Arts & Entertainment
31
Bluecloud AI and WTG Media House
Website
Weza Matomane, 31, is the founder and CEO of Bluecloud AI & WTG Media House. Over the past decade he has become one of South Africa’s top voice-over artists and leads a team in delivering innovative digital campaigns for major South African brands, including SABC1, Sasol, Sanral and Metro FM. He has also opened up the industry for many young people by training and mentoring over 600 aspiring voice-over artists from around the world through his online academy. He regularly hosts workshops to give South African youths the skills they need to work in the entertainment industry. His passion for empowering the youth has led him to contribute to establishing a number of NPCs including Unplugged & Incharge and the South African Social Media Awards. Weza believes the digital age has many employment opportunities and aims to empower the youth by contributing to the establishment of an influencer economy and e-commerce revolution in South Africa through tech start-ups such as Bluecloud Ai & DROPD. He believes this country has the potential to produce more leaders of the digital age and he envisions it as a “thriving nation with a higher number of highly skilled and educated youth that are ready to compete on the global stage”. “I believe that each of us possesses a unique flavour that we can contribute to the world. My goal is to leave the world infused with some of that flavour. When my time comes to depart, I hope to have made the world just a little bit saltier!” Weza says.
- Marketing Management, University of South Africa
- Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria
- One of my proudest moments was leading my team to achieve an unprecedented milestone for our client, SABC 1, the largest television broadcaster in South Africa. I was entrusted with the immense responsibility of heading their digital strategy, an opportunity I embraced with excitement and enthusiasm. We launched a digital campaign called #SABC1siON. After managing their digital platforms for almost a year, the campaign generated over 1 billion impressions! This remarkable achievement marked the first time the national broadcaster had experienced such tremendous success on their digital platforms.
- Another significant accomplishment was being appointed the digital and PR agency for the Metro FM Music Awards by South Africa’s largest urban radio broadcaster, Metro FM. Our goal was to reintroduce the MMAs to South Africans after a five-year hiatus. The campaign was a massive success and a major milestone for my team.
- The #BlackIsBack campaign also exceeded 1 billion overall impressions during the campaign period. Impressively, this was achieved in just two weeks. Both campaigns underscored the untapped potential that our national broadcasters possess.
- A significant achievement was our contribution to the digital and PR communications for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s mass education campaign on the Covid-19 vaccination rollout. We used artificial intelligence to assist the GCIS, National Department of Health and National Department of Social Development in combating misinformation on social media and educating the public about critical health protocols. This campaign, the largest educational and nation-building effort in the country, was aimed at saving lives and livelihoods. Our efforts earned our team a Prism Award for the best Covid-19 campaign in 2022.
When I was four years old, my mother would read the Bible to me and teach me that I am the salt of the earth. I believe that each of us possesses a unique flavour that we can contribute to the world. My goal is to leave the world infused with some of that flavour. When my time comes to depart, I hope to have made the world just a little bit saltier!
If I could talk to my younger self this is what I’d tell him: You’ve got everything you need in life already inside you. Trust your instincts, believe in yourself, and be more confident in pursuing your ideas. Be brave and dare to dream. Most importantly, get started before you’re ready, don’t wait for perfection — innovate and fail forward.
In five years, I envision South Africa as a thriving nation with a higher number of highly skilled and educated youths who are ready to compete on the global stage. My hope is that the youth of South Africa will be well-prepared for the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions, with access to top-notch training and education programmes that equip them with the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
This can be achieved through a significant increase in access to technology and connectivity, with improved infrastructure and widespread availability of high-speed internet. This will enable more people to participate in the digital economy and take advantage of the opportunities it presents.
Overall, I believe that South Africa has the potential to produce more leaders of the digital age and I look forward to seeing the country’s continued progress toward achieving this vision.