Melanie Ramjee Talks Building a PR Powerhouse Ahead of Riky Ricks Lab Live Series
If you need something done in the business of music and entertainment, you call up Mel. Whether you’d actually be able to reach her is a different story-as the hypress of the South African PR industry is probably away from her phone “getting sh*t done”.
Melanie Ramjee has been in the business for close to two decades-as the founder of Tutone Communications and worth her weight in gold when it comes to the names in her little black book, Melanie knows a thing or two about the kind of people and events that shape the culture as we know it.
She graciously offered up some of her time to chat to Breakroom about her journey this far, the challenges she’s faced as a woman in an extremely competitive industry and how she aims to pave the way for the next generation of women just like her.
We talk a few days before her appearance on Riky Ricks culture show-Lab Live. The series is in association with the Department of Arts and Culture, and aims to highlight some key players in South Africa’s music and entertainment industry. Hosted by rapper Riky Rick, the 4-part series features the founders of Kreative Kornerr, artist manager Bash Vision and Melanie herself.
“I feel like I get to tap into a secret superpower being a woman in this industry” Melanie shares. She highlights that the strides she has made is largely owed to other women who have helped her along the way. “I had an amazing mentor. I wouldn't be where I am today had it not been for the incredible women who held my hand through it all”.
Melanie lets me in on the fact that she entered the industry without a formal qualification in Public Relations and actually studied Fashion Design. “If I think about what has been the most challenging part of my career, it’s definitely having to figure things out as I go along” she explains. She goes on to emphasize that the world of PR is not as glamorous as people like to believe, particularly when setting up on your own: “It was really hard. I started Tutone Communications ten years ago with just one client. Getting that second client-whew. Let me just say, it took a lot out of me to stay in the game, and I’m so glad I did!”.
“I’m not delusional, I know that there is a whole new generation of hungry women who will be just as-if not more successful than me and I’d really like to help them get there.”
For all that Melanie has accomplished, she believes it to be equally rewarding to plough back into the next generation of women on a mission-and who have the drive to see it through. “I’m always open to mentoring young women and to show them the ropes in this competitive industry because lord knows I would be nowhere without the women who did the same for me almost 20 years ago”.
“I’m not delusional, I know that there is a whole new generation of hungry women who will be just as-if not more successful than me and I’d really like to help them get there”.
You can watch the rest of the Lab Live series on the Cotton Fest Instagram page here.
Maglera Doe Boy takes us to his hometown of Makazana to reflect on his past life, multicultural upbringing, and why community is such an important part of his enviable rise in the South African music industry.