By Mzukona Mantshontsho
Phillip Dube printed his first issue of DearSA in 2013, a 4-page supplement, within local newspaper Cosmo City Chronicle. Born in Zimbabwe in 1988, his family moved to South Africa in 1994 to Yeoville in Johannesburg.
Yeoville at the time characterised by crime, poverty and lack of proper infrastructure, his childhood wasn’t that bad, because his parents were able to send him to King Edward VII High School, an affluent school. “So there was a pressure to be more than what people saw or thought of you,” he said.
In 2006, his family moved to Cosmo City and were probably the first residents in extension 0. “Perceived to be a township, Cosmo City is taking long too long to take its character, Cosmo City is misunderstood. Problems and priorities of residents in the different extensions are different,’ he adds. While working at the Cosmo City Chronicle as a graphic designer and page layout artist, it became clear to him that the media was not in touch with the people, hence the idea of DearSA.
The idea of the publication grew in his mind for two-three years before 2013 when the first issue was printed. “The big idea being, what if we could build a platform in a tabloid format for people in Cosmo City, Zandspruit Informal Settlement, Kya Sand Informal Settlement, Malibongwe Ridge Development and Randburg to speak and be heard.” The publication went through its rough patches over the year with investors and funding being the main challenge to print. “Plenty of times I have thought of giving up, but I haven’t,” he added.
Summary Business Insights from Phillip Dube:
• Get started with your business or initiative, I don’t care how,
• Grab the bull by the horns; you taking the first step will help,
• Seek help from friends and family and bigger business,
• Never give up, that is advice I’m using now!
• Go through the hard KNOCKS, when you have employees, you will know who to have and what should happen,
• Be brave and share your thoughts and vision with the right people around you.
