10 Minutes with Tommy Makhobela

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your background and when you knew you wanted to work in sports?

Growing up in Orange Farm, South Africa, Sports (football) was the only positive thing that saved me in my youth. Playing football was one thing that kept me away from all the negative things (drugs, crime, gangs) happening in my township. I knew from then that I’d have to build a career in sports because of its significance in changing lives, making dreams come true, and inspiring others to do great.

What has your journey into the sports industry looked like?

I’ve always been a marketer and a salesperson. Speaking to different people and understanding how they do things and how they build their businesses or brands fascinated me. I worked with various agencies and companies in marketing and business development and founded my own business. Having to co-own a football team in Orange Farm propelled me to take the sports business seriously. I then worked at Roc Nation as the Head of Commercial in Africa, becoming one of the first South African managers to join the management team of one of the biggest global companies founded by Jay Z.

What were some of your favourite projects that you worked on while at Roc Nation?

 Some of the best things I worked on while at Roc Nation were:

• The Mamelodi Sundowns x EA Sports FIFA 2022, which saw us adding Sundowns to the FIFA game for the first time.
• The Siya Kolisi RISE Documentary.
• The Mamelodi Sundowns U15’s team journey to participate in the Kevin De Bruyne Cup in Belgium.
• The groundbreaking partnership between South African Netball Captain Bongiwe Msomi and Spur, which was the first of its kind in the country.
• Many other involvements with our local and international roster of athletes and teams.

You recently joined SuperSport, what does your role entail?

With SuperSport, I work in the marketing department, which fuses digital and social media marketing. The role is also integrated with production and marketing. It is truly exciting as my passion for marketing drove me into this new chapter. I’m looking forward to learning more about sports production and broadcasting, as i’m now working with the World of Champions.

You are also the co-founder of The Prestigious Group alongside SA football player Teko Modise. Can you tell us more about the work you do?

The Legendary Telo Modise founded the Prestigious Group as a talent management company. My involvement came later when I became the Chief Marketing Officer, where I reinvented it as a creative agency that works with different brands in various industries and offers several services like brand management, marketing and advertising, and event coordination. It has been an incredible journey as we try to expand into new ventures and territories that can help us scale up and use global practices to build one of the best sports and entertainment powerhouses in the continent.

What are three skills you think are essential to your role?

1.Communication – This is a pivotal skill because you spend your entire day communicating with internal and external stakeholders, teams and other professionals.

2. Sales – You need to know how to sell, or you will be sold.

3. Ability to Create Marketing Strategies – curating experiences and storytelling are essential to what I do. One must be able to think outside the box and create new things or improve existing ones.

What would you say are misconceptions that people have about your role/ working in the sports industry?

 Misconceptions are that people always think it’s just fun, that you only attend sports matches, and that’s it. They don’t know the stresses of chasing feedback, the challenges of rejections, or the amount of work behind partnerships.

What do you look for in young applicants when hiring for internships and entry-level positions?

I always look out for the PHD factor. Are you passionate enough? Hungry enough? Determined enough? If you have the PHD factor, everything else can be taught.

Have you faced any challenges or obstacles in the industry as a person of colour? If so, how have you been able to overcome them?

 Not really; I have spent all my life building my reputation; the work I’ve done before speaks for itself. However, sometimes, you are exposed to the unfairness that comes with being black and young.

 What advice would you give to a young person with a similar background to you looking to enter the sports industry?

Remain teachable, learning and unlearning as much as you can. Always ASK, never assume a NO before you ASK. Even after getting a NO, smile and go all out for the next YES.

If you were to choose one person to shine a light on in the industry, who would it be and why?

I’d say David Beckham. It’s amazing what David is doing with Inter Miami and his other ventures around his personal brand. He has given many young people opportunities to work with him, and I have learned a lot about the sports business by watching his moves.

Want to connect with Tommy? Head over to our Networks page to find out more!