Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo
AS a young girl of modest fashion at Mpopoma High School back in 2001, few knew that some 19 odd years later, this girl would be out to break everything.
Sandra Ndebele was involved in theatre, music and dance with the well-travelled group, Iyasa, before beginning a solo career which would change her life completely.
The song Mama Mama and her energetic performances made her difficult to forget.
But somewhere along the line, life happened; other artistes overtook her, she focused on other aspects of her life and at the back of many’s minds she was shoved.
Not for too long though. Sandra popped up here and there to remind us all that she was still alive and kicking. She did not stop performing, neither did she stop producing, but we had grown accustomed to her persona, it did not captivate us anymore. This past week however, Sandra did a good job at reminding us all that she is too good to be forgotten.
After a successful weight loss journey — Sandra did a photoshoot whose frames have gone viral on social media.
Jaw-dropping is an understatement. Sandra looks absolutely stunning, she definitely has our full attention now!
Her good execution of personal branding has brought to the fore, the discussion on how important it is for artistes, celebrities and personalities to constantly cultivate their personal branding and its impact on one’s career.
Off the stage, we now know what to expect of Sandra; vivacious, trendy and high heeled.
On stage, Sandra is normally in traditional pieces, a look she has kept over the years.
This week, Madlela Skhobokhobo divided opinion after he hinted on a makeover for his musical side saying he wants to remove some elements of his signature outfit which he has maintained since 2013. We have known Madlela to be in jeans/chinos, navy blue shirt, grey blazer, Springbok tie and a scotch newsboy hat coupled with his trademark axe.
But now, he is considering a trendy personalised overall, which might not work in his favour because it doesn’t complement his music genre, among other factors.
Besides, he has gone through the trouble of getting us used to the blazer, he’d need to put a whole lot more thought into a new look.
Jah Prayzah, whom we first knew for his military fatigue has struggled with his image since he decided to ditch the army regalia. Now, there’s no difference between Jah Prayzah and Mukudzei Mukombe.
While he had done a good job modifying the military fatigue with the assistance of designer Thembani Mubochwa, letting go of it altogether has made us need more from Jah Prayzah to remember him. It’s a good thing hits like Mukwasha have kept us distracted from his somewhat identity crisis.
The Gafa, Winky D has been one of the few artistes in Zimbabwe who has taken personal branding seriously. The Ninja President has been consistent with the head gear and blazer look. His outfits are always designed around that; there’s no ambiguity in his style.
The same applies with media personality, Patience Phiri who has been consistent with her doek look. A doek and beads of sorts have been a staple for her; this is what most of us identify her with. It shows she has done a great job at branding herself if we can identify with her in that manner.
Welsh the Stylist is famed for his elaborate vintage style. He is a dandy gentleman and this is always reflective in his style.
And then there are people like Scandal! actress and Bulawayo sweetheart Mbo Mahocs who is a mix-masala of sorts. While she is generally stylish, you can’t necessarily pin down her style to a specific kind. Any gun can shoot basically.
But, it’s important for artistes and public figures to understand that personal branding goes beyond their artistry or craft. Personal branding is about the story people tell about you when you’re not in the room. It is how you promote yourself.
You use your personal branding to differentiate yourself from other people. Done well, you can tie your personal branding in with your business in ways no corporate branding can possibly succeed.
The idea of personal branding is unusual to most people but in this online era, where things, both good and bad, last forever on the internet, personal branding can be considered more important than ever. — @Yolisswa
Online Reporter