Times Of Swaziland: DJS MUST KNOW THEIR WORTH

DJS MUST KNOW THEIR WORTH
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Phumzile Ndlovu on 08/08/2022 15:18:00


Mbabane- Disc Jockeys (DJs) are like salt; food tastes better with it, and you
can immediately tell when it’s missing.
Any event, no matter what kind, is dull without music; hence we need DJs to
spice up a gathering. Even if it’s a corporate occasion, there must be some
kind of music in the background. We have seen many DJs emerge this year alone,
from the young ones to mature ones. What with our overnight sensation, Uncle
Waffles, who is making the country popular globally. The successful DJ who was
once based in Mbabane has sold out shows in Europe. She also bagged another gig
recently as a brand ambassador of Jager Master Africa.
Mentioned
She’s been mentioned and cosigned by US rapper Drake - only the sky is the
limit. It’s quite clear that we have rich talent in our kingdom. Many DJs will
follow suit, it’s only a matter of time. A question arises though; do DJs have
an association to represent them, or agencies to market them locally and
internationally? SA DJs fees can range from 5 000 to 100 000 for local gigs. At
the top you’ll likely find Maphorisa, Zinhle, Uncle Waffles at  E120 000
indoors, outdoors E180 000, Kabza and Tira, it also varies from province to
province with Gauteng-based charging the most. We engaged them on the gap
between  what locals compared to South African (SA) DJs are paid and what change
they would love to see in the industry to get to that level.
When reached for comment Founder of Eswatini Global Events Mpumi Mdlalose, who
recently organised the successful Big Zulu show, shared her concerns with the
gap. “I think we need a workshop for our local DJs, so they can learn about
packaging, content, marketing, and media presence as brands.” She went on to
say that DJs should know their worth. She also shared that it was her first time
working with DJs at her last show last month, and was shocked to learn of some
of the figures from the DJs, but was pleasantly impressed with their
deliverance.  She concluded by saying the difference with SA DJs was that they
were market ready. This is what some local DJs had to say.