North-West born Letlhogonolo Quinton Ditshwene has remained proudly local and says businesses outside of South Africa’s main cities can still offer world-class service. The 33-year-old is CEO of audio-visual company Entle Media Holdings, which offers videography and photography services to corporates in the province, including Sun International’s flagship Sun City Resort.
“I was born in Mabeleapodi, a village five minutes from Sun City. I started my company in 2012 and have been a Sun City vendor since the beginning, at first working on small projects but with time, we have proven ourselves and grown to be a preferred service provider to the resort and its guests,” Ditshwene said.
The self-taught audio-visual professional now employs five full-time employees, and uses local freelancers as the need arises.
“Getting consistent business from Sun City has allowed us to pay salaries to people who live in the communities just a few minutes from the resort. This helps these employees to put food on their tables for their families. The work is enjoyable and exciting, everything from shooting new hotel room mock-ups to the newly-launched Lefika Villas. One of my personal favourites was capturing a dinner with the American artist Anthony Hamilton, and the Chis Walker and Regina Bella show,” he said.
Ditshwene also relishes the opportunity to work alongside journalists from mainstream media when they cover events such as the Sun City GM’s Kasi Ride, the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge and many other events.
“Being able to rub shoulders with big media houses is a confidence booster for us. Working with the Sun City marketing, VIP Services and Sustainability departments has opened doors, because we have created material for them, such as reels, highlights videos and photography. We are also recommended by them to conference organisers and wedding planners, meaning we are servicing Sun City’s local and international guests and the feedback we receive is positive, which is extremely rewarding. Sun City has given my business the opportunity to remain based in a village and become profitable without having to move to a major city. I love city life but I’ve always believed that you don’t have to be born or raised in a city to adhere to international business standards. There are opportunities to be found in the North West – you don’t have to work in a mine after school. We need to change the mindset that bigger opportunities are outside of the province,” Ditshwene said.
Hard work comes naturally to Ditshwene who believes one has to “write your own story if you want glory”. His wife Dineo joined in the business after losing her job in tourism due to the pandemic.
“Our three-year-old daughter is named after our business, which was our firstborn.
Hopefully one day, if she enjoys media, she can take over the reins of Entle Media and continue the legacy,” he said.
His plan for Entle Media is to invest and grow the brand across the country and beyond, with bigger and better equipment. “We will always empower other upcoming youth in our community to ensure we have a pool of professional and skilled media personnel.”
Sun City General Manager Brett Hoppé said supporting local businesses formed an integral part of Sun International’s business strategy of creating shared value.
“We strive to uplift and empower the communities in which we are located as they are a vital part of our story and contribute to our future success.”
Saturday Star