(CelebrityAccess) — The Orchard announced it has expanded its footprint in Africa with the hire of three new executives.
The new hires include Mpumi Phillips, who was named as Orchard’s Director of Distribution, and who will lead the company’s Johannesburg, South Africa office.
Mpumi Phillips comes to The Orchard with almost two decades of industry experience, starting as a label manager at Ghetto Ruff before spending 10 years at Sheer Publishing. I
“I am so excited to have this opportunity to work with South African artists and labels while expanding their global reach through the innovative network that The Orchard has to offer,” said Mpumi Phillips. “The company is renowned for always putting its clients first and my focus will be to build long term relationships and empower entrepreneurs in South Africa through all the work that we do.”
The new hires also include Ikechukwu Onuorah, who was named Director of The Orchard’s office in Lagos, Nigeria. Onuorah started his career in London where he gained experience in booking, artist and stage management, festival planning and more. He’s also held posts at Urban Soul Orchestra, Artiste Manager Association Nigeria and the Gidi Culture Festival.
“The Orchard’s key strength is its ability to support clients while pushing them to achieve maximum exposure through global reach, whilst at the same time being flexible in its approach and tailoring services to the unique circumstances of the continent,” said Ikechukwu Onuorah. “Most importantly, the company is strongly committed to contributing to the expansion of West Africa by supporting initiatives that empower and sustain economic growth.”
The Orchard also announced the hire of Beth Achitsa as Manager of Artist and Label Relations in Nairobi, Kenya. Achitsa previous gigs include years of festival experience including her position as the Production Lead for the East Africa Music Summit and work with the Lola Kenya Screen festival.
“The Orchard’s expansion into East Africa means we can be much more hands-on with our artists on the ground,” added Beth Achitsa. “For such a young market where the streaming business is on the rise, it gives me great pleasure to be a part of a global team, serving our labels and partners with local solutions while enabling them to build their businesses globally.”
Recent additions to The Orchard’s label in South Africa include artists BlaQ Diamond, Babes Wodumo and Vusi Nova, and labels Ambitiouz Entertainment and Ghetto Ruff. In West Africa, Lady Donli, Wavy the Creator, Zinoleevsky, Mohbad, Ghanaian Banku producer Juls, Naira Marley and Marlian Music have joined; and in East Africa, artists and labels that have joined The Orchard include Tetu Shani, Maurice Kirya, Bushali, Eric Wainaina, Green Ferry and Bongo Records.
