Seth Rotherham

Izimvo is excited to introduce South African blogging phenom, Seth Rotherham.

Seth has masterfully turned his blog into a destination site attracting over 50 000 unique readers a month. His daily antics, which ensure a smile for even the most ardent reader, have turned the 2oceansvibe brand into one of the hottest commodities around. As a result, leading South African brands such as Audi, Puma and Ray-Ban are willing to pay tens of thousands just to have their brands mentioned on his site.

When speaking to Seth, you get the sense that he is about to take over the world. The continued success of the blog along with new projects such as the soon-to-be-released 2coeansvibe Jobs and DVD will cement the 2oceansvibe brand as a household name and make it as South African as Mrs Balls Chutney and Ouma Rusks.

Website: http://www.2oceansvibe.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/2oceansvibe

Seth was kind enough to answer the following questions for us:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: Seth Rotherham, editor and owner of 2oceansvibe Media.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I smoked a joint before answering these questions.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Playing vinyl records in The Safe house with the Atlantic Ocean in front of me, sipping on a cold bottle of Jack Black beer.

Blogging in South Africa

Q: Which local blogs do you read on a daily basis?

A: MyBrandedLifeTM – http://mybrandedlife.wordpress.com

Q: Having dominated the SA Blog awards since it started in 2005, are there any awards that you would still like to win?

A:Would the Nobel prize be pushing it?

Q: What are your future plans with the 2oceansvibe brand? Anything mainstream in the works, perhaps your own talk-show?

A:2oceansvibe Media will be launching 2oceansvibe Jobs quite soon which will be a job hunting place for all NON 9 to 5 jobs. ie. freelance, part-time and temp work. From Chartered Accountants to people in the film industry to waiters and Personal assistants. Because 9 to 5 is not our vibe. Also got a DVD coming out in time for Christmas which will have the best videos of 2oceansvibe. Including all the 2oceansvibe episodes and Weathergirls, as well as the Pauly Shore series I shot in Hollywood, as well as bonus vids.. Regarding a talk show…. sure, bring it on!

Q: When approaching a potential sponsor for 2oceansvibe, what are the key selling points that you use to drive home the deal?

A: Most of the 2oceansvibe sponsors have come to me, rather than the other way around. They need to suit the vibe and very often I have had to reject the proposal as the choice in brands wouldn’t be true to my readers. I am at pains to maintain integrity and only work with brands that I truly believe in. If they come to me and ask me what the bonuses are of being affiliated with 2oceansvibe, I’d say they get exposed to 50,000+ unique readers a month, as well as being endorsed by 2oceansvibe and Seth Rotherham which, over the last 8 years, has developed a very trusted, clean brand. And lastly, the exposure on the site may even get you a Google number 1!

Q: What advice would you give to South African bloggers wanting to turn their passion into a career?

A: Find your niche, find your USP, write every day, link to each other and kick off with some affiliate systems. You can talk about any book on any topic in the world and Amazon will pay you a commission on any sales generated from your article. That’s a good start!

Q: There is a fine line between promotion and spam, how did you promote your blog in the early days?

A: There was a massive cult-like groundswell and word of mouth was the order of the day. People felt proud to be a part of something fun and “underground.” There was no promotion other than hopefully getting the reader to laugh out loud and tell their friend about it.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: I’ve had close friends who have been held at gun point and close friend’s who have lost family during botched robberies. It has not affected my perception of the country and how beautiful it is and what a special place it is to live. Bad things happen all over the world. People have been running from SA since 1994. Look whats happened since then – we’re hosting a world cup and they’re all coming back. Did you see what George W Bush did to America? Surely THAT’S something to worry about? Or Gordon Brown? Burlesconi? We’ve got it good – just look around – smell the roses – be cautious.

Q: Have you ever considered emigration? If yes, where do you think you would emigrate to?

A: No. I spend part of the year overseas including our family bastide in the Provence and often a trip to the States , but have never considered a permanent move. If I HAD to, probably the bastide in Menerbes. Or New York – I could live half the year in New York. And LA, I suppose – LA is hilarious. I like hilarious.

Q: If you were South African president for just one day, what would you change?

A: I would ensure cyclists that go through red traffic lights and set a bad example to our kids (who will do the same and die), are prosecuted on site.

Q: To which three attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: Caprice in Camps Bay on a Sunday night, a full-moon Lions View Mountain hike (stroll), breakfast at Miss K in Green Point, followed by a day at my secret Camps Bay beach.

Life in Cape Town

Q: Cape Town’s trendiest nightspot?

A: Cafe Caprice, Camps Bay. HQ Restaurant, Heritage Square. Cape Royale Hotel Sky Bar.

Q: Which areas in or around Cape Town would you suggest to an international visitors looking to get the most from their Soccer World Cup trip?

A: Probably Franschhoek. Maybe a weekend at La Residence with a lunch at Boschendal. Also Stanford, just outside Hermanus. Have lunch at Mariana’s restaurant in Stanford. Probably the best cooking in South Africa. Husband and wife team. It’ll blow your mind. Only open once or twice a week. Book MILES in advance.

Q: Where is the perfect cocktail venue? What would you order?

A: Poolside at the villa in Provence. It would either be the new 2oceansvibe cocktail recipe from Caprice, or a glass of De Grendel Rose!

General

Q: What are you going to buy yourself as a 40th birthday present?

A: A yacht. Maybe.

Q: Favorite South African sporting moment of the last 10 years?

A: the most recent rugby World Cup. But probably the most recent Tri Nations victory – because it secured our side the record of having the most trophies at one time of any rugby team in history. Also because the captain is 2oceansvibe Character, The Barn Dog!

Q: One book that you would make required reading for all matric pupils?

A: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Q: Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?

A: Right here.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo?

A: Supermodels.

A huge thank you to Seth for taking the time to answer our questions. As Seth would say, work is a sideline – live the holiday!