Makoya 16 September 2011

Page 1

It’s Fresh It’s Real It’s

GO BOKKE!

www.zoutnet.co.za/makoya

September 16, 2011 • Year 6, Vol.15

Tel: 015 962 1008

JIMMY AYO - A Graduate from the University of Survival * By Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho

interview. Jimmy hails from Lagos in Nigeria. He came to South Africa in 2004 with a plan of survival in mind. He would purchase handy goods such as necklaces, watches, bracelets and earrings straight from Nigeria to sell this side for a profit, but to his utter disappointment, he suffered countless stones of ostracism from the side of townspeople and villagers who never wished to buy from him because he was ‘Nigerian’. In South Africa, the noun ‘Nigerian’ means different things to different persons. To others it connotes all badness from fraudster to strange sexually transmitted illnesses. For some, it means someone immensely associated with the evil of drug-dealing. Yet to others it means a human being like any other. As for Ayo, his presence in town and The man is resplendent in a longthe villages was dressed with a prickly sleeved white t-shirt, black trousers gown of a drug-dealer who had come to and a pair of genuine leather flat do no good. shoes. He is well shaven, head and Today Ayo thanks one unnamed lady chin – and looks immaculate (perfect) at the KFC outlet in Louis Trichardt, in every respect. And this is none other for her knowledge on the fact that the than the ever jovial Jimmy Ayo, who man hadn’t come into the country for operates an Eskom-supported prepaid troublemaking. electricity store at The Plaza complex She saw in him the businessman where Makoya met up with him for an he was aspiring to become. Then she * By Rhulani Salani

Meet ...

bought some necklaces from him and thereafter would introduce him to others who too bought one or two things, before they as well passed the word on to other prospective clients. From that point onwards, he started moving about and through towns and villages on foot, selling his wares. He came to know the Thulamela, Makhado and Vhembe areas like nobody else. “Not everyone from Nigeria is bad,” Ayo points out, and you can see he means his words. “Upon my arrival in South Africa, I couldn’t make friends with people who knew I was Nigerian. That alone made me feel disappointed, lonely and rejected. In my South African life, I don’t like seeing situations where Nigerians group themselves together exclusively, even South Africans, Zimbabweans, Somalis or whatever. we’ve got to mix and interact.” In 2007, Ayo started buying handbags and hair extension pieces from Jo’burg and selling them. He was no longer making adequate profit in selling earrings et cetera. “But last year I had to investigate the prepaid electricity vending,” he reveals, beaming with a sly smile. “There’s this particular lady who would go unnamed. She had the audacity to discourage me from approaching Eskom

It all started when I was watching Idols South Africa! The face of someone I knew appeared, and it caught my attention. Then I watched the beautiful face more intensely and listened to the sweet voice, and I realised that she was amazing. I loved Idols and I started watching it from that day onwards, and it was amazing to watch someone I knew, up to the day she left the show on the group performance level. The person was Tlou Mashalana, studying at the University of Venda, and who sings in Quiet Storm jazz group, which has just released a fabulous album titled My Worries. The album is being played on Univen radio and other radio stations. All the members of this group are from the University of Venda, and they found each other there. Tlou joined the group after she realised that she was a beautiful singer. At her sister’s graduation party one band which was there invited her to join them and she did. That was five years ago, and in 2006 she went for an audition at Univen jazz, where she found Quiet Storm. This was the group which performed at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival in Jo’burg on 27 August 2011. That was a big festival with international artists performing, the line-up being filled with artists from America, Brazil, Croatia and Belgium, all of whom shared the stage with Quiet Storm. Tlou said that as she was going through the different levels of competition on Idols, she gained experience, exposure, excitement, challenges and that was a beautiful time of her

with my idea. All the same I went up to Eskom offices here in Louis Trichardt. They referred me to a big office in Jo’burg. After much haggling, I came back with my prepaid electricity vendor machine. I registered the business fully in partnership with my brother who runs a most successful Food City eatery, from whose premises my business operates today.” True enough, ask anybody in town to show you a place where you can buy prepaid electricity, and you are most definitely going to be directed to The Plaza complex. Ayo holds a BA in Economics from the University of Ilorin in the Kwara Province. He says that he sold earrings and bags in the streets shamelessly because he has to survive, university degree or no university degree. Life is all about survival, it’s his realistic philosophy. “I am still looking forward to achieving more things than I have done so far,” he says optimistically. “My wisdom is: Be patient and satisfied with what you have. Never forget to give glory to God even for the small things He’s given you. You’re never wise in life.” It’s no wonder Ayo is the man who used to do graphic designing for Nollywood films back in Nigeria of his birth.

life. “I met beautiful musicians, everyone with great personalities, and you get to wonder what Idols wanted at the end of the day. Anyway, the judges were fair, according to me.” She adds that she would love to enter the competition again if she gets chance. She thinks that Idols is about you having that story to tell to the judges; a story that will increase the viewer ratings; being yourself and sustaining your confidence; and to remember that at the end of the day it is just a TV show. As she is still studying, and she finds it very hard to juggle the two, but she tries very hard. “After a year of self-assessment, I learnt that my priorities needed to be straight, and education comes first. I settle my school work first, but mostly during September and October there are times when there are lot of festivals, and I struggle, most especially because I don’t have a car.” “Al-in-all Idols did more good than negative to my music career. People appreciate me and I get lot of invitations on Facebook and all that, and at the same time my life just started becoming nonprivate, and it’s uncomfortable to adjust because people take note of every little thing I do, wear and say.” Tlou advises people that music is not all about money or fame; “you just need to love it and push harder and you will get where you want to be, and for those who would want to enter the Idols competition next time, they should be unique, have good interpretation of music, be themselves and enjoy the experience.”

Tlou Mashalana who participated in Idols SA


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