Simphiwe Radebe Dreams Real Big

Mothibi Mthethwa

Simphiwe Radebe, entrepreneur, songwriter-composer, photographer all-in-one.

Photos: Nonhlanhla Kambule-Makgati

ALMOST obscured amid myriads ofhawker-stalls with a range of goods from food to second-hand clothing; a thief-chasing distance away from the Orlando Police Station and train-catching distance from the Orlando Railway Station, stands a formerly brown-bricked building, but now painted in green-and-yellow colours. From outside, the place seems a bit like dimly-lit dungeon, until you walk inside, where a young man by the name of Simphiwe Radebe’s warm smile and greeting immediately lights up the interior of Timgate Liquor Store that used to be the Orlando East Bottle Store, which has been there for ages.

A far-cry from the stiff-lipped managers of bygone days, Simphiwe looks `hip’, as master pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (then Dollar Brand) described King Sobhuza II of the Kingdom of Swaziland in his song `Blues for a Hip King’, dressed in a `hip’ top, without tie-and-jacket, which belies the fact that Simphiwe, affectionately known as `Shay’, short for `Shayinternational’. “I come from a retail background,” explains the Nelspruit-born Simphiwe, who was roped into this family business by his father, Mr Colvern Radebe, who also comes from the same business background, in a tale that simply speaks of `like father, like son.’ With just a few months as the latest tenants, Mr Radebe senior and son are trading as `Select Products’ under the umbrella of Rhadu Industries, and in the process of renovating the family business premises. “We have been here for about three months now, and would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all members of the community who gave us a warm welcome and their full support. It feels as though we have been for years.

“Our main aim is to grow this business as a select product to such an extent that we would be able to have branches in different parts of the Gauteng province. We will ensure to build a lasting relationship of trust and delivery. “We are looking at franchise business, but first things first: you crawl on all fours, and then toddle before walking.

Having learned to walk, you then learn how to run, till you finally learn how to fly.” True to the adage that says “many hands make light work”, Precious Ndlovu is the till-operator, working as a team with Lucky Maluleke and Bathethelele Bhalasana, who are always by Simphiwe’s side. “With this team on my side, everything keeps going right. I truly appreciate working with them, as they serve customers at the counter,” explains `Shay’. As a youngster, Simphiwe never stayed long enough in one place. From Nelspruit, he moved to Pietersburg (Polokwane, in the Northern Province), where he became a learner at the Northern Academy, before relocating to other provinces, such as

Gauteng (Tshwane), North-West and KwaZulu-Natal. “Along the way, I picked up and learned ethic languages including SeSotho, SePedi, SiSwati, isiZulu and isiXhosa, in addition to English and Afrikaans. As a student at the Durban University of Technology, I majored in Photography as one of the majors.”In 2013, Simphiwe worked for the now-defunct Vertigo (Platinum Brand), now known as Style Lab. `Shay’ later had an opportunity to freelance for Bogartman (Men’s’ Fashion Retail) as Fashion Editor, with responsibilities that involved Photography, Graphic Design, Visual Presentations.

Simphiwe Radebe inside his Orlando East bottle store.

“I left Bogartman to focus more on my other passions to grow my visual skills, and that of making music, which is mainly based on Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and Good Corporate Citizenship Agency for Transformation in South Africa, under Mzansi Endorsement Project. “Take Charge of Your Destiny,” is a strong, soul-searching message from his brand-new single titled `Rise Up’, as a multi-talented vocalist, songwriter- composer and engineer, while he is busy putting final touches to another single on the way called `Until’. While his parents, Mr and Mrs Radebe, are the main source of his inspiration and pillar of strength, three names immediately crop up regarding some of the people who have had a profound influence on his life: Sthenjwa Luthuli, Wonder Buhle and

Sthenjwa Luthuli, Wonder Buhle and Philani, all from eThekwini (Durban). “These three are talented artists and close friends of mine, with Sthenjwa specialising in Curved Prints, Buhle in Charcoal Drawings and Philani in Portrait Paintings. I have learned so much from them in terms of humanunconventional way.

(ubuntu-botho), as much as I have from most other people I have encountered in my life.” A farsighted entrepreneur, Mr Radebe (Junior) has a way of looking at life, for we all look at the world through different windows. “Winners visualise rosy pictures of success, while losers paint gloomy images of failure,” he asserts. When it comes to relaxation, `Shay’ takes the holistic approach. “I always try to think of people I care about and also about how I can make them happy. Of course, I never forget to count my blessings and go down on my knees to pray and thank God. I try to be positive for an even better tomorrow.”As a parting shot, the teenage-dreamer and master of success-in-the-making has this to say about life: “The miracle of your existence calls for a celebration, every day,” and “We cannot truly face life until we face the fact that it will be taken away from us,” quoting talk-show empress Oprah Winfrey and Evangelist Billy Graham.