Making strides in the entertainment industry
"I have been fortunate to work on a lot of brand new television shows where we turned nothing into something."
LIMPOPO – “I have been fortunate to work on a lot of brand new television shows where we turned nothing into something,” reveals Eddie Maphophe, a TV producer who has worked extensively within the industry.
Growing up in Giyani, Maphophe says he had to convince his initially reluctant parents that he wanted to be an actor. But he got their full support and coming from a working class background his parents had to make huge sacrifices for him to go to a good private school.
It was at the Khanyisa Education Centre where his artistic talents have been honed, including speaking and acting. He was also introduced to being a house music DJ – a hobby which has become another source of income.
After completing his degree BA Dramatic Arts, Maphophe jumped straight into the job market as a content producer for Yo TV, and has been working in the industry since.
Maphophe’s earlier role-model was Mfundi Vundla who was a trailblazer with his popular soap-opera, Generations.
Now Maphophe is working with another producer he has been looked up to – Pepsi Pokane. Pokane’s work ethic and commitment to quality are well-known. He tackle each day with the same vigour as he and his team is part of history-making, something Maphophe commends.
The word is out that Maphophe himself is a hard-working guy who is pleasant to work with.
His career highlight so far is being part of the team who worked on Big Brother Africa with over 50 million viewers all over Africa.
Working on such a big show was both a challenge and thrilling.As a live show there are no re-takes so your work is out there, mistakes and all. This has kept him on his toes and taught him a lot, explains Maphophe.
He is now working on the first African karaoke singing competition called Tecno Own The Stage which involves participants from Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania. (Tecno, the sponsor, is a cellular company there).
He considers himself privileged to be travelling constantly, says Maphophe. In the process he is learning a lot which suits him just fine as learning is something Maphophe is passionate about.
