Media Mogul In The Making

At 27, Allegro Dinkwanyane has established herself as a successful force to be reckoned with in the media industry. She shares how she has built a successful company, Orgella Media, which has eight entities and her success tips.

Allegro exudes confidence and a magnetic energy when we sit and chat in her offices in Melville. Her company manages big, successful brands such as singer Donald and  cosmetic company, Avon. She is one busy lady who has inspired many young people with her success story, which began in her dormitory at the University of Johannesburg. She started her blog, Orgella Entertainment, which laid a foundation to a media empire she has built in a short space of time. She says:

Did you want to use your blog as a foundation to launch your other businesses?

I just wanted to be a blogger. I thought it was cool and something new that not a lot of people were doing in South Africa. In my final year at University of Johannesburg, we were doing a subject on online journalism and were assigned to do a blog and my lecturer loved it. She advised I continued with my blog and I started taking it as a platform to make money. At that time I didn’t know how to go about it but I knew it could work because I took inspiration from Bella Naija, Nigeria’s successful entertainment blog. Since there wasn’t a blog in South Africa that I could follow I wanted to create a platform where I would also voice my opinion on the entertainment industry, which I am very passionate about. This is why I also branched out and offered publicity services for entertainers, especially musicians. I wanted to help artists grow.

Journey us into how you made your blog successful

I made money from my blog three months later, when Avon South Africa approached me to advertise in my blog. It was overwhelming at first because I didn’t know how to charge them. They loved the blog and we built a good relationship, to a point where I would do product reviews for them and did product giveaways to my readers. When I decided to branch out and start Orgella Communications, we did marketing, PR and social media management for their annual iThemba walkathon in October. We have been working with them for more than three years. Other brands started coming on board and slowly moent started coming in. But it’s not consistent because campaigns come and go. That is where I learned to save my money and avoid debts.

Tell us how you extended your company?

I always knew that I wanted to own eight entities. The blog was a foundation for everything else that I do. Orgella Communications followed when I was doing PR for some of my celebrity friends. It was through networking as a blogger that I built the PR Company, which is what is driving the business.

How can one successfully break into a saturated market, like public relations?

You need to stand out and deliver the promises you make to clients because people have been disappointed before as they were sold dreams, which didn’t come to fruition. I don’t speak a lot but I make sure that I deliver great results to all my clients. I believe our work speak volumes for us because we know and understand our niche. What works to our advantage is that we can promote our clients through some of our other entities, like our blog, which is an added value.

How did you build a successful brand?

I feel there is so much I am yet to achieve. I don’t overlook our achievements though and we celebrate every milestone. My business is only 5 years old and I feel there are highlights, as much as there are challenges. I credit a lot of my success to the hard working team that I am blessed to work with.

What keeps you going when you face challenges?

I am strong willed and don’t allow myself to stress about challenges. Somehow things work out, because when some clients pull out at the last minute others come on board. I have experienced that over the years. As a Christian my faith, hard work and consistency sees me through any challenge. It’s the satisfaction that my clients get when we successfully put together a campaign that keeps me going.

What is the difference between challenges or when things are not meant for you?

There’s a fine line and I believe you always know somehow that things are not going to work or if it’s a challenge. There aren’t entities in my company that I am not passionate about and I just know when I feel I am forcing things.

How can one attract good employees?

I have been blessed because my team showed interest and loyalty to the brand before I was even able to officially employ them. So when I was stable enough to employ I didn’t think twice before hiring them. It has been through building a relationship with my employees.  Try to find people who have some experience or give them challenges initially to test how they perform before you get them on board. I don’t hire based on qualification but on the dedication someone has.

What is your advice to young people who want to be successful?

You have to work hard and be consistent. Stay in your own lane and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Know your niche and stick to it, especially if you want to blog and stick with brands that represent what you stand for. Invest in yourself and don’t take it personally when doors close because no one else sees the vision that you have. Believe in yourself and find yourself mentors who believe in you and will guide you to success.

Connect with Allegro on:

Instagram: @allegro_d

Twitter: @Allegro_D