Fuelled by ­creativity

Evany van Wyk



“Every challenge is put on your path to groom you and build you and if I had the opportunity to change something that happened in my life, I don't think I'd be where I am today.”

Those are the words of the wise, committed and creative mind that is Zavia Johr. Not only is she content with her present and excited about the future, but she is grateful for every downfall and even more appreciative of every person that has walked into and out of her life.

This brilliant mind is the marketing officer at Southern Business School in Windhoek. Johr believes in astrology and says her humbleness throughout her childhood and even as an adult is all thanks to her being born under the Pisces star sign.

“I believe that every human has a background filled with trials and triumphs. It's up to us as the receiver of energies to either make it or break it,” Johr says.

As a child, Johr wanted to become Namibia's first entertainment lawyer.

“With parents as media and marketing professionals I grew up with an aspiration to become an entertainment lawyer. It slowly turned into marketing for talent in Namibia,” she explains,

When she finished school, Johr decided to further her studies at the University of Namibia, where she studied record management. This did not last, though, as her interest in the field faded and she dropped out during her first year. Distance learning in communication studies at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) was her next step while she was working at Air Namibia.

“With little financial help, I was forced to drop out during my second year.”

Little did she know that all these trials were preparing her for something she never could have imagined: doing marketing for a well-known private distance-learning institution. Moving from a love for entertainment to education was not at all difficult according to her.

“I adapted easily and my love for education grew immensely. Being a voice to the youth and uplifting them to make themselves great is what this institution believes in,” she told Careers.

With Johr's experience in events SBS found it crucial to incorporate events for the marketing department. “Right now, Southern Business School's main marketing strategy is word of mouth,” explains Johr.

They create events where existing students and future students can talk to each other. Going out and visiting schools and companies to further spread the word of distance learning are their current focus points.

“As our motto says, we are creating leaders as we go,” Johr says. The most satisfying part of her job is the fact that she absolutely loves what she does. Her plans for SBS is making it just as talked about as other institutions.

“I find it will be imperative to have Namibians talk about SBS and Stadio Multiversity because of our aspirations to build Southern Africa's largest private higher institution that will cater to every Namibian and African,” she says.

Johr's strong points include being ambitious and intuitive.

“I strive for the best and my eagerness to learn new things can be a little much sometimes,” she says. Struggling to overcome impatience is one of the challenges she has to deal with. She says she is learning that patience makes things a lot easier.