Kim Jayde. Photo: KJ Productions PTY Ltd
Having grown up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Kim Jayde’s childhood was conservative. She had the kind of upbringing where girls were taught to wear dresses, stilettos, and always have their nails, hair and makeup done. Moving to South Africa exposed her to an entirely different world – one that enabled her to express herself freely without restriction.
“I learned about sneakers and sneaker culture,” she says. “And what it really boils down to is the fact that you can express yourself however you wish to. And at the time, it was a very male dominated space. You did not see a lot of girls wearing sneakers and definitely not wearing sneakers on the red carpet.”
While working for MTV Base Africa and traveling the globe, Jayde was exposed to international fashion and culture, which is where her deep love for sneakers first took root.
During the height of COVID-19, while many were trying to hold on to their jobs, the media personality quit her job. She decided a change was needed.
“People told me I was nuts. They were like “What do you mean you’re quitting your job during COVID-19?”
Jayde attributes the decision to her faith.
“I prayed on it a lot. I’m a Christian, and God just really is behind a lot of the decisions I make. Because the decisions I make are absolutely insane. But, I prayed on it for a few months and ultimately decided to leave. And it was a really, really great decision”.
With her sights firmly fixed on new opportunities, Jayde embarked on a journey into the world of entrepreneurship. It is during this time that she launched her web series Kickin’ It With Kim Jayde on YouTube.
“We really started from my sneaker room years ago during Covid and it was Zoom calls because, you know, none of us could connect in person.”
The title of the show is a double entendre which references its deep dive into sneaker culture where ‘kicks’ is slang for sneakers or shoes, while simultaneously inviting viewers to ‘kick back’ and enjoy the conversation with her and her guests.
Jayde developed the show for sneaker heads after noticing the unmet need of content catering to the niche audience.
“When I launched the show, it was after the Michael Jordan story with the Chicago Bulls [The Last Dance] came out, and that made Jordans really popular. And that was super cool because it allowed people a glimpse into the sneaker world. But at the time there was no content out there made by South African sneaker heads. And so I was like, I want to have a show where I invite other sneaker heads into my closet and we’re going to talk about kicks and we’re going to talk about their careers.”
Jayde was the perfect person to fill that gap of sneaker content creators as she boasts an impressive personal sneaker collection.
“I have close to 200 now. Only a fraction of the shoes you see in my sneaker wall are gifted by brands. That’s all me, you know. But I gave away 60 pairs for my birthday last year, so it helped, like, to get rid of [some]. But it’s still a lot”.
The sneaker head says that while her collection may seem like over-consumerism, each pair has sentimental value.
“From the outside looking in, I can genuinely respect and appreciate why this looks like consumer culture. But for me, every pair has a story, and it’s connected to a recording artist or an athlete. So every single pair has a story that I personally connect to, and that was basically the building of the collection.”
Jayde doesn’t have any current brand deals or associations with any sneaker brands. She’s doing this solely for her love of sneakers.
“This is just a passion of mine, and it’s a way I choose to express myself in fashion.”
She’s since received some recognition for her deep knowledge of sneaker culture with Cosmopolitan SA magazine naming her ‘the sneaker queen of South Africa’.
“I held onto that with such pride because it’s like, yo, I can sit at the table where the boys are at, and I know what I’m talking about.”
The first two seasons of Kickin’ It With Kim Jayde initially had a strong focus on sneaker culture, fashion, and entertainment in Joburg, Durban, and Cape Town. Now in its third season, the show has gone international, specifically to the US with some episodes being filmed in Los Angeles and New York.
“What makes this season special is that I’m putting African creatives alongside American creatives because I genuinely believe we need to be shown up on the same platforms on the exact same level. This thing of, oh, shame, Africa being like the same, the struggling cousins, it’s like, absolutely not. We have the likes of MaXhosa. We have the likes of Courtnae Paul, who’s a five-time breakdancing champion. We have SA rapper YoungstaCPT in the season finale, which is obviously very exciting. He’s making history by doing a collaboration with Reebok.”
Kim Jayde and American fashion designer Jae Tips. Photo: KJ Productions PTY Ltd
The third season will also feature actress Edwina Findley, fashion designer Karl Kani, Paulina Lopez, the director of marketing for Foot Locker USA, and many more.
The shift in season three is marked by an intentional evolution, a direction Jayde has been very explicit about.
“There’s definitely been an evolution. The first two seasons were very sneaker focused and it worked and it landed, but only for a very niche crowd. This season I’ve been very intentional. Yes, we have these incredible people on the show that are all very successful, but I need you to give me practical insight and tips that our viewers can watch and grab and apply.
“So, for example, Karl Kani, when you’re sitting with Tupac and Aaliyah and you’re trying to get them to be the faces of your campaigns and of your brand, how does that work? How do you negotiate? He talks about trademarking your brand.”
These are all tangible things that are very… It’s information that’s gate-kept a lot in our industry. So if you’re a young designer or a young athlete or a young actress, watch the show because these incredible people that are successful, that are known the world around are telling you how to do it. They’re sharing their playbook.”
The connections she made in the US are part of what compelled Jayde to take the show to the States.
“I’ve been traveling back and forth for the last eight years since I was on MTV and built some really amazing relationships. So it was based off of the fact that I already had these organic, authentic relationships that I’ve had for years and they all really welcomed me into their community. So it was about sharing that crossover that regardless of whether you’re in America or Africa, we kind of all speak the same language as creatives.”
Kim Jayde receiving a signature pair of sneakers from legendary American fashion Designer Karl Kani. Photo: KJ Productions PTY Ltd
Jayde admits that taking the show international came with its set of challenges, mainly from a financial standpoint, as the show is self-funded.
“I think the first and most, I mean still to this day is the most challenging is financing. Something like this does not cost pennies, right? It’s over half a million rand of my own money that has gone into this. And how people might ask ‘Oh, how does it get to so much?’- flights and accommodation to New York and Los Angeles for three weeks. And, I flew my own Director of Photography (DOP) from South Africa.
“So, the entire production is a proudly African crew, which is something I’m super passionate about. It all adds up and it costs money. And we know the rand isn’t as powerful as the US dollar. So being able to finance that and it’s like, you’re not only hiring a videographer, there’s a photographer, there’s a DOP. We have a full editing team and a full graphic designer team. It’s a big, big production.
“And as a woman, and a woman of colour in the industry, and going from on-cam to behind the cam, this is probably the biggest directing/producing job I’ve ever had. And I didn’t want to take shortcuts. I wanted to hire the very best team, the ones that I knew would execute at a high level. And so that’s something I’m really proud of.”
While funding her own show hasn’t been easy, taking that leap of faith into the world of entrepreneurship has yielded some major benefits for the media personality, while allowing her to be her own boss.
“I made more money during COVID as an independent than I did at MTV. Being an entrepreneur has been the best decision I’ve ever, ever made. I really like that I am my own boss. And also, you make the money that you’re willing to put the time in for. So the harder you work, the more money you can make as an entrepreneur. And that’s something you can’t really do if you have a 9-5”.
Jayde’s ultimate goal is to showcase African storytelling at a high quality international level. Through her production company KJ Productions, she is doing just that, even if it means sacrificing some comfort.
“I stayed in the shittiest little New York hotel because that was all I could afford. There were no mirrors. It was like a tiny little matchbox. But all of the money must go into the show.
“That’s what it’s about. And I think, you know, it stands for a greater messaging that number one, as a woman of colour, you can do it. Number two, as talent, we have so much more than just on-screen talent. You know, we’re very gifted in that we know how to produce, we know how to direct, script, post, cast. I did it all on my own.
“So, hopefully it will empower more, not only women, but young creatives to invest in themselves”.