Modern Man: Mafika Mkhwanazi

This month we feature Mafika Mkhwanazi on the modern man. This driven and focused man sits down with us to discuss the pressures of life as a young men in the business space, And the pressures of keeping up. Mafikha from Johannesburg works at theBar magazine a former infrastructure manager and web designer at the Avatar Agency and also running he’s on company Digital Mafia Agency, So we at the Beau decided to sit down with him and learn how he juggles it all seamlessly. @mafikajnr

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01. Thank you for sitting down with us Mafika as you probably have a full schedule? Thank you, I’m glad I’m here.

02. Tell us who is Mafika and what inspires the drive as your always busy? You know what they say, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop *giggles*I am a 27 year old and hungry to do better by the day, Not just for myself but for those around me. I’ve got my days. I am most happy when the next person is happy because I could help, I believe that I am blessed so I can be a blessing to other people, to serve those in need, particularly young people. Always willing to learn regardless of who the teacher at that time is.

03. You say you’ve got your days and and by that I’m guessing you have a great way to deal with “those days” tell me what’s your strategy to deal with them? Music is my release depending on the mood, I will listen to a genre that will speak to me at that particular moment in time. Cleaning also helps a lot *laughter*

04. That is the best, Tell us what inspired your business, These days everything should be easily accessible and the internet is the answer for that so what inspired this journey, As the Founder and CEO of Digital Mafia Agency? It was never intentional. As a web developer who also freelanced, I got a few people asking me for paper work as I would do work for them and I didn’t have any. I then decided to register a company for that reason, Just so I can produce paperwork when its needed. As time went by I learned a few tricks of the “digital trade”, I realized that there was potential. I started working imminently and decided to put effort into making it work.

05. So fate led you to it, Juggling your job, your business and this presence both online and live, Don’t you find the pressures of keeping up abit to severe?Late nights and early mornings are no child’s play. I work on Digital Mafia Agency work after work hours, depending on the work load, I go to my local Starbucks to work from there.

06. That’s really interesting how you thrive but do you enjoy what you do, People say you have to love something and it will not feel like work because you usually enjoying yourself? I love what I do, it enables my blessing that I mentioned earlier on. The opportunity of having your work out there, after the stressful days and nights, that’s what makes it feel like it’s not work, the end product is what gives me satisfaction & that feeling of enjoying yourself probably comes with having a smooth running company, I doubt that ever happens.

07. As a online business man what would you say is the future for businesses online? Content x3 we are in an era where people are constantly consuming content on various platforms we need to be at a point where we are producing content pieces constantly, digital is a monster that needs to be constantly fed.

08. That’s true, That’s why online magazines are the future instead of print. Do you think it’s an end of an era of hardcopy with magazines because of this “monster” that constantly needs to be fed? True that, that’s why we have people like you, But it boils down to preference. People still collect magazines & For companies, on the other hand, have to sell to survive and if they don’t make the shift quick enough, they might suffer. We have a print mogul, Ndalo Media, shutting down due to financial constraints.

09. It’s sad news about Ndalo Media, Now creating content. Is there a specific ideal to get consumers excited, because not so recent the H&M’s ad campaign with the black child model in a “The Coolest Monkey In The Jungle” hoodie sparked controversy and that seems to be the “thing” companies are doing. What’s your take in controversial ad campaigns? It’s all about catering for as many people as possible through a variety of content & I honestly don’t think it was intentional. Being controversial is risky depending on how big you are as a company. Some can risk it, and afford to pay whatever fines that come with the consequences, others can’t.

10. Is there anything you’d like to let our readers know, Anything at all? In everything you do, remember that you are blessed so you can become a blessing to the next person, A quote I like, “You can’t change the world but you can change someone’s world”. In everything you do, be kind.