Coffee-blending rapper offers a unique experience to car buyers

It is not uncommon to walk into a car dealership and come across exquisite rides and caffeine, but it’s very rare to have your car sold to you by a rapper who perfectly blends coffee and cars as an experience.

Thabo Nale has paved a special path for himself in which two worlds complement his many talents.

With an upbringing across many of our provinces, his most memorable home was under his grandmother’s roof in Meadowlands, Soweto.

It was there that he found his knack for business – selling sweets and eventually hustling his way to his school’s tuck shop.

Watching the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg and Durban quickly opened his mind to selling to different groups of people, quickly learning the art of understanding demographics and the different markets.

His father, who owned a luxury dealership, may have sparked his eventual venture into JC Motors, a R2m franchise that has seen Nale expand it with Café JCM, which offers a relaxed dining experience for car lovers.

“The direction is still clear, it is to drive tomorrow today – which is our slogan,” Nale said.

“It is to showcase a new way to buy cars.”

While the corporate ladder may have been a thrilling pursuit for Nale, it has come with a cost, especially during Covid, which rocked their usual approach.

“We live in an economy now where we used to have Covid as the biggest issue but now we’ve got loadshedding. Running a business under those circumstances is really bad, whether you are an entrepreneur or whatever it is you are doing, it has been tough,” said Nale, adding that they have only recently recovered from the changing market.

His unrelenting passion for keeping his business thriving has been reflected in his rap pursuits.

Under the stage name T Nale, his music career began at a young age when he played a number of instruments and sang in the school’s choir as well as in his own band.

While music helped him blow off some steam, he quickly realised the monetary possibilities of his talent. Something that led to him collaborating with Zola 7 on a single, Hola Tjovito.

“The track was meant for a different artist but I’m actually glad he jumped on it because he made the song so much better and relatable with the theme that we stuck to.

“I like to make songs based on themes, so I don’t just go in freehand. I like knowing what I need to do and the type of person I need on the song.”

Nale is set to release his latest single, Anywhere, in late October, which will set the scene for his upcoming untitled album that discusses progression from his perspective.

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