What does a hitmaking Cape Town-based musician and budding Soweto-born entrepreneur have in common? They both just found out how easy it can be to connect, create and elevate your craft when you have access to the right tools.
Pop sensation Jimmy Nevis and tycoon in the making Lindo Buthelezi recently came together to Explore Soweto – also the name of Buthelezi’s popular blog – with My Community Connects (MCC) and bond over the ‘things we don’t talk about’, the theme and title of Nevis’ new album. In keeping with the concept that brought them together, the pair spent the day discussing their childhoods, role that faith has played in their lives, the peaks and pits of growing up in the town ship and how internet connectivity gave them access to opportunities that have changed their lives.
MCC is an online platform with Vuma that showcases the work of talented South Africans and puts them in touch with potential clients and collaborators.
Friends Like These
The day began with an early morning shoot before Buthelezi and Nevis hopped into their car for the long drive to Soweto. There they immediately began to bond over their shared entrepreneurial spirit and a connection to family.
“My entrepreneurial journey began with my family. My grandfather started and owned a shop in Soweto during Apartheid. For a long time that shop was a central part of my life and taught me the joy you can get running your own business,” Buthelezi shared.
She added, “During the pandemic, I decided to start Explore Soweto because it occurred to me that Soweto is such a vibrant place with so many things to do and people needed a directory to find that information. I then discovered the MCC platform, where I signed up and got profiled.”
Nevis’s entrepreneurial journey took him in a different direction. Being in the music industry can often be unstable and Nevis knew early on that having multiple streams of income would provide him with the security he needed to throw himself into his passion. So, he started a business renting out music equipment, such as piano shells and Nevis invested in several rental properties. Like any budding business owner, Nevis spent many sleepless nights trying to get his businesses off the ground. Fortunately, having access to unlimited internet connectivity allowed him to balance his music career and his entrepreneurial ambitions.
A Memorable Connection
After the discussion, the two spent the day at several locations across Soweto including the church Buthelezi grew up in, one of Soweto’s hottest pubs Disoufeng, Vilakazi Street. They were also treated to a Soweto speciality, Johnitto’s Sushi, by fellow MCC entrant Tshepiso Mahika. During their impromptu tour, Buthelezi even showed Nevis where you can take a taxi to the DRC. He was particularly impressed by the vibrant street art and the energy of the people. Buthelezi, in turn, was thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase her community.
“So many parts of Soweto remind me of Athlone where I grew up. The energy and sense of community are infectious. Growing up, markets were a wonderful way to explore the community and come to understand the people around you. Now, by connecting with Lindo I’ve found another cool way to explore communities I am not familiar with,” explained Nevis.
As they toured Soweto, it became clear that one of the golden threads tying them together was their faith. Having both grown up in the church, Nevis and Buthelezi were acutely aware of how their belief in God had helped them through difficult times and how destabilising it could be when that belief was tested.
Their last stop of the day saw Jimmy draw Lindo into his world as the two went to a recording studio to record music. There they drew on the bond created by spending the day discussing things people don’t usually talk about when they first meet, to create a tune aimed at encouraging other to connect, create and elevate.
By the end of the day, Jimmy and Lindo had gone from being total strangers to being two friends who shared a special connection. Along the way, they showed each other the value of connectivity and how, through platforms like MCC, companies like Vuma are enabling ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.
To sign up, you can visit www.mycommunityconnects.co.za to start creating, connecting, and elevating with the MCC community.