Virgin Music Group has appointed Nick Ghelakis and Nicole Thomas as Co-Nation Managers of Virgin Music Group, South Africa.
The executives will lead the group’s enlargement within the area following the passing of Chris Ghelakis, described as one of the vital profitable unbiased music executives in South Africa and former Managing Director of VMG South Africa.
Ghelakis’ distribution firm, Electromode, was acquired by Ingrooves in 2021 and started rebranding as Virgin Music Group in late 2023.
Virgin Music Group South Africa is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.
South Africa is the biggest market within the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) area, which was the fastest-growing music area in 2023, in keeping with IFPI. (It was additionally the fastest-growing music area in 2022.)
Recorded music revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa grew by 24.7% in 2023 pushed by a 24.5% rise in paid streaming revenues.
South Africa contributed 77% of the areas revenues final yr after progress of 19.9%.
Like his father earlier than him, Nick Ghelakis started his profession as an artist, profitable a South African Music Award (SAMA) when he was 19.
After finding out Accounting on the College of South Africa, he started working as a studio engineer and likewise hung out in London working for skilled companies agency PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
In 2010 he started a prolonged tenure as a digital marketer at his father’s comapny Electromode in Johannesburg.
Nicole Thomas most not too long ago served as Common Supervisor of Electromode, a place she has held since 2017, transitioning to Ingrooves Africa in 2021 after which Virgin Music Group final yr.
Previous to Electromode, Thomas labored in studio administration at Johannesburg’s SCR Studios, overseeing consumer relations, advertising and marketing and promotions, enterprise growth and operations.
In an earlier stint at Electromode, Thomas served as government assistant to Electromode founder Chris Ghelakis. She started her profession in finance for Primedia Music in 2001.
“I’m so proud to be persevering with my father’s legacy right here in South Africa.”
Chris Ghelakis
“I’m so proud to be persevering with my father’s legacy right here in South Africa,” mentioned Ghelakis.
“Working with Nicole and the unimaginable international workforce at Virgin Music Group will empower us to nurture and assist so many African artists attain their goals on the worldwide stage.”
“I’m wanting ahead to working with JT, Nat Pastor, Michael Roe and the remainder of the Virgin Music Group workforce to create the easiest alternatives each for our native artist group in addition to the superb repertoire we work with world wide.”
Nicole Thomas
Nicole Thomas added: “Working alongside Nick Ghelakis to hold on the legacy of his father Chris Ghelakis and his nice firm Electromode, which is now additional empowered by Virgin Music Group, one of the vital revered music enterprise manufacturers on this planet, is mostly a dream come true.
“I’m wanting ahead to working with JT, Nat Pastor, Michael Roe and the remainder of the Virgin Music Group workforce to create the easiest alternatives each for our native artist group in addition to the superb repertoire we work with world wide.”
“Nick and Nicole have deep ties to the artistic group together with the ambition and imaginative and prescient to create alternatives for native artists world wide.”
Michael Roe, Virgin Music Group
Michael Roe, Managing Director of Virgin Music Group Africa, Center East, and Asia (AMEA), mentioned: “South Africa is no doubt one of the vital thrilling music markets on this planet.
“Nick and Nicole have deep ties to the artistic group together with the ambition and imaginative and prescient to create alternatives for native artists world wide. Our South African enterprise is in good arms below their management.”
“Their management ensures continuity as we proceed to develop this vastly essential music market each inside the nation and world wide.”
JT Myers, Virgin Music Group
JT Myers, Co-CEO of Virgin Music Group, mentioned: “Nicole and Nick each carry with them a long time of expertise within the South African music market, characterised by a fierce devotion to native artists and an actual imaginative and prescient to unfold the nation’s unimaginable music far past its personal borders.
“Their management ensures continuity as we proceed to develop this vastly essential music market each inside the nation and world wide.”
Virgin Music Group says that its division in South Africa has had ‘”unimaginable success” over the previous 12 months. The corporate collaborated with companions Dlala Information, releasing the hit tune final yr, iPlan by Dlala Thukzin that includes Sykes & Zaba, which reached No.1 on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube in South Africa for ten consecutive weeks driving greater than 50 Million streams globally.
One other profitable launch highlighted by Virgin Music Group within the territory was Mina Nawa by Soa Mattrix that includes Completely satisfied Jazzman & Emotionz DJ, remixed by French DJ Francie Mercier for the European market. It was additionally remixed by UK DJs Black Home.
Elsewhere, Chef 187 achieved over 100 million performs on Boomplay.
Music Enterprise Worldwide
