Lehlogonolo Malatje, a young, creative entrepreneur from Limpopo, is steadfastly carving a niche for himself in the highly competitive world of IT and television.

Only two years after the inception of his Joburg CBD-based Creative Mind Media Group, its subsidiary Creative TV has elevated his small but growing business to a level where it is able to compete with established TV production houses.

Malatje, 24, said the growth was facilitated by the R50000 funding from the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) as he now produces drama series for big TV media houses like M-Net's Mzansi Magic. He is shooting a drama series called Life in Figures for Mzansi Magic.

"From the time I was at college, I've always been a creative person. The knowledge I acquired over the years has been put to good use. I'm building a media empire," he said.

"My core business and focus has been IT solutions over the past two years, but now I'm shooting low-budget movies and series.

"The challenges are enormous because the media houses I work with, including private individuals like models and actors, put professionalism first and don't accept second best."

Malatje specialises in graphic design, web design, banners, online advertising, corporate videos and branding.

He also does video editing, cinematography and portfolios for individual models and actors .