The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu
WITH a microphone in his hand, Arthur Evans is dynamite.
He is that rare breed of MC that seems to grab a joke out of thin air, finding a rib tickler in situations and circumstances that a more ordinary host would not be able to.
An event with Evans as the host sometimes feels like a comedic sermon, with hilarious jabs thrown at the crowd while he also never seems to run out of hilarious little tales.
However, sandwiched between all those jokes and funny anecdotes, the MC also manages to make sure that any crowd, tickled by his endless bag of jokes, never loses sight of the agenda of the day.
It is in this way that would otherwise be drab or boring corporate functions have been turned into lively events that maintain the delicate balance between fun and business.
When he wields a microphone, it is easy to forget that the wise cracking MC is a businessman in his own right, something that was reaffirmed when he scooped an award at last week’s Megafest Leadership Awards. Clearly, despite his love for jokes, Evans is more than a funnyman.
“I do joke a lot on the microphone and I do have fun in front of the camera but even you, someone like you in print media, understands that I’m not a comedian. People remember the jokes but there’s a lot of serious stuff in between. So actually people take me very seriously because of media and the products that I put out and the products that I handle,” he said in an interview.
As a TV and radio personality and MC, many would be mistaken to think that his charm and talent is all that Evans has going for him.
However, while some might see him more often on stage, the dynamic media personality’s life is lived mostly in the boardroom.
“How do I juggle it all? Basically it all comes down to priorities. During week days I don’t do MC events unless if they are in the evening. So the bulk of my MC events are in the night and during the week I prioritise the construction business as well as other business interests. I’m always looking for opportunities and it’s important that as a person you understand your work flow. I’ve developed my work flow and I’ve got great people around me to help me as well,” he said.
According to Evans, who is one of the directors of Technoexpert, a family construction business, his business attributes have been enhanced by the team he has working alongside him.
“I work with incredible people. The construction business is a family business that’s been operational for 29 years and we’ve got a great team around us. One important thing is that as young entrepreneurs we’ve got to believe that we live in a global village and we’ve got to integrate technology into business at whatever level. That’s how I juggle a lot of times. Even if I’m in Harare I’m just an email away or a WhatsApp away,” he said.
A life in showbiz has meant that many of his followers do not see him as a businessperson, but Evans insists that it is his work in front of the camera which helps push his business interests.
“Showbiz has definitely helped me in terms of business. The network that you have because of showbiz is actually unknown because there are millions of people that watch you on TV and thousands of people that see you on social media that are aware of you but you aren’t aware of them. So it has helped a lot in terms of business because you can go into someone’s office and you say I want to do business and they say oh yes I know you. It’s a form of introduction,” he said.
Although he might seem to have everything under control, the media personality cum businessman admits that his life can be gruelling and usually it is his family that has to bear the brunt of his hectic lifestyle.
“I won’t lie to you. During the week I don’t have much time with my family. It is one of the sad things about pushing dreams,” he said.
While United Refineries CEO, Busisa Moyo, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Raj Modi and TelOne Managing Director Chipo Mutasa are some of the businesspeople that have inspired him, Evans also adds that his age mates have also had a hand in moulding him to be the businessperson he now is.
“It’s not only about the big names but also the guys that are like you, young and progressing, these guys also inspire because you know that we’re pushing together,” he said.
