Podcast host and influencer, Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa popular known as Jaxx Amahle is one of the most exciting creators to watch in 2025. Having launched her podcast, which just completed its first season; after social media success, Jaxx is on her way to becoming a top voice in the creator industry.
We had a chat with Jaxx at the recent JSE SheInvests Conference to talk about money, overcoming fear and how her future self will thank her for her resent financial habits.
On how creators and influencers undervalue their earning potential, Jaxx pinned it to lack of understanding their businesses. “I think it’s understanding how to charge their business but also they undervalue relationships and how maintaining those relationships leads to longevity in the industry. Also financial advice, when I was starting out, the understanding of cash flow, 30 days to get your payment done, credit, how your banking works, loans…these kind of things we undervalue.
We asked her if she thought creatives had the same access to the financial markets as traditional jobs. In response she said, “No. For traditional job roles I think it’s easier to have that access but you also have more of these institutions realising that there is a creative economy so there are kind of changes happening to work in the creative and freelance fields and the system.
Jaxx, who was in attendance with Old Mutual, shared her one investment regret and what she wishes she had started doing earlier. “It’s actually putting money away and it’s something as simple as like a 32 day account. I was spending. If I had just…like what I’ve learnt here today, just taken a R100 here, a R200 here; it’d have been so much. I’d have gotten so much out of it as opposed to spending but I was young so I forgive myself.”
Jaxx’s podcast, ‘Jaxx of All Trades’ became an instant hit upon launching. We asked her how she balances her investments between investing in her work and putting money away. She had this to say: For me to be quite honest, it started with the investment into my future, setting aside the money, whatever is leftover, how do I make it work? So I don’t necessarily need to have the most expensive podcast equipment, where can I just start?! As opposed to ‘this is the brand name, this is what I need to start.’ But for me because of that cushion as I’m going into such a volatile industry, the cushion was more important than investing in equipment.
Jaxx revealed she had to negotiate with her podcast production crew to do a payment plan , something she says one has to learn if they’re going to run a successful business. “I said, ‘hi guys, you’ve given me a quote, I can’t afford this. How can we work [together]? So we did a payment plan, I gave bulk deposit first and now I’m paying it off slowly.”
Jaxx’s advice to new creators is ‘just start!’. Having delayed starting trying to perfect ‘it’, Jaxx says she’s now intentional about not editing our mistakes in her podcast so she can show other creators the real journey of starting something. “Don’t worry about perfecting it. It’s not going your way be perfect in the beginning, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes but be okay with mistakes.”
On where her present self meets her future self, Jaxx says she will be thankful for taking a risk and overcoming fear because not only is she happier now, she’s doing what she wants to do.
Watch the full interview below:
