YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR: SYLVESTER CHAUKE

MEET TOP EMPOWERED YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR: SYLVESTER CHAUKE - FOUNDER & CHIEF ARCHITECT,DNA BRAND ARCHITECTS

My journey as an entrepreneur has not been an overnight success. It has been as a result of a vision in play and doing everything possible to reach the goal. I want to contribute to the world of business beyond our borders and that means, I need to strive to build an excellent business anchored by an excellent team that can go the distance.

After heading up marketing at Nando’s South Africa and building a global narrative for the brand, I joined broadcasting giant MTV Networks Africa as its Director of Marketing and Communication and spearheaded the expansion of the brands within the African continent. In 2012, I established DNA Brand Architects; a marketing and brand consultancy that works with some of the most revered brands on the continent. The company has since made an impact in the industry as a young business that punches above its weight and has up to now won many local and international business awards for its creative thinking, leadership and innovation.

In 8 years of operation, DNA Brand Architects boasts an impressive list of clients and partners such as Telkom, South African Breweries, Edgars, Pernod Ricard, Volvo, Steers and the Nelson Mandela Foundation amongst others. The business has achieved great milestones and the people in the business have also seen great growth in terms of better qualifications, awards and peer/ industry recognition.

THE ETHOS BEHIND MY LEADERSHIP APPROACH

The African continent is filled with amazing leaders and entrepreneurs and it is always an honour to be counted amongst some of these pioneers. Key for me however is the ability to extend my success as a leader into the success of the people that I work alongside. It is imperative that as a business, we focus on the people as a key lever for business success. Fulfilled people in turn deliver great product to our clients and this in turn creates profit.

My focus on growing the business is based on the premise of growth while changing people’s lives – be it the people in the company, their families and the community in which we operate in. My success as a leader is widely anchored in this notion and through this, we have seen great results from our business expansion, our financial performance, growth in our people and growth in our giving back to our communities.

We need to build businesses that add value to the community they serve – that truly make a difference. We need to demystify that it is NOT only social entrepreneurs who play in this field. It needs to be the way of doing business - period.

POSITIVE INFLUENCE

My aim as an entrepreneur is about being able to positively influence the space in which I engage in. I believe as an entrepreneur I have a responsibility to take the opportunities that I am given not only to better my own life but also the lives of those around me. As young entrepreneurs, we are far too important to sit back and wait – we have to build enterprises that tells a new story of African business to the world.

In April 2017, I was selected as one of 22 young leaders from around the world to sit as the Advisory Council for the World Economic Forum Global Shapers and subsequently chosen as one of the 5 African Global Shapers to sit at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, leading the conversation of youth entrepreneurship and assisting CEOs in working with millennials.

To date, the DNA journey has been noticed and so far, has been honoured by accolades such as:

2018

Top 100 Africans in Business NSBC - EntrepreneurChampion

2017

All Africa Business Leader Awards; Young Leader of the Year World Confederation of Businesses, Inspirational.

Company World Confederation of Businesses, World Business Leader Award Golden European Award for Quality and Commercial Prestige European Business Assembly, Quality Award

2016

Top Empowerment Young Achiever Award; South African of the Year Finalist, Business Innovation Falcon Award for Excellence in leadership, Dubai

European Business Assembly, Best Enterprise and CEO Award

Winning the Top Empowerment Young Achiever Award in 2016 provided huge impetus for my journey. It gave me the opportunity to showcase our effectiveness and compliance.

The recognition encouraged me, proved I was on the right path. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from industry greats Since then I have gone on to do better and greater things.

This has been a challenging time for everyone globally. But we must hold onto the steering wheel! We became entrepreneurs for better and for worse – a bit like marriage – and we will get through the worst as long as we keep our grip on that steering wheel.

COVID has turbo charged me to make decisions that are best for the business! These have included looking at consolidation, spend and waste reduction. In a short space of time we have had to evaluate our businesses holistically and honestly. And while this is a time of huge disruption, my business has benefited from the decisions I have made.