There is a large number of South African youth who are taking it upon themselves to make a success of their lives. They hustle every way possible to make it big. Some go to tertiary to acquire the relevant qualification to learn how to conquer the work place and have a flourishing career. Some are unfortunate to not have the means but they still find a way to succeed. They start from scratch and climb the ladder. They get their skills by working for free, finding a mentor, doing odd jobs or making a plan. Some success stories are of people who made it against the odds, who worked extra hard because they did not have the proper education to help them up. This, inspiring as it is, should not be our story too. We should not struggle because unlike the past generation, we have opportunities in abundance.
There is the need to succeed, to have money , have careers, become bosses, to live that good, fulfilling life. Being young, Black and successful is what many of us are striving for. Making it in life is a dream of many. In South Africa, there are some individuals who have worked hard and consistently to establish themselves. We have the likes of Bonang Matheba, Minnie Dlamini, DJ Sbu, Tear Gas, Lira,Terry Pheto, David Tlale,Trevor Noah, Siyabonga Ngwekazi,Thapelo Mokoena who are success stories and admired by many. Because of their popularity it feels as though many young people feel as though entertainment is the only industry to be in. They want to be a dancer, an actor,a singer, a rapper, a model,a TV presenter , a radio or club DJ. They want the glamourous and glitz-filled life.
Not taking anything away from that, it’s just a pity that there are so many careers out there that are getting shut out because they don’t make people famous or there is not much information them or the youth are not exposed to that particular career as an option or they are just not getting enough grades to get accepted at tertiary level to pursue that career.
Out of all the career choices that are available, why does is seem like everyone wants to be, and i use this term loosely, a celebrity? Many career aspirations of the youth are very misguided and misinformed. Sometimes it’s realize when its very late that some are not cut out for the job or that it is not what they thought it would be. There is a shortage of Doctors in our country.
Will the next generation have enough Professors, specialist Doctors, Mechanical Engineers, Managing Directors, Scientists, Veterinarians, Train Operators, Police officers, Architects, IT specialists, Farmers, Chefs? Will all the other professions have enough number of people? The entertainment bug seems to have bitten us so bad that we want it and nothing else. These are some of the careers that need special attention and maybe exposure, so that the youth can have options.
I hope the entertainment frenzy eases up and other careers are considered as options. Talent is various and must be explored. The nation has intelligent individuals whom are not gifted only in the arts department. We can’t all be bloggers, videogirls and DJs in our 40s yo! Am I overthinking this? I’ve opened up the comments section, let me know your thoughts.
I find this article a bit demoralizing at my part and I can say I do agree with it partly.I’ve got a passion for the media industry.I feel there is nothing that I can do and that suits my personality well apart from being a part of it.Yes,many just wanna be given the tittle “celebrity” and the respect that comes with it but having not worked for it,but there is a few like myself who actually went to school bcoz of the love and passion we have for writting,presenting and even acting.We also need to remember that some ppl who made success of their lives in the media industry,didn’t even study media but where lucky enough to get the big breaks,the likes of Minnie Dlamini for example.
Hi Tiro,like i wrote,im not taking away anything from the industry and its all well that you studied. We have great success stories in the industry. I was highlighting that the entertainment industry is nt the only place to make it. and pointing out other careers available out there. Thank you for reading and for your comment.
I get what you are saying. Its something that’s been on my mind for a good 2 years now. People look up to the Bonangs, Minnies and Euphoniks who dropped out of varsity to be in the entertainment industry. I’m not saying that there is something wrong with that but we can’t all make it. And the trend these days is the whole “multitasking” thing. Everyone who’s on tv wants to be on radio and everyone who’s on radio wants to be on tv. In the next few few years we will hear the same people on radio,see them on our billboards and watch them on Generations. That’s not cool. Why not perfect your craft, act, do your thing and leave everything else?! Ai
Hi Onkemetse, Thank you for your input and for reading
I was Watching “The Game” on TV this past Sunday and a struggling actress who wanted to act soo bad could not get any work because, even though she was qualified all the roles were GIVEN to celebrities who domore than one thing and are not neccessarily actresses by profession but mainly because they were known. It’s a sad case that this trend of multi tasking is pulling jobs away from those who studied for them…But the hustle must continue, everyone must fight to get their own and make sure they are the best at what they do because its open platform and all jobs are up for the taking. It requires more than just a qualification these days,one should be able to offer MORE!
I’m very happy to uncover this website. I wanted to thank you for your time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely liked every little bit of it and i also have you saved to fav to check out new things on your blog.