JABULANI SIBIYA, A CREATIVE WITH HEART AND SOUL
Jabulani Sibiya at The World Championships coaching Team South Africa in Water Polo
He took on his postgraduate degree alongside his first year of working, which brought him a fulfilling learning experience. “My time at UJ was amazing. My sisters are also alumni of UJ, so it was a generational experience for me. The lecturers I worked with were very instrumental to my growth. I was exposed to many exciting opportunities, and we did a lot of practical work,” said Sibiya. He shared that in the year of doing his Honour’s degree he was awarded the top mark for a project he was doing on international migration. “The School of Communication also gave me an opportunity to get close to some industry players as well. I believe in the school so much that I help wherever I can. The Department has set us up to do some amazing things.” In April 2016 Sibiya founded Touch South Africa, an upskilling platform for young creatives created for the youth, by the youth. The Loeries Africa and Middle East, which looks after the creative body on the continent, has supported Touch for the past three years. To add, Jabulani graced the Ted stage in 2021 and Decorex Cape Town, Johannesburg, in 2023. “We’ve now got this accelerator programme called The Touch Up, which focuses on soft skills. The birth of this idea, however, came in my postgraduate programme. I wanted to bring together practical learning and industry experience, hence the name Touch,” said Sibiya. During his time as a third-year student, Sibiya was part of the One Day Leader South Africa, and he made the top three. “In the time where we had to debate political issues, the practical skills I gained from my academia helped me shine through,” he said.
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is an institution, which thrives in producing alumni who are sources of inspiration in their respective fields. One such alumnus is Jabulani Sibiya, making a mark in the creative industry. Oozing zest, courage and enthusiasm, and having grown up in Johannesburg, Sibiya always knew he’d find his place in the creative industry. “While I am based in Cape Town, I am a Joburg boy. I am pro-black and very proud of the make-up of my ancestral roots. I’m both spiritual and religious,” he said. He attended high school at Parktown Boys High School in Johannesburg and matriculated as the Deputy Head Boy and Mayor of the 100-year organisation, the Johannesburg Junior Council, and was always a firm believer in creativity. He knew this would be the cornerstone of his career. While he juggles being a Marketing Manager at Artclub and Friends, the 30-year-old is also a water polo coach. He is part of the coaching staff for the South African Water Polo team. In the past three years, Jabulani has travelled to Czech Republic, Germany, Romania and Japan representing the Green and Gold. “My parents made sure that we learnt how to swim from a very young age, so all my siblings have been swimmers over the years.” His journey at UJ began in 2012 where he studied Strategic Communication and he then graduated towards the end of 2014. He then undertook a postgraduate programme in Strategic Communication. “Coming from the Department of Strategic Communication, a lot of the alumni graduating from there go into the industry being activists for creativity. At the same time as doing my postgraduate qualification, I knew I wanted to start working. I was a Junior Strategist at King James, which is now known as Accenture.”
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ALUMNI IMPUMELELO
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