Saturday, February 8, 2025

Sadi Dikgaka – Entertainer, social media influencer and now an Entrepreneur

If you are a social media consumer you may have seen her face on local Jameson Irish Whisky ads, and other brands. Or you might have seen her on television. For music lovers, she may have been your host at a music festival.

Her name is Boipelo Sadi Dikgaka or simply Sadi. She is a media entrepreneur, Television host, a social media influencer, beauty and fashion influencer, Model, Brand Ambassador and an Event host. She runs BSD media which is a multi-faceted medium that includes TV presenting, music, acting, singing and fashion.

Sadi has been in the entertainment industry since 2013. Sunday Standard recently caught up with the media entrepreneur to find out how she has been able to commercialize her brand.

She says her TV platform, the Botswana Television’s Urban Youth Music Show Flava Dome has been a great boost and has in turn grown her other business avenues.

Sadi has a degree in BComm Marketing from the University of Botswana, which she believes has helped her understand the marketing side of her brand. Knowing how to place brands that she collaborates with, and how to achieve the brand objectives of her clients.

To address perceptions that TV and social media in Botswana do not pay well enough, Sadi says it is her primary source of income and it can be profitable provided you use the avenues and opportunities as they come.

She is currently expanding her brand to other countries in order to grow her business. She says tapping into other countries is quite enlightening because the markets are diverse and different from what she experiences at home.

“You have to learn the demographics, the language and so many other things. We need not always channel our energies into one stream. And I feel like I can share more when I branch into other countries as well,” she notes.

She is inspired by a lot of Batswana doing well in other countries but she is not looking to abandon home ground which she believes is an advantage to her.

The media entrepreneur is not shaken by venturing into an already congested market like South Africa which has its own celebrities dominating the market. She says her value proposition is her brand. The fact that she is Sadi from Botswana is her selling point.

“People always tend to think that you should adapt to a certain way of doing things. So right now I’m selling me, the best of me.” She adds.

The most recent client that she has worked with in South Africa is Radisson RED, RDC Properties which also has branches in Botswana.

Over the years, Sadi has also been able to retain her customers. She has built her business on retaining long lasting relationships with all her clients.

She believes this has also been made possible by her rate card which she terms as “soft”. Her pricing strategy is influenced by what the market charges and then she adopts all her sundry costs (make-up, wardrobe, etc) and management, and gauges how she can maximize profits from there.

Endorsement deals are also a big thing for this media entrepreneur. She has a few clients that she has been endorsing over the years.

She says despite the competition in this cut throat industry she has been able to stay above by being authentic.

“Your unique brand is what sells and it’s what will set you apart. Authenticity should be your selling point.” She notes.

The highlight of her entertainment career is putting a smile on people’s faces. She loves people and enjoys entertaining them.

As an event host Covid-19 has greatly affected her business, but she has had a few bookings for virtual events. She says it’s been very difficult but she believes that in the same breadth businesses have to adapt and move to a more digitalized space.

Growth is inevitable in any business and this media mogul in the making says 2022 is going to be a big year for her as she will be branching into more avenues. She is going to be exploring new segments and talents that she hasn’t yet shared with anyone.

She has a philanthropic project that she is working on. There is a school that she recently adopted. Vermulen Primary School, it’s in a rural village called Kweneng after Lentsweletau and Medie in the Kweneng District.

They want to make sure that the schools’ pass rate heightens and that the students are well taken care of. The school currently has a 25% pass rate and they are working on improving that. Together with her management team they will be coming up with resources; the books, photocopy machines, computers and also try to assist with their electricity problem.

She is calling on Corporates to come on board and partner with her to support the school and to also improve people’s livelihoods.

She works with a management team that she credits for part of her success. After years of working alone she decided to engage other professionals to expand her business and brand portfolio.

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