African Sun Media is rooted in Africa, where it has grown into an integrated media group with three subdivisions: Create, Print and Publish. Managing Director, Nirode Bramdaw, has led the company through the pandemic and more recently load shedding challenges and believes it is the collective effort and expertise of the team that has seen the company pivot through difficult times and overcome it with huge success.
Founded in 2003 as a Stellenbosch University spinout company, with a production plant on the campus, it was initially a scholarly press and print plant. In 2019, African Sun Media underwent a change in structure resulting in the elevation of its B-BBEE rating to a Level 2 Contributor. In 2020, Create was added to the company’s profile to service the growing demand for graphic design and digital marketing.
Building the legacy
With Bramdaw’s arrival in 2017, the business continued to establish itself as a leader in the scholarly world. “At the time, my children had just finished studying in Cape Town and wanted to remain in the Western Cape. Being a typical parent, I decided to follow them from Durban,” recalls Bramdaw. “I then actively pursued furthering my business interests in the Cape. At first, I had my eye on another business, but then Anita Nel, the Chief Director of Innovus, saw my CV and suggested that I get involved in this publishing company instead. And what a great suggestion that was!” Bramdaw spent the next few years building the business to new heights, and since then, has gone on to launch multiple academic journals and published more than 400 titles from various authors across a range of topics, including theology, military science, and race and identity, among others.
What’s more, the company expanded its footprint to two additional historically disadvantaged institutions, namely the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and Nelson Mandela University in the Eastern Cape. These moves earned the printing and publishing house noteworthy clients, such as Iziko Museums, the Medical Research Council, the Agricultural Research Council, and University of Cape Town (UCT) Press, amongst a host of others.
Bramdaw also serves on the Editorial Boards of SunPress, Mandela University Press and UWC Press as well as the Management Committee of UCT Press.
What makes the team work
The company employs 35 talented individuals in all spheres of operation. “They function as specialists in our respective fields, whilst forming part of an interconnected dynamic team, working as one family,” says Bramdaw. “We are a forward-thinking company; consistently committed to creating and delivering results that are of the highest standards every time. When I reflect on these past years, I think it was the strong relationships that we have forged that helped us adapt so quickly and successfully. I’m blessed to have the backing of a strong and multi-talented team. This strengthens you as a business leader and supports your ability to pursue new opportunities. Over time, I have found that the Winelands is endowed with a diverse range of differently and specifically talented people, which is a huge feather in the region’s cap,” concludes Bramdaw.
Company values keep us aligned
Bramdaw recalls one of the company’s first workshops after he joined the team. “We collectively discovered our company values. Whenever I am in doubt about a decision, I refer back to that and see that we abide by it. As the business leader, I also champion these values with my team daily,” says Bramdaw.
“I am most proud of my team – every one of them adds value to making ASM a success. And I am constantly and actively building relationships – and that is what sets me and my ASM family apart from everyone else, whom, I may add, I never view as competitors,” continues Bramdaw.
Giving back to the community
As part of giving back, ASM established the African Sun Foundation, a vehicle with which the company engages with local disadvantaged communities in its philanthropic efforts, making social responsibility a key focus area.
Stepping into the future
“Innovus has been a very important part of our journey. Director Anita Nel is a firm ambassador and connector in our business environment and has consistently helped connect ASM with people she knows would mutually benefit from our engagement,” says Bramdaw.
Reach out here:
Website: https://africansunmedia.co.za/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/africansunmedia
Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/africansunmedia