If you have watched The Morning Show on eTV, and you are familiar with The Forbes 30 Under 30 then you will be happy to know that we have the man behind the magic. Yusuf Stevens is not only a media mogul, he is an entrepreneur and the CEO and Founder of Cheeky Media and Pictures.
We sat down with Stevens who told us all about his journey into media, his family and the projects he currently has in the pipeline.
Q: Who is Yusuf Stevens? (Give us a bit of background for those who do not know who you are)
A: The funny thing about this question, a lot of people answering this question tell you what they do for a living. But I’m Yusuf, I am a son, and a brother, a very proud father of 3 boys, I’m a husband. I’m also a lover of life, adventure and business.
Q: As a Stellenbosch University alumni and holder of a Bachelor of commerce in Finance & Economics degree, how was the journey and environment at Stellenbosch? (Tell us about your tertiary educational background)
A: I registered for a BCom because I always had a knack for business, it kind of made sense. Before choosing that path, I initially wanted to be a pilot, commercial pilot. After which, I also considered engineering. But a conversation with my brother in law, who’s an engineer, changed my mind.
I was always hustling as a kid, selling things to find ways to make extra money. Stellenbosch came after I took a gap year after high school, in which I worked in my mom’s textile business to assist her in growing it.
I get my business brain from my mom, who was taken out of school in standard 1 & put in the field of business from a very young age. She was very strict with my siblings and I when it came to education.
In first year, I was a bit of a nerd, it was strictly books as I was on a bursary. This bursary allowed me to get books, a place to stay and I remain grateful for that. Second year, I excelled in economics, I studied a lot with my friends and I was seen as the economics guy. There was a test I scored 98% in and everyone could not believe it.
Stellenbosch was very interesting, it was my first year with a lot of freedom but it required a lot of discipline, I made sure not to miss my classes. Due to circumstances, I finished my degree at UNISA.
Q: From the degree you currently have, what inspired you to move to the media space?
A: I think it was sheer fluke to be brutally honest. I went for an interview at a production company in Cape Town to make extra money after graduating. I was initially meant to work in the accounting department but the receptionist quit on my first day and I was asked to fill in for them for a week or two.
Although it wasn’t what I signed up for, I ended up doing many tasks for the Media executive and Executive Producer, who came to me after a month or two, offering me an opportunity as a project manager in production.
She told me if it doesn’t work out I can go to the accounts department, but she believed I would be good at it. That’s how I got exposed to the world of media and the Managing Director told me, “The people in accounts want to save money, and the people in production want to spend money, so with your understanding of accounting, maybe you can bridge the gap between the two”. And that’s how things kicked off for me in the media space.
With all the celebrities I’ve met in this space, I was called “The Receptionist” as a joke, but ultimately I believe a lot of the youth sometimes see past opportunity, when they are put in a position outside their comfort zones, they weirdly don’t see it as an opportunity. I’m someone who believes in taking on new tasks, as you may learn something about yourself that you did not know you could do.
Q: It’s no secret that you have dominated in the media space establishing yourself as a major role player in the industry, with that being said, please share with us which awards you have picked up along the way, and which one stood out for you?
A: It’s a difficult answer for me, because there is no right or wrong award in my view. The recent ones, last year I was awarded media mogul of the year, SA hero at The SA Heroes Awards, a few SAFTAS, as well as the media personality of the year, which were all a good experience, but I do not do it for the awards.
I appreciate being recognised of course, but I can’t tell you which award stood out for me as they all give me a pat on the back. But I think in the society we live in, sometimes we work with tunnel vision and forget to look at how far we’ve come & achieved. I think the most important thing these awards do is point me towards a direction of gratitude, and that for me is the most important thing, not the awards themselves.
Q: What are some of the things Cheeky Media is working on for the year 2024?
A: We did a lot of groundwork in 2023, for the launch of Cheeky Studios, which we will be announcing soon, which will serve as the scripted division of Cheeky Media. It is set to be a gamechanger for us, we have already made our first film, an action comedy, with big names featuring in the movie coming soon.
We intend on setting the benchmark for what South African film makers can do. We have an additional 3 more feature films on the way this year, which we are working on the scripts for. We have a lot of our old shows coming back bigger & better, such as The Mancave, and a new reality show called The Dungeon.
We also have a show on the way that we are currently filming in Russia, with Russia TV. We’ve got a show coming really soon with former Pirates goalkeeper, Brighton Mhlongo, which is a show about an academy that feeds African players to the English Premier League.
We are also working on documentaries, we are currently working on one regarding the 67 blankets initiative with the support of Karen Steyn, a very good friend of mine, who’s always been very supportive.
An idea is just an idea until it is actioned and the key is in execution.
Q: What does being a father mean to you?
A: I grew up without a father, my father died when I was 3 years old from lung cancer, so I grew up with 2 older sisters and my mom. My mom remarried and now I have a younger brother and, to me, having a strong male figure to guide you in your life is so fundamentally important.
What I try to do with my boys is ground them with principles, which my wife has played a pivotal role in ensuring this comes true. I am generally the parent my kids run to when they want certain things because I find it hard to say no to my boys, but my wife is head strong and if something just outright doesn’t make sense, she’ll flat out tell them “No”. She has taught them to be respectful, well-mannered and to learn you work for your wins in this life.
Family activities play a big role in our family, I try to make sure we go camping at least once a month. Which keeps them in tune with nature, and they are also into quad-biking, so it just works out.
I am very blessed to have my sons, I appreciate all the time I get to raise them with my wife. I believe in teaching them there is no short cut in achieving what you want to achieve. I believe my job is to give them the necessary tools to pave the way for their journey, and not dictate their journey.
I love my kids to death, and I will never stop protecting them.
My wife is there to make sure they are the best possible human beings, if you focus on being a good human being, then half the battle is won. Our job is to leave the world in a better place than we found it, and my job as a father, is to help my wife by giving my sons the tools they need to live as their own human beings.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, students or anyone trying to pave their way to a success story?
A: This is where I keep it simple, the younger generation spends too much of their time trying to live up to social media expectations, finding TikTok fame or even Instagram fame. Then there’s the older generation who believed in the lawyer, doctor or accountant route to success.
But I believe in finding a way to upskill yourself and excelling in that specific skill. An example is a plumber. There’s nothing wrong with being a plumber, as long as you have the skill, you can make it. Build a plumbing empire fitting to your success story.
The world has never been more connected and filled with opportunity. Success is relative, my definition of success might not be your definition of success. There is no right or wrong answer, just find your passion, develop it and find your definition of success. If you stop caring about what people think, you can become the best version of whatever field you are operating in. The only person stopping you is you.