From a township boy to the owner of one of the fastest-growing outdoor media advertising companies!
At 35, little did he know his success would come so fast that he’d be on track to compete with some of the biggest outdoor media companies.
This is the power that Evotel has bestowed upon Nelson Jonkoro through its small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) programme, where he was empowered to transition from employee to partner.
Evotel is committed to empowering South Africans, and Jonkoro is one of its success stories. His achievements in the highly-competitive media industry are used as a benchmark for what can be expected from the fibre network operator in the coming years.
Having started at Evotel in March 2022 as an Outdoor Media Coordinator, Jonkoro catapulted himself to the role of Outdoor Media Specialist following a promotion that would change his life forever.
The new role took Jonkoro across the country, arranging media placements, ensuring compliance with by-laws, and co-ordinating locally-sourced labour to help expand the media efforts. He faced extreme pressure in complex environments, but he rose to the challenge like a duck to water.
In a nutshell, Jonkoro, who already owned a registered company called JMedia, made sure Evotel’s brand visibility was everywhere for all to see.
Using billboards, wall murals, street pole adverts and many other advertising techniques, he helped establish the company’s name in its coverage areas.
"It came with a lot of responsibilities, including engagements with officials and municipalities to protect the company from possible lawsuits, plagiarism issues and managing a team of local workers to complete the work," says Jonkoro.
According to the cucumber-cool gentleman, it all starts with a site inspection at a location identified for marketing, or where Evotel plans to roll out its fibre. He would then interact with the local municipality, ensuring compliance with by-laws, and thereafter he would find opportunities that best aligned with the company’s objectives.
From there, he would identify the perfect spots where potential clients could be exposed to the adverts en masse.
Within residential areas, he would pinpoint walls on private property and negotiate with the owners for potential branding opportunities to create advertising artwork, all in the name of Evotel.
He did all this with excellence until the company chose to promote him further by offering him a completely different contract through his JMedia company. By late 2023, Jonkoro had transitioned from full-time Evotel employee to Evotel partner.
“I am now offering services to Evotel as a partner,” he explained, indicating that Evotel now outsources from him.
“At first, I wondered if I could do this on my own. But the company didn’t throw me under the bus; I received a lot of guidance and support. I already knew the job, but I wanted to impress. First things first, it’s critical to have good relationships with municipalities and understand their by-laws because any transgressions could result in heavy fines for the company.
"You know, I really fell in love with this job. Thanks to Evotel, JMedia is now growing faster than ever, and I see a brighter future for myself as a business owner and employer. I always aspired to run my own business, and now it’s happening.”
Coming from a broadcasting background, having worked at SABC’s Lesedi FM as a show producer, Jonkoro says this is where he mastered the art of advertising and its importance to any company.
As a graduate of Evotel’s black empowerment SMME programme, Jonkoro says he is now passionate about promoting more township businesses, a task he enjoys as he helps others grow in their craft.
“I’m upskilling others to be like me,” he said, further explaining that JMedia has trained township artists across the length and breadth of Evotel’s coverage areas.
“From learner to teacher, that’s me today. We have murals all over the place now, done by us as JMedia.”
He said he is emotional when he realises how far he has come and how the company continues to support him in his future endeavours. “The company trusted me with their brand, and I’m very grateful. Evotel’s black empowerment policy is real, not just lip service.”
Evotel’s Head of Marketing, Richard Genlloud, said the company has always had a policy of working with communities, “and it helps that we share wealth with them”.
“Nelson is one of our success stories, and we aim to create many more with similar stories to tell. He worked with Evotel before starting his own business, and we supported him in his venture. Now he’s using his skills to upskill other South Africans and has secured work from other upcoming brands,” said Genlloud.
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