In October 2015, I met Precious Thamaga- Mazibuko at the media launch for legendary fashion icon Carolina Herrera’s visit to South Africa. She’d curated the occasion and I remember walking into the conference room of the Four Seasons Hotel in Westcliff, Johannesburg, and being amazed at the pristine set-up she’d executed with her team. Though her main marketing platform had always been the public-facing social media funnel, underpinned by trusted word-of-mouth referrals, she remained reserved and uninterested in profiling herself. For Thamaga-Mazibuko, the priority was to let the work speak for itself – and it certainly did.
This year, her business will have been operational for nine years. According to leading numerologists, the most fortunate numbers for business are in the series 6, 5, 9 and 1, with 5 and 9 being the most influential. So 2020 is a fitting year for DESTINY to celebrate her achievements.
As someone who’s always admired Thamaga-Mazibuko’s ability to manage a 9-5 and side-hustle simultaneously, and then convert that side-hustle into a mainstream business, I feel privileged to have her gracing our cover. It’s also in keeping with her journey from employee to employer that we’ve themed this The New Resolution Issue: Stop Hustling, Start Handling and Set Yourself Up for Entrepreneurial Success While Managing Your 9-5. While on the surface, her story may seem to be about her event and wedding planning business, it’s actually about choosing this year to take a chance on yourself. In Relatable: My Journey, Sihle Bolani, author of We Are the Ones We Need (Xarra Books) shares how she did just that and went from frustrated employee to activist writer and champion of the unheard.
That aside, Thamaga-Mazibuko’s business is part of an industry where female entrepreneurs find more success than they do elsewhere, so it forms part of the women’s economy – something Kaya Bizz and CNBC Africa Alumni business expert Gugulethu Mfuphi elaborates on in How I See It.
However, if the side-hustle you’re planning to establish is in a traditionally boys-club industry, we’ve got you covered as well. The Set- Up offers an 18-month guide to setting up this business and Sound Sense showcases the realities of funding, while Insight and Industry Insider take an in-depth look at the economic value of side-hustles and which businesses to start.
Importantly, though, there’s no rush to resign because your job is keeping you going and is, moreover, an incubator for learning the skills and identifying the opportunities you need to embark on your next career move. As they say, don’t lose a diamond while chasing glitter.
Under the umbrella of this new resolution, we propose a code of conduct: #NoShameInYourGame. Our beauty and fashion features, Body Bible and Moodboard, show you how to switch up your look so seamlessly that you can transition from boardroom sophistication to side-hustle style before you can say: “I’m leaving early – I have a private appointment to keep.”
I’m a big fan of GK Chesterton, who pointed out that January isn’t about starting a new year, but about cultivating a new soul, a new nose, new feet, a new backbone, new ears and new eyes.
I’m keen to develop a new set of everything and, in doing so, forgive myself for the mistakes I made last year. My aim is to utilise all the opportunities that await me by entering 2020 as the new, improved me.
The late Pakistani Sufi teacher, writer and poet Wasif Ali Wasif once said that the world is ancient, but it hasn’t lost its newness. If the world can renew itself every 365 days, so can we.
DESTINY and DESTINY MAN have always been aspirational avenues for those seeking to fulfil their destinies. Over the years, the brand has sought to cater to these discerning adults appropriately, so it would be remiss of us not to include the younger generation in our market. As a publishing group, we’ve decided to accelerate our renewal process by presenting a new magazine to our stable, DESTINY Careers. Edited by brilliant journalist, Pearl Boshomane Tsotetsi, it’s aimed at older Gen-Zs and younger Millennials. This bi-monthly publication is exactly what senior high school and university students need. At this time of year, when these young people are either entering matric, about to enrol for tertiary education or preparing to enter the work environment, please consider DESTINY Careers for someone you know who could benefit from it when purchasing your copy of DESTINY.
Here’s to a new year of happiness, health and handling what needs to be handled so that what you want most manifests for you on every level. You deserve it – we all do!