Having a passion for working closely within the community and a great sense of people skills is what led to a public relations entrepreneur being recognised by the likes of Forbes Africa and being afforded an opportunity to meet the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Emmanuel Bonoko, founder and Marketing Director of EBonoko Holdings, shared his journey in the cut-throat industry of communications.
Now 32 years old, the budding entrepreneur started out when he launched his foundation as a 20-year-old, the EBonoko Foundation, which saw him embark on many community-driven initiatives such as book drives with books being donated to many charities and even prisons.
“For me, it was always the desire to change people's lives and be someone who brought about the much-needed change in the community. So, as difficult as it was, I set out to find solutions which, of course, began from my foundation, where we held book drive initiatives, donating books to various places, including prisons,” Bonoko says.
The entrepreneur added: “My foundation is one that aims to tackle societal issues that people face in less privileged communities. One of the main initiatives I have worked on, which I am proud of, is the book drive that saw over 17 000 books collected over the years and donated to under-resourced schools, charities, libraries, prisons, and community centres.”
“I grew up in Pretoria, Soshanguve. I studied for my degree in marketing at Unisa. I would say for me to end up in the communications industry was more of a calling. I have always been very passionate about the industry and the power that it has to shape and uplift people. Through the skills of the people in the communications industry, a lot of brands have had clear messaging that has lasted for years. That keeps me excited about the industry, up to today.”
His public relations company, Ebonoko Holdings, saw him pick up some noteworthy accolades such as being one of the Forbes Africa 30 UNDER 30 entrepreneurs to look out for, Entrepreneur of the year at The SA Men Of The Year Awards 2016, BBQ Awards Emperor's Palace Community Builder of the year 2019 and most recently picking up the best PR professional 2022 at the PRISM Awards.
Bonoko says it has not always been smooth sailing, though.
“It's a difficult space to be in because it's very competitive. You have to be prepared to roll up your sleeves and work. Some of the challenges I've faced are, at times, you get looked down upon even though you are excellent at what you do. It is still untransformed, and many times black agencies, in particular, don't have the same opportunities as other white agencies,” he said.
Regarding his foundation gaining momentum, he said: “I had to knock relentlessly on so many doors until some of the doors started opening up. That period taught me that no one in this world is self-made. There are people that will hold your hand on your journey. I got to meet amazing individuals who became mentors to me like Mme Phuti Mahanyele and Ntate Bonang Mohale, who assisted me to get going in my journey.”
Running both his PR agency and foundation full time, Bonoko shared some advice for young professionals wanting to work in the communications industry.
He said: “Anyone, in essence, can use the services of a PR company, be it an individual brand, an SME, or a big corporation. The person or organisation would have to find the exact company that can understand what they want to achieve. PR companies have to be in the shoes of the client. This means, as PR companies, we have to develop a sixth sense where we feel what the client goes through. All the frustration and happy moments that the client goes through are included.
“However, with many upstart SMEs it is often quite key to start by ensuring that the business development of the SME is intact. Therefore making it easier to always match what you say on the media and service that you are offering. It would be a shame to be a well-represented brand in the media that fails to deliver the promises to its respective consumers.”
BUSINESS REPORT