Mohale Motaung on juggling academics, acting and content creation

Media personality Mohale Motaung believes South Africans can leverage more on digital content creation to build personal wealth.   

Motaung was speaking to SMag at the Savanna pop-up speakeasy at the DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival, where he also shared that he bought his first house as a result of the content creation he has done with several brands.  

“Many times, people believe that when you are in this industry [digital content creation] you can’t buy a house or a car because the income isn't stable. I have been able to do both, hence I qualified to get a mortgage bond,” Motaung said.

“It’s more than just a picture here and campaign there. They often don't know how to maximise the opportunity and make money to help many influencers manage their money, make sure they have retirement annuities, medical aid and policies in place."

Motaung recently appeared in House of Zwide, where he portrayed the character of Moses Moloi. He said juggling acting, brand campaigns and school has been a challenge. He has since decided to slow down the campaign work to focus on his academics.   

Motaung has always had ambitions to return to school after dropping out of his first-year studies in 2017. He is currently pursuing two qualifications simultaneously.  

“Finally, I did it!” he exclaimed.   

“I’m doing my first year. It’s hectic but it's good. I’m trying to juggle school, content creation and TV. I’m pursuing a BCom and BBA. 

“I've always been an academic and over the years there has been something bothering me saying I should go back to school. When I dropped out, I no longer wanted to continue with my degree. I wanted to change it to align with what I was interested in since I was more in the media space. I wanted to move from international relations to marketing.”  

With his qualification, Motaung aspires to pay it forward to aid upcoming content creators, manage long-term campaign deals and educate them on how to acquire crucial assets.   

“I want to one day have my agency and teach media people and influencers how to make this a business and make money from it," he said.

“I want other digital creators to see that it's possible to make this a long-term thing to get into that because I think it's important and what I want to create for the industry  I am in.”

Motaung’s reflection on his career is one of gratitude filled with learning curves and hard lessons.   

“The highlight of my career thus far is maintaining what I do while remaining grounded in what I do. I am proud of myself for being able to manage this career properly, figuring out where there may be opportunities, and turning it into a long-term business,” he said.

In between the interview, Motaung snapped some cool shots in the speakeasy; keeping on brand in a culinary yellow trench coat by Wanda Lephoto x Savanna.

South Ahh’s beloved premium cider opened the doors of its tongue-in-cheek pop-up bar to festival-goers ahead of the launch of its latest flavour variant Savanna Neat.   

The latest variant is the fusion of whisky with the big personality of the premium cider.   

The New Orleans-inspired jazzy shindig featured moody interiors in a designed retro-styled bar with a Savivi twist. Complete with wooden bar countertops, leather seating and a whiskey ‘Khonesoo’; the space was kitted with empty whisky barrels as tables and bar stools as a witty nod to the art of whisky tasting.  

“Savanna’s legacy of creating some of SA’s most loved campaigns continues, with its crisp, witty perspective on culture. 'It’s giving whisky' implies that Savanna Neat has the feeling of a whisky, but it by no means is. It remains a true Savanna Premium cider, with its crisp, dry taste and signature humour,” said Steph Van Niekerk, executive creative director at TBWA/Hunt Lascaris.  

“To land this point, we playfully poked fun at all the whisky tropes – from age-old traditions to the pretentiousness of how it's consumed at clubs with the glorifiers and the pageantry. It’s all about giving South Africans permission to laugh at themselves and the world we live in."