#ISeeYou: how to make a success of your life as Spoek Mathambo did

Spoek Mathambo is on a roll.

As an all-round man of local music – singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and DJ – he is at the forefront of a new wave of South African artists who are described as “hitting the world hard”.

The work of this Soweto-born 32-year-old is an edgy mix of hip-hop and electro that he calls “township tech”. It has gained him recognition at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the UK’s MOBO Awards.

Mathambo is a shining example of amplified African success, and that is why he is the voice of #ISeeYou – the latest powerful campaign from Metropolitan. 

Every day, South Africans hear so much about their shortcomings and live with a constant whirlpool of negativity. Metropolitan believes it is time to change all that: we have to alter the current mindset and influence the conversation. It is time to celebrate our vibrancy, proudly embrace our individuality and create a movement towards a positive vision of our country. 

Metropolitan wants to acknowledge, amplify and celebrate the everyday financial success achieved by so many people right across the country – each in his or her own way, in so many forms and on so many levels.

This resonates with Mathambo. As part of the #ISeeYou campaign, he recognises South Africans from all walks of life, each working, hustling and striving daily to do better. Metropolitan calls that enduring sense of possibility “financial wellness”.

The people in the campaign are real, and not necessarily actors going about their moments in their own worlds:

• Renowned Soweto-based fashion designer Floyd Manotoana, of Floyd Avenue, who is a member of The Smarteez fashion collective and is making waves in the menswear fashion industry through genderless apparel.
• Johannesburg/Pretoria-based R1, who is one of the most active street artists in South Africa and is becoming well known for recycling found material into his installations.
• Gontse and the Puzzle, a young, energetic and vibrant emerging four-piece jazz band from Ekurhuleni just starting their journey to prominence.
• Bernadette Secheel, a shop owner who is preparing her daughter to take over the business.
• Miles Maja, a driven young security guard from Johannesburg who is working to complete his degree in business management.
• Edward Molefe, who takes care of a family of six with his earnings as a taxi driver.

The groundbreaking #ISeeYou television commercial was shot by Egg Films’ Sunu Gonera, who is a resounding African success story in his own right, having just won Gold, two Silvers and Bronze at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for directing the music videos and brand films for Absolut Vodka’s One Source campaign.

Metropolitan head of brand and marketing Llewellyn Allen is proud of the fact that the #ISeeYou campaign reawakens the essence of what Metropolitan is.

“We unashamedly believe in the people, clients and country in which we operate,” he says. “It’s time we give people a positive sentiment that celebrates all that modern African success can mean. We want to recognise people, everyday people, on their personal journey to success and say, ‘Hey, we see you and together we can do this!’”

This article was paid for by Metropolitan.