Kebise’s solo journey from rugs to riches
‘MATHATO SEBOKA
A passionate marketing whiz, 30-year-old Moeketsi Pius Kebise moved from being a cab owner to managing director of Mets’oaka Group. Kebise helmed Mets’oaka Group where he was also a partner. The group has seven artists, who include the now famous muso Sannere, Phoka ea Boroa, Qhomane, Litshepe Lr, Teddy Dj, Alah Dj and Chev Shengu as the producer.
Mets’oaka Group is a record label that was launched on January 21 this year, and was founded by three partners being Kebise, Thuteho Matheleli and Sannere, whose real name is Relebohile Monaphathi.
Kebise only last week announced his departure from the group, abandoning both his positions as managing director and a shareholder.
But in a compelling narrative he has shared his story of moving from rugs to riches. Born at Ha Tsautse, Maseru, Kebisi is fourth in a family of six.
Tapping into his childhood memories, Kebise recalls that he started learning about investment at a very young age.
“My beautiful childhood memory which was also a strategic learning curve in my life was when I was in Class 5 and there was no money to buy paraffin, they used to send me to buy it.
I had my own bottle on the side where I used to save drops of paraffin without my family knowing until one day we were stuck with no money to buy paraffin,” he remembers.
“I, then told my mother that I am going to pray for a paraffin and I went outside and came back with a full two litre bottle of paraffin. My family was so happy about that and I felt like a super hero, seeing how happy my family was.
Form that day onwards; I told myself that this is how I want to live my life. I was able to save paraffin for the rainy days,” Kebise continues to narrate.
He started his education at Iketsetseng English Medium School, advanced to high school at Methodist High School and then did advanced learning at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology where he spent four years studying Honours Degree in International Business.
“After completing my school studies I then enrolled for several short courses to advance myself. I did short marketing course focused on advertising, another short course in hearing aids as a hearing aid technician, a short course in investment management and am currently working on a short course in music,” Kebise says.
Kebise said that although he was not exactly an A star student, he did very well at school.
“I got First Class pass in primary school, a Second Class pass in my Junior Certificate and in my Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education examination I got As in all subjects except for a B in Physical Science (PhysiChem)…and I never failed at all in tertiary,” Kebise states.
To start off his businesses, Kebise saved his university student stipend to see his entrepreneurial ideas become reality.
“While I was in my second year in tertiary, I had a business selling flat bread at around the Maseru industrial area, while I was also studying. I had money from Manpower (National Manpower Development Secretariat) like any other student, but I made a vow to myself that I was not going to spent it.
So, I survived with my business profits. I did this business until I graduated,” Kebise indicates.
After he graduated, Kebise had saved enough money to start a farm feeds business, which was located at Lekhaleng, Ha Tsolo, in Maseru the district, which prospered but later closed it down.
“I later had to close my business because it was not performing well and then started selling clothes. It was something like a clothing boutique, I bought clothes from Bloemfontein and Durban, in South Africa, and sold them online,” Kebise continues.
In the midst of all his challenges, Kebise decided to advance his knowledge in textiles and apparel and started working at the factories.
“I sought employment at one of the factories at Ha Thetsane because I needed to know more about the textile industry, I worked at Formosa for a period of nine months because I had learned what I wanted to learn,” Kebise says.
As soon as Kebise acquired the knowledge that he wanted from the factories, he then went to work at Metropolitan Lesotho – a time during which he started several businesses.
“I then worked at Metropolitan as a financial advisor and as marketing personnel and while I was still working, I started a cab business, I had five cabs that were working under my authority, two of them were mine, the other three had their owners but I managed them.
I also started students’ tutorial business for afterschool and weekend tutorial, it was managed by my wife since she is a teacher by profession,” Kebise says.
It was while in the cab business that Kebise says he was drawn into contact with the creative arts industry, he started interacting with local artists – which in turn helped open bigger door for him.
“I got contact with people from the creative industry at the time I was in the cab business; our cabs transport artists to and from the gigs, and the first artist I first started working with was Bobby Stringz.
Word spread and in no time I was known in the industry for my transportation business, and then I worked with Sannere,” Kebise jovially says.
He indicated that he liked the work ethics that Sannere and his team displayed during this interaction, and they ended up working together.
“I liked the work ethic Sannere and his team had; we bonded nicely with his team. They found out about how far I had struggled in life and how I had honed my skills.
They told me that they needed me to assist them. That’s how I started working for Mets’oaka Group,” Kebise states.
Kebise’s life success has been marked by both success stories and challenges. He spoke of how he lost his business and resigned from his job after he joined Mets’oaka Group.
“Mets’oaka Group cost me a lot, I lost my cab business and clothing business, and I stopped working at Metropolitan Lesotho because the pressure was just too much. I could not cope, and so, I had to surrender certain responsibilities. The only business that was left was that of students’ tutorial,” Kebise says.
He indicates that he took money from his own pocket to invest in the artists and to see to is that they prospered in what they did.
“At the time that I arrived at Mets’oaka Group, these artistes that I work with were not as yet big namaes, so I had to invest in them. I invested my own money to assist them to climb to great heights,” Kebise says.
While he daily rubs shoulders with these music industry superstars, he reveals that is not musically gifted at all.
He also showed that working with artists is not an easy job at all, indicating: “Managing artists is a lot of work; I have to manage their public relations aspect, have to deal with the fans, deal with the artist themselves, and deal with the legal part of the industry.”
Although Kebise has no previous experience in managing artists, his marketing skills came in handy and made his job easier, he says.
“I have not had any experience before I started managing the current artists but I did have a huge background experience as marketing personnel. The music industry is just like any other industry.
It is like selling a pen or book…the only difference now is that I am selling another brand, a human artist, but it is still marketing,” Kebise adds.
Giving his word of advice to upcoming artists and to the youth, Kebise said that although life can be tough at in beginning of every journey; but noted that this does not translate into the end of such a journey.
“The word of advice that I want to give upcoming artist is that it always gets tough before it becomes easier, the harder you work, the better you become at something and the easier the process becomes.
Do not allow other people to tell you cannot, you are the master of your own reality, and you can create anything everything you put your mind to,” Kebise says.
