Daily Inspiration: Meet Vuyo Joboda

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vuyo Joboda.

Hi Vuyo, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story began on spring day, a day my mom remembers as a beautiful day. She says the flowers we blossoming and there I was, coming into the world as she welcomed me into her arms. I was born and raised in a township called Kwalanga in Cape Town, South Africa. My family was very poor and we lived in a shack that used to burn frequently which meant there were times of the year where we didn’t have a home. Through all of that, I was a very bubbly and zealous child, I loved experiences, I was always exploring, looking to learn and know, I was and still am obsessed with learning every day. I knew I was meant to be in the media industry and from where I came from there were very little opportunities. I was so determined that I told myself that if there are no opportunities, then I am willing to create opportunities for myself. I was inspired with a burning desire to succeed and make a life better than my upbringing.

From a very young age, I decided I was going to make decisions that would impact my life positively. Since then, I have done my best to uplift, up-skill and empower myself through working hard, staying determined and staying consistent. I am making great strides in the direction that I have dreamed for myself. Today I am a brave, confident and empowered young woman who is clear of who she is, her purpose and her role to play in this world. I am not defined by my difficult upbringing but strengthened by my strong resilience and power received from it. I represent every young boy and girl who have big dreams and I am showing them that there is hope and power to make them come true. I am now a successful media maven with a media company that is firmly asserting itself in the global media landscape. What inspired me has not been my yesterday but the possibilities of tomorrow. My upbringing has been tough but it has ironed me to be tough and resilient, powerful and empowered.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been far away from smooth. It has been rough, challenging and most definitely character building. I have faced a lot of struggles along the way, which may be too many to share but there are some that stand out not because they were tougher but because they had empowering lessons embedded in them. As a young black woman, it has been a challenge getting into spaces, accessing opportunties and being heard in certain spaces. It took me some time to come to grapple with this challenge. I saw this as a weakness and it was one of the things that I had no power changing. In some of the spaces and rooms, I have been in I have often been the youngest person in the room, the only female in the room and sometimes the only black person in the room. That ultimately affected my confidence because I felt like I did not fit in because I was different. I would constantly be reminded of this difference and told that I don’t know anything as if I didn’t qualify to be in these spaces. Until one day when I realized that my difference was my power. That I carried and brought to the table something different that all my other counterparts brought. I decided to learn from them and be open to teach them too as we can all learn something from each other. That reminded me of the power inside me. Now I am confident in embracing my difference because that is what sets me apart from anyone else. I now acknowledge that I have something different to offer. It is a struggle that I now embrace.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Executive Producer, Director, Author and International Speaker. I am also the Founder and CEO of VN (Vuyo Joboda Network), a Globally Inspired, African Ignited media company that is dedicated to sharing authentic inspiring stories while also giving others the opportunity to share their stories too. I am a storyteller and through my platform have had the opportunity to enable others to share stories too. The media industry is what I know but it is also what I am known to specialize in. I have also had the pleasure of doing media consulting for other people, brands and businesses in different sectors of the industry. My company VN (which is the home to VN Streaming, VN Magazine, VN Global Media and Entertainment Awards, VN Masterclass and VN Global Summit) is now currently present in two different countries in South Africa via our website www.vnstreaming.com and in the USA on the Enterprise Theater on ROKU. We have strategically chose these two markets distinctly for their drive to producing and showcasing incredible talent. We are in the mission of finding talent in these countries and showcasing it. We have plans of reaching more countries because we understand there are many hidden stories out there that need to be told. I am proud that we have made great efforts to being a bridge between the two countries in which we exist in now. I am excited about the fact of we are now on a journey of exploring the maximum possibilities that can be found in this pursuit. I would encourage others to stay tuned to what we have coming in the future. Big things only!

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
As difficult as my childhood was, I must say it was such a colourful childhood. One of the ways that I loved to express myself was through dancing. I always thought I would end up a professional dancer because everywhere I went, I would dance. I remember when I was about 8 years old when my aunt took me to a birthday celebration and I danced so much that everyone at that birthday was just watching me dance. I shut the house down, lol at 8-years-old, lol. I was so tiny in the middle of the room just dancing, lol. I remember asking myself, What I am doing? But at that moment I was so liberated, I felt free and dancing just felt right. There has been so many of those moments in my childhood but that specific one stood out because my aunt came back home to tell my mom how much I danced and everyone was just laughing because they all knew what happens when I start dancing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vnstreaming.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vuyojoboda/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063097284302
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/VuyoJoboda?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Image Credits
Stills by Tom. In the City Magazine