holder of a BBA in Accounting/ Finance and I am a blogger, Public Relations specialist and digital entrepreneur. My hobbies are reading, listening to music, surfing the net and being in solitude. SMM: Being a blogger/PR/ what do you love about the job? YVONNE: The challenge. Being all that somehow puts me in the spotlight. Growing up as a child, I generally hated being put on the spotlight, I literally cringed every time I was called up to address my classmates or being presented at the assembly ground for whether good or
bad reasons. My job exposes me to the media and consequently to critics. This challenges me to keep improving myself and my skills. SMM: Tell us more about your new platform Hot Swit Gist. Interesting name though. (lol) YVONNE: (Hahahaha) yeah the name sparks curiosity at first mention. It is an entertainment and lifestyle blog. The goal is to furnish audiences with relevant, useful, informative and educative info on entertainment, lifestyle, travel and fashion. SMM: The Cameroonian entertainment industry doesn’t have too many travel blogs. That will be dope! In a general sense, what do you think of our entertainment industry? YVONNE: I think our industry is budding and has a high potential to hit high targets in Africa and the world market if we are confident about what we possess and sell ourselves and our art in all its diversity. SMM: So what actually sets you apart from other PRs/Bloggers? YVONNE: My ambition to make money. I am not chasing fame.I’m not driven by the glitz and glam of the entertainment industry. I am money driven. This is not just a passion for me, this is a job and I handle it as such. This guides my every move because at every time I am looking at what’s profitable for me and my client. SMM:
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Makes sense! Aleana Consulting. What is it about? We would love to know more please. YVONNE: Aleana Consultancy is a PR and marketing agency founded on the 1st of May 2019 by myself and Glen Amungwa. Its mission is to provide professional and highly creative result orientated PR and advertising services and also advisory and consulting services that will assist businesses and individuals in promoting their brands. We are striving to build an advertising agency that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the industry.
Our industry is budding and has a high potential to hit high targets in Africa and if we are confident about what we possess and sell our art in all its diversity.
SMM: What’s your most proud project so far since you got into the entertainment industry? YVONNE: Honestly, that’s a difficult question to answer. I’ve worked on quite a lot of proj-
ects that I’m super proud of in the movie and music industry. But I’ll mention the most recent which is the premiere of one of Cameroon’s most acclaimed movies, Saving Mbango. SMM: You’re a digital marketer too. Bravo! Tell us more about that and how it works for you. YVONNE: Yes, I am digital marketer and more specialized in content and social media marketing. I started off earlier in 2019 shortly after my last job with GreenHouse Ventures. I was called up with two other colleagues to work on the digital marketing campaign Robust Cement, a product of the cement manufacturing company Cimencam. That was my first shot and since then I’ve been called up on several other projects. SMM: It’s a tough competition out there. How do you deal with all the competition with so many gossip blogs? How do you set yourself apart from the rest? YVONNE: (Hahahaha) HotSwit.com is not a gossip blog as the name implies. Picking the name was a way of making the positive appealing to the eyes and ears of the people. Cameroonians are generally known to be drawn to the negative, possibly because it’s interesting and appeals more to their sense of humor. The goal of HotSwit Gist is to sell the positive in the most entertaining and fascinating way possible. Being authentic has always set me apart from the crowd, I am bringing same value to hotswit.com. Its authenticity will set it apart from the rest. SMM: My bad (lol). I keep thinking it’s still a gossip blog. Any word of advice for young women reading this? YVONNE: To the young Cameroonian woman, I’ll tell them to be fearless and
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persistent. Your gifts and passions are not random; what lights fire in your soul isn’t random. Follow your passion even if it’s not mainstream but do not forget to turn that passion into business. Never give in to pressure; just as you’re unique, so is your destiny and time zone. Genuinely support and wish others well and the universe will smile back at you. Compete with no one else but yourself, work on yourself till you become the first version of you. SMM: Thank you so much. We wish you the best. YVONNE: You’re welcome and thank you too. To read more about Yvonne’s HotSwit Gist, please check it out on; Facebook: HotSwit Gist Instagram: hotswit Email: aleanaconsultancy@gmail.com
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blessing tang STREETWEAR DESIGNER
SMM: Hello Ms Tang. How are you doing today? Thanks for being part of our special issue. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. BLESSING: Good day and thanks for spotlighting me. I am Tang Blessing from Fundong Subdivision in Boyo Division of the North-West Region of Cameroon. I attended primary schools in Fundong, Secondary and High school in Saint Bede College, Ashing-Kom. I read law in the University of Buea and graduated before facing the challenges of the professional milieu. SMM: b.tang Kollection. Tell us about the collection please. BLESSING: About “b.tang Kollection”, it is actually a sort of eponym. I gave my name to my brand, Tang Blessing, which in Kom language means “count your blessings”. I got inspired by this because upon reflecting on my life and how far I have come, I realized that my name has had a great impact on me. It has been about God’s blessings all along. SMM: That was a very smart decision and explanation too. Growing up did you 26
see yourself becoming a streetwear designer? BLESSING: I never for once thought of becoming a streetwear designer. Like I said earlier, I read Law in the university. So my plans were either I become a diplomat or a civil administrator. I even wrote the competitive entrance into the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM), but did not succeed. I equally tried my hand on so many other jobs, but at one point it just occurred to me that I could become my own boss so I started off by buying and selling clothes, shoes and occasionally drop shipping. SMM: So when did you fully get into streetwear designing? BLESSING: I can say, B.tang Kollection was
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officially launched on September 1st 2018. Before then, I was using the name to run my business online and sometime in July I decided to get a logo, do a few t-shirts to use on my birthday and eventually use them to advertise my store but my friends saw it and took interest in it especially Desmond Tosam who would not stop encouraging me and talking big about it. Before I knew it a few people around began placing orders, making comments about it and things like that. From then I realized that I could actually transform it into a streetwear brand and this is where that decision has taken us to. SMM: Amazing! Please describe your creative process.
BLESSING: Everything inspires me in life. When an idea comes to my mind, I just try to scribble it down quickly else I forget. In a day I may actually jot down a couple of ideas but when I set out to work, I settle for the best. SMM: Oh wow! Wait, do you rely on inspiration for your designs or just plain hard work? BLESSING: My output is a blend of inspiration and hard work. The two go together. Hard work is the materialization of an idea that was preconceived and without an idea, one cannot create anything. Nonetheless, I count more on hard work than anything else. SMM: If you had to get any Cameroonian celebrity to be Btang Kollection Brand
Be consistent and original. The industry is full of challenges and society will try to stop you.
Ambassador, who do you have in mind and why? BLESSING: If I had to pick a brand ambassador for Btang Kollection, my lot will fall on Samuel Eto’o. He has the aura for this kind of thing and he is someone who has made a name for himself through hard work and determination, which are traits that keep me going in what I do. SMM: Of course Eto’o! Women are not necessarily big in the streetwear designing industry. What do you think you bring to that sector that’s missing? BLESSING: What is killing us women is fear. Women fear to dare into business ventures without being sure of the outcome. I think what makes me different is the fact that I have rather transformed my fear into my driving force. Women need to take risks in order to do extraordinary things, else men will continue to boss over this industry. Remember what they say “no risk, no gain”.
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SMM: So what’s your most proud project so far? BLESSING: I’ll say I wanted to see my brand on one of the most influential Twitter personalities in South Africa. Sometime in August 2019, that person did not just become a client, but is now a brand ambassador. I’m talking about Taka Tina, the famous comedian, brand influencer and digital marketer. SMM: Now that’s what up! What’s your favorite part of being a streetwear designer? BLESSING: What gives me a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment is when I look around the world and I see the number of people clad in the Btang Kollection streetwear which is a product of my imagination and hand. Not only that they wear it, but the joy they express just gives me wings. Our clients are never disappointed with what they get from us. Proof is all over social media platforms you see them all smiles in the wear. That is enough reason to make us proud of what we do. SMM: Do you have any Cameroonian designers who inspire you? BLESSING: I have not really had great contact with Cameroonian designers, but I know of Kingsley Prince Noni. I like what he’s doing and a good number of people speak well of him. So I think he is a force to reckon with. SMM: How do you stay up-to-date with the fast changing fashion world? BLESSING: To succeed in this kind of business, you need to be alert and innovative. You have to follow the fashion trends en vogue and then try to adapt your products to this changing taste in order to stay up-to-date. If not, you’ll be outsmarted by your competitors. I equally stay in contact with my customers so as to know from them what they
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want and how they want it. The customer is king in every business venture and they call the shots, so you must listen to them and that’s exactly what we try to do.
SMM: Correct! The customer is always king. It’s actually a very tough competition out there. How do you deal with all the competitions? BLESSING: The best way to deal with competition is to stay unique in your brand and be innovative. I keep an eye on my competitors and I do market research before putting products out. SMM: Looking back at your journey, what’s one thing you will tell a young girl who aspires to be a streetwear designer someday? BLESSING: My advice to any young girl who has interest in this business is; to stay consistent and be very original. The industry is full of challenges and society too will try to put road blocks on your way, but tough people can only be known during tough times, so they have to keep going. Above all, they have to kill fear. SMM: Thank you so much Blessing. We wish you the best in your streetwear designing journey and hopefully more young girls follow your footsteps. BLESSING: You’re welcome and thank you too. To learn more about Blessing and the b.tang kollection, please visit her Instagram: btangkollection Facebook: btang Kollection Email: annatang20@yahoo.com
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