#Newsmaker: Ziyanda Ngcaba to take the helm at Rapid Blue

Ziyanda Ngcaba, managing director at Rapid Blue

"I’m so honoured to have been given the opportunity to head up a company of the stature and track record that Rapid Blue has," says Ngcaba.

How and when did this come about?

Duncan and Kee-Leen Irvine challenged me to take a step initially when they asked me to be the managing director in late 2020. I was pleasantly surprised that they saw that level of potential in me to manage their successful business. It feels like a dream come true.

What does your new role entail?

I have been working with Duncan and my colleagues to drive new business since I started in May 2020. I will now take the reins and play a more prominent role in driving the business to new heights.

What excites you most about taking on this role?

Duncan and Kee-Leen have established a phenomenal team and track record, giving me a great springboard from which to drive even more fresh, proudly African content, which I am incredibly passionate about.

You stepped into the role of managing director in April 2021. What was this experience like?

It was nerve-wracking, I won’t lie. Stepping into Kee-Leen’s (previous managing director and cofounder) role was no easy challenge. But I’m lucky to have had the support of the team at Rapid Blue and my mentors who have been so graceful in showing me the way.

What are some of your biggest career highlights?

The first was standing at the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony after a year of planning with the live show producers and realising that we were broadcasting a live event to the world. That felt fantastic, and I believe I became addicted to the idea of changing the world one narrative at a time from then on.

I went on to explore broadcasting services and grew an interest in the business of television having programme managed, been instrumental in acquiring channels and managed local content for the market. Every time I realise that the hard work we put behind making TV shows, building platforms, creating a collective consciousness in the audiences we make it for, verified by success in ratings, confirms that I’m doing right by my purpose.

What do you love most about your career, the industry and what you do?

I love the feeling of being awarded the opportunity to tell stories. I love the development process when I can feel the synchronicity of the teams. I love seeing the first episode of any programme I work on. And I love the feeling I get when the feedback is positive from viewers, it means we’re making the investment work and that’s what matters at the end of the day, making content that is resonant with the audiences it was intended for.

What approach will you take in your role going forward?

I’m a leader by collaboration and service. Which is what I believe is required in this role. I hope that those I serve and am privileged to collaborate with can recognise that what I’m here to achieve is what we all want, delivery of great quality content to a mass of people that respond positively to our attempts to reflect the realities of their daily lives and their escapism to other worlds they can dream of being a part of.

What can we expect to see from Rapid Blue in 2022?

We are highly focused on expanding our scripted offering, as well as continuing to produce more seasons of the many hit series we have on our slate plus of course continuing the work that we’ve become internationally recognised for, in the areas of hubs & facilitation.