M/A Exclusive: Thembalethu Hadebe on the Bold Launch of Juggernaut Entertainment

In this exclusive feature, we sit down with Thembalethu Hadebe, the visionary behind Juggernaut Entertainment, as he opens up about launching his company, the challenges of building a new brand in South Africa’s entertainment industry, and his mission to empower artists and creatives to turn passion into sustainable success. From the first spark of the idea to the company’s public debut, Hadebe shares the lessons, ambitions, and bold strategies shaping Juggernaut’s journey.

Q&A

Q: Juggernaut Entertainment has officially just launched. What did this moment represent for you

personally?

A: Personally, it was a very special moment for me. I had started projects and even businesses

before but this is the first time I am doing it on my own, where the brunt of all the decision making

lies in my hands. That is a responsibility I don’t take lightly because of how passionate I am about

music, entertainment and most importantly all of Juggernaut’s clients which are integral to all

operations and what we are trying to build.

Q: Why was now the right time to introduce Juggernaut to the world?

A: I had been working in the entertainment and music industry for about two and a half years after

my first professional experience with my start up Arion Power that was in the tech and

sustainable energy space. Through my learnings in that period of time, I had amassed a lot of

learnings with regards to; working with brands in multiple capacities, putting together events at

multiple different scales, putting together and being part of digital campaigns. Through these

learnings and lessons I was able to assist my closest friends and family with these expertise. I am

extremely fortunate that in my immediate network I am surrounded by talented, hard working and

inspirational individuals that are chasing their dreams. It only felt right to use my skillset to assist

them on their journeys to greatness. This was the perfect time because I am a true believer that

taking action leads only to positive results and learnings. So why delay that?

Q: What problem in the entertainment industry were you most determined to address with this launch?

A: I believe that pursuing a career in your passion and in the arts is the most pure form of

entrepreneurship because you’re betting on yourself and the product or service solely depends

on you. In that light, I was coming across a lot of creatives in South Africa and beyond that have

immense talent but not necessarily the tools to turn those talents into sustainable revenue

streams to fund their lives, passions and dreams. This would lead to the creative getting a 9-5 job

to fund the work that happens after hours. In a lot of these cases the dream can die because like a

fire, dreams have to be stoked. And stoking those dreams when you’re exhausted from a job that

you may not have a long term interest in, besides short term financial gain is draining. We now

live in a digital age where the world is at your fingertips and you’re able to reach an audience for

your craft at a touch of a button. Through the knowledge and practice of understanding that there

are multiple ways to earn a living from your art, will I believe lead to financial freedom and

happiness while pursuing your passions. For example, a musician may have the belief that the

only way that they will be successful is if one of the songs they make, will go viral and change

their lives forever. As that is true, it is also extremely rare when compared to the amount of artists

that don’t find success using that model. However, that same song can be performed at a live

show where revenue can be earned, pitched for sync deals in media (TV, Movies, Series) where

revenue can be earned (to name a couple of ways) all while also adding to the potential of a song

and artist being successful and earning revenue on the journey.

Q: Juggernaut’s vision centers on empowering a new era of entertainment where creativity and bravery are championed. How does this vision translate into real-world action from day one?

A: An artist through the assistance of management needs to function as a business to be

sustainable. A business that needs to create a product or service that can generate multiple

revenue streams to sustain the artist and contribute to growth that will lead to sustainable

scalability. On day one, we communicate with all of our acts where their brand is now and where

they want it to be in the short, medium term and long term. Actionable steps that do not impede

on the artistic integrity of the artist are actioned by Juggernaut Entertainment to make the shared

goals a reality.

Q: How do you hope artists and brands will feel when they first encounter Juggernaut?

A: We want artists and brands alike to feel as though Juggernaut is a brand they can trust. Through

our work, our incredible roster and how we constantly and clearly communicate and exceed

expectations.

Q: What makes Juggernaut different from existing entertainment companies at launch?

A: Everyone on our roster is family and family looks out for each other. A win for one of us is a win

for all.

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while preparing for this launch?

A: The biggest challenge was my personal anxiety from showing people the work that had already

begun. Starting something is not easy but it’s the first step on the path towards making your

dreams a reality.

Q: How did you stay focused and confident while building Juggernaut before it went public?

A: I gained a lot of my confidence from Juggernaut’s roster. It is easy to believe in talent when you

know they are working everyday towards the goals and dreams you both agreed you want to

achieve together.

Q: What lessons did you learn during the build-up that will shape how you grow the company?

A: It is integral to plan before starting something so that you have direction when unexpected things

occur, positive or negative. Having a clear plan will alert you towards if opportunities are in line

with your vision and mission or detract.

Q: At launch, who is Juggernaut really for - and how do you plan to serve artists and brands differently?

A: Juggernaut is for the incredible artists involved. Brands serve as a conduit to the talent's

continued success. Through clear communication, exceeding expectations and date led

campaigns and solutions the brands will be served.

Q: Financial freedom is a core part of Juggernaut’s mission. How do you begin laying that foundation for creatives from the very start?

A: We lay the foundation through transparency. All juggernaut clients are made aware of all financial

decisions regarding their careers because as much as we are championing the pursuit of

individuals dreams through their passions, money will be the foundation of sustainability.

Through having all the information of where we’re coming from, where we currently are and where

we are trying to get to, together.

Q: How will Juggernaut help artists and brands move from exposure to sustainability?

A: We will build projects and campaigns that directly fit with the brand of the act we have because

through every partnership that we obtain it needs to be authentic to our audiences and

consumers as they will alert us very quickly through not meeting our KPIs that there was a

misalignment in the partnerships with specific brands.

Q: Juggernaut emphasizes building communities, not just companies. How are you setting the tone for that culture at launch?

A: We are setting the tone by communicating with everyone that interacts in any capacity with the

brand. Exploring all potential synergies and in turn communicating if there is not synergy at the

moment.

Q: Why is community so critical in today’s entertainment ecosystem?

A: You can’t do anything impactful without a community. A tribe of individuals that has a shared goal

and vision is very powerful.

Q: What role do audiences play in the Juggernaut vision from day one?

A: Without an audience, there is no one to listen to the music, no one to watch the films and TV shows, no one to engage digitally. Therefore, constantly taking in their valuable information and insights and applying it to our planning going forward will be imperative.

Q: What does success look like in the first year of Juggernaut’s journey?

A: Success looks like us executing the releases, live shows, brand campaigns set out for all of the

acts and building on that foundation in 2027.

Q: Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives that signal where Juggernaut is headed?

A: On the 23rd of January, Juggernaut’s first production is a sold out show at Artistry in Johannesburg called “Vumaala Presents: Moya” which will be translated the artist Vumaala’s online success into a live setting. Our first announced signing Katlego Lebogang will also be starring in Netflix’s “YOH! Bestie” that kicks off a slate where you will be seeing her on all the screens. Additionally, all of our acts have music, live shows and digital campaigns on the horizon.

Q: How do you plan to grow without compromising the vision that inspired the launch?

A: As much as I sit as the managing director and have the responsibility to steer this ship forward, our stakeholders have also been integral to crafting the vision therefore their input will always be used as we build this community together.

Q: If someone hears about Juggernaut for the first time today, what is the one thing you want them to

understand?

A; That they will be hearing about Juggernaut forevermore.

Q: Finally, what excites you most as Juggernaut begins this new chapter?

A: The most exciting thing is the opportunities that arise from starting something and building it consistently. Much like this article; that I am extremely grateful for, it wasn’t on the vision board for Juggernaut’s launch plan but having the bravery to start opens up opportunities that you can continue to build on.