We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vuyo Joboda. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vuyo below.

Hi Vuyo , thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

“I have a bag of skills” something I say often because I have taken over 10 years learning and refining skills for the industry. When I decided to be in the industry, I needed to find something special I would stand out with. I decided that I would up-skill myself to the capacity that will propel me to be ahead in the industry. I also understood that there was a difference with between the industry and the business of the industry and I wanted to learn the craft in both avenues, master the two to yet again stand out. My entire high school career/teens since 13yrs old was all about me learning, I was so determined to know as much skills about the industry as I could. I was participating in everything I could to learn. I did dancing, went to different dance schools to learn different styles of dance, acting at school plays and was part of the local theatre, pageants in local and national level, singing at church, community and youth based events. I attended various different talent competitions where I would apply for all the different talent categories because I knew all of them. It was also during this time where I started the business of the industry. I founded a successful events planning company at 15 years old. I planned a beauty pageant and filled an entire town hall with attendees. I never looked back, since then I have learnt leadership, business, and entrepreneurship skills by taking as many courses as I can, atttended seminars, went to networking events and surrounding myself with people who I could learn from. I decided I wanted to extend my knowledge by going to university to further study the academic aspects of the industry doing Film and Media at the university of Cape Town. During my studies I expanded my skills by volunteering at different TV stations and radio stations where I learnt a big bulk of my broadcasting skills. During that time I was also on stage speaking at events nationally, TEDx speaking and hosting international events. I was also successfully running my business to ensure I get the balance of learning both the industry and the business of the industry. I wrote my first book, launched my own Television Network and expanded my brand globally all before I turned 24. Why am I sharing this story is because I made a conscious decision when I was a little girl that I want to start now, I want to make as many mistakes as I can now, I want to know learn and understand as much as I can about every part of the industry now. I want to know every skill because I respect the industry that much that I want to be an asset in every space I get into. And I have successfully done that, as much as I am in the continuous journey of knowledge acquisition, I sure do have a big bag of skills that I have acquired that I now bring out to maximise as much as I can. I am now a media executive with an abundance of skills and I am grateful to have invested 10 years of my life to just learn the craft,

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I will start this answer by sharing my name, Vuyo Joboda, I describe myself as a bright, bold and beautiful young purpose ignited woman. Vuyo means Joy in my South African native language, isiXhosa. Joy is something I carry with me everywhere I go, I sprinkle joy within my industry as well, That joy is inspired by my ultimate desire to see the growth of the industry into a one bearing positive fruits to the betterment of society and humanity. I am a TV & Film Executive Producer, Director, Author, International Speaker, and Founder and CEO of VN Streaming.
I have have worked on numerous projects that I am proud of and won’t be able to share them all. I would however say doing my first TEDx talk, the global launch of my book ’21’ and the launch of my Media Network: Vuyo Joboda Network(VN). The most recent being the launch of my network in the USA in 2022.
VN Streaming is now a 24-hour TV channel currently on the Enterprise Theatre on ROKU. VN is a globally inspired, African ignited Streaming platform sharing content, culture and innovation for the future. We are dedicated to sharing exclusive African content to the Roku channel and sharing USA content to our South African audiences. Founded in 2020 on the understanding that the future is Digital and Global we represent the future because we are a reflection of tapping into different global markets with presence in 3 continents with our biggest markets including South Africa, Nigeria and the USA. We are excited to have recently announced an open call for all content creators and filmmakers interested in sharing their work on our platform. We want to extend the opportunity for as many talents to have a platform to share their content with a market they might have not had that much easier access to before. We also offer our advertising clients an opportunity to share their ads with us to all the different markets that we exist in, What I would like our potential clients, creators and viewers to know that we are on a global mission alongside them and we are looking forward to being an incredible vehicle for them to share their message, voices and institutions to the rest of the world.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think this starts in homes. Many homes – particularly in the black community and I say this based on my observation – are very discouraging to their children who are interested in taking a creative career. I have also come across many young people who have expressed interest in the creative industry but fear of the judgement attached to the industry by society and their families. I think society needs to start understanding the creative industry as any and every other industry, the attention given to other industries should be off the same amount as that put into the creative sector. I believe as creative people we can strive more in nurturing and supporting environments. It also goes to institutional governance that should continuously identify the creative industry as an influential and informative sector that can add both economic and communal structure to society.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Purpose! I had the privilege of learning my purpose at a young age. I learnt that my purpose was to use media and entertainment and the power of storytelling to ignite and inspire hope for women of colour and underserved groups of people to unapologetically live their light, truth and purpose. I grew up in poverty in South African however I grew up around strong women who instilled in me that I was capable of achieving all of my dreams and ambitions in a world and industry that is dominated by men who are positions of influence. Knowing that I was inspired by influence because I understood what it meant for the lives that would be changed because a young black girl like them, who grew up poor like them was able to enter rooms not meant for them and come out of those rooms filled with opportunities and possibilities for them to explore. An opportunity to be a voice for women in African who are subject to abandon their wildest dreams because society doesn’t give them the chance to be. My goal is to give voice to the voiceless because I know what being voiceless feels like. I want to share the stories of people the world never knew existed, the stories long forgotten and the stories that no one cared to listen to. I am driven by the mission and goal to use powerful medium of media and entertainment to bring light, hope and restore dignity to women of color and those who need it. I am doing everything I can to consistently live in my ultimate light, practice my divinity and unapologetically hold my head held high as I navigate this purpose driven mission. I know who I am, I know why I am on earth and I want to ensure that everyone who comes across me, my work or experience a touch of my impact knows and understands they too can achieve it so that together, collectively we may leave this earth a better place than we found it because ultimately we all have something to add to make this world a better place.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vnstreaming.com
• Instagram: @vuyojoboda
• Facebook: @vuyojoboda
• Linkedin: Vuyo Joboda
• Twitter: @vuyojoboda
• Youtube: Vuyo Joboda

Image Credits
Stills by Tom. Kiss Media Production and the Vuyo Joboda Network