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Interview With Artist And Entrepreneur Tino Maveneka AKA Koffee

Tinotenda Maveneka (better known as Koffee) is a young entrepreneur and artist working for a company called Campus Canvas which he co-founded he has managed to globalize and cement the company’s position in his community and at Monash South Africa.

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While in his second year at Monash South Africa, he balances his time between studying and performing, he has also organized over 20 performances for musicians who includes Proverb, Riky Rick. Koffee is the current brand ambassador for Monash University South Africa

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Koffee  also works for a small charity called Nirvana where they collect clothes and food to give to the poor in South Africa. This is what he had to say when we caught up with him

Q: How did you get the name “Koffee”?

A: Because I grind so fine Lol. But jokes aside it’s my artist name and has become a part of who I am. Whenever I make music I express myself as Koffee.

Q: So Koffee, what came first entrepreneurship or music?

A: Music came first and inspired the pursuit of entrepreneurship. As I grew more independent in the music industry I learnt the importance of knowing the business element of it and this made me seek development of these kind of skills through entrepreneurship.

Q: Would you say you are more of an artist or an entrepreneur at the moment?

A: I can’t say I am any more of any of them because I love doing them both equally. Music is how I express myself and entrepreneurship empowers me to build my dreams and the dreams of others but I can admit that my focus will be on the business element for the sake of all who I work with. Developing and using my business skills to enhance the successes of others is very important to me.

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Q: What made you want to be an entrepreneur and co-found Campus Canvas?

A: When Lehlohonolo Tsubele (Rapture) explained the idea to Tumeyo Chipungu (Krypton) and I of helping students gain the knowledge and experience they need for employment while in university. I just felt that this was something that would benefit both companies and students alike. Campus canvas called me and as I assumed my new role I fell in love with the lifestyle of building your own business. I have written over 30 proposals in the past year, plenty of which have been rejected but have each given me a valuable experience that has helped me achieve all that I have.

Q: What do you appreciate the most in your time while learning in South Africa?

A: Well I never knew how much I loved learning until I came to Monash. It wasn’t the direct lessons from my degree that amazed me but the experiences that changed my way of thinking that I appreciated the most.

Q: What drives you to do all the things you do business wise?

A: The desire to achieve and succeed with my colleagues motivates me. I want all the people I work with to be successful, I want to breed the next generation of leaders, businessmen and women, artists and entrepreneurs while I continue to build and push for more myself. I believe we can all be successful together if we help and empower each other, especially here in Africa.

Q: What inspires your music?

A: My life and emotions inspire my music. I rap and sing how I feel and this makes my music like a personal diary. My music reminds me of why life is beautiful.

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Q: How do you manage to do all the things you do?

A: Well GOD blessed me with the best people I could possibly need to achieve my dreams. In my music Griffin and DaReal have been key to my growth as an artist, people like Aytee and Kubzi have supplied me with amazing beats while my mentor Kripmac has taught me how to mix and master. The campus canvas musicians have also taught me a lot especially in performances. Artists like Kabz, Venus, THC and J Ro have really shown me how much potential there is out there and they all motivate me to keep moving. In terms of business Krypton and Rapture have been as critical to all the company’s achievements as I have been and I am forever grateful for all the knowledge they have imparted onto me. Our partnership is an example of different African nations working together for a greater good.

Q: What have been your biggest struggles this year?

A: Because of the way I put my all in my work I think the biggest struggle has been the emotional and physical strain of my work. For example in one night I may show up to a show spend the entire night taking pictures, perform then go home to work on the website the same night and then publish the story on the event in the morning. I often try push myself to the limit and this has resulted in fatigue which worsens my epilepsy. I hate my epilepsy, it makes me feel helpless, and it worries my loved ones so I have a habit of trying to make it look I got it under control when it starts but I continue anyway. Emotionally my work takes all of my attention and focus which has made me pull away from people and miss out on plenty of things. I have broken down and moments of depression because of all that I missed out this year. It’s a painful sacrifice but a choice I knew I would have to make when I chose to do this; but still I wish I could be a regular college kid sometimes.

Q: Finally what would you like to say to all young aspiring entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe?

A: GO FOR IT! What’s the worst that could happen?

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