The popular saying, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’, has been put to good and practical use by some of our business-oriented media personalities and entertainers.

Beyond corporate endorsements, these creative minds have fashioned a way to bolster their net worth and bank accounts, a means of sustenance of their social and financial status.

Knowing they will not perform or be in the limelight forever, as age and evolution is likely to play a huge role in their continued relevance in their respective chosen crafts, they seek to invest their hard-earned monies in lucrative businesses rather than waste on irrelevances.

With their respective entertainment career being a business in itself, they have adopted and embraced a more practical aspect of business, owning brands that cater to the populace’s basic needs.

Delving into businesses like these however has its perks, as several conditional risks surround the possibility to grow and thrive, as well as sustain them.

These bright and thoughtful minds look to use their vast popularity, as well as quality of services, as catalyst for thriving in their various business ventures.

Based on their popularity, a chunk of the curious public would no doubt love to taste D’banj’s ‘Koko Garri’ to assess its finesse, check out the quality of Terry G’s table water to determine if some sort of ‘madness’ was added to its PH content, and also to have an ethereal feel of what being in Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi’s ‘Gbemisoke Shoes’ or Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘St. Genevieve’ is like.

These are ten of your favorite celebrities whose thriving businesses you can check out;

1. Genevieve – St. Genevieve

This 36-year-old delectable actress has quickly turned into an icon in the entertainment world with her impeccable delivery of roles, also growing into a force on the international scene. Asides being an ambassador of a host of corporate brands(Lux, MUD), she sought to mastermind her personal business by launching her clothing line, St. Genevieve in 2008. The already thriving fashion brand caters to the needs of the female populace with the single mother infusing her personal style into creating fabulous dresses for women. Genevieve re-launched the clothing line in collaboration with Jumia in October 2014.

2. D’banj – Koko Garri

DB Records founder’s daunting task is to convince the general public of his ability to thrive in other ventures asides music. He has continued to feel the biting -and at times scathing- dismissal, albeit unjustly, as an elite musician amongst his peers since his separation from longtime collaborator, Don Jazzy. His ‘Koko Garri’ despite initially mixed reception, is steadily beginning to gain wide popularity and acceptance as he has been able to get the who-is-who in the country, such as Multi-Billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, to endorse the product. The singer has also embraced strategic modes of marketing the locally made product, going as far as shooting a commercial for it.

3. Ruggedman – 20th September Wear(TSW)

After deciding to take the backseat from music for a while, testing his acting skills in Nollywood, Ruggedman is looking to build on the 2008 creation of his fashion brand, TSW. He recently re-launched the brand which caters to various fashion wears such as Hoodies, Sweatshirts, and shoes a few weeks ago after a brief hiatus. According to him, he has partnered with an international body to market the fledgling brand which he says he hopes will be able to replicate the success of international brands like Nike, Gap and D&G.

4. Sasha – Eclectic

When Sasha burst onto the rap scene a couple of years ago, not a few touted her as Nigeria’s queen of rap. Other life directions however took over after her debut release, First Lady, as the Ibadan native looked to explore other avenues. Her wears ensemble and shoe brand, Eclectic, is fast becoming an in-demand fashion item, as she recently claimed she ran out of stock due to high demands. The sneaker is hippy enough, with appropriate blend of colours that put a glow to a wearer’s appearance. Sasha spoke of her venture back in August, “I opened my flagship store earlier this year and my first limited edition sneakers which I designed are currently sold out. I am learning how to sustain a business daily and I am thankful that it is fulfilling,”

5. Terry G – Terry G Table Water

‘Apako’ master, Terry G, is now also a practical businessman, launching his self-named table water company a few months ago. Terry G already has as many as 8 delivery trucks, distributing packaged water to Iju/Abule-Egba and its environs. He also revealed he is looking to launch a bakery in the outskirts of Iju in a not-too-distant future. Terry revealed his goals for the business in a recent interview, “People keep asking for Terry water at different places which is quite challenging but na small small as a small boy but in 10 years time I will be very big. Like now, I have like eight trucks now but don’t worry; it’s a process to success”

6. Jim Iyke – Burgeon Table Water

Similar to Terry G, the expressive Nollywood actor also recently launched his table water company, Burgeon in May 2015. Jim said of the business venture, “NAFDAC recently declared our product absolutely chemical free at PH 7.0 neutral. It means our quality is better than other established older brands like swan,Eva ,Dansa etc We stand by this promise come rain or shine to bring you the best you deserve”.
Looking to expand on his business dealings, the new father recently met with another rapper-turned-business mogul, 50 Cent in Atlanta. Jim hinted at a possible business collaboration with the G-Unit founder.

7. Gbemi – Gbemisoke Shoes

Like a fairytale story, Gbemi’s difficulties in finding her appropriate shoe sizes sparked a business initiative in her mind, as she seeks to help similar people with big feet find solution to their exhausting travails. The popular Beat Fm OAP has partnered with online retailer, Konga, in making sure her brand of shoes which come in various colours, are easily accessible. She shared the challenges she’s faced thus far since launching the shoe business, “Launching @gbemisokeshoes is the scariest thing I have ever done but I just had to overcome my fear of failure and do it!……I reviewed a lot of encouragement as well as criticism – “Why is she launching only flats?” “These shoes are basic ” “These shoes are expensive…” My favourite one is “Why are the shoes called ‘Gbemisoke’ if she only has flat shoes?” It’s a gradual process!……I’m still learning new lessons every day!
We are working very hard to satisfy the needs of the stylish woman who just happens to be blessed with big feet!”

8. VJ Adams – Em Bruto Denim

VJ Adams’ creative thoughts have birthed a fashion brand that mixes the local(now international) Ankara fabric with the highly embraced denim wear. The video jockey-turned-singer recently launched his Em Bruto Denim in June 2015 and the first look of the designs is impressive and unique. The uniqueness of the wears which is created in 4 variants is sure to see a rise in stock for the budding media personality.

9. Annie Idibia – BeOlive Hair Collection

It was only recently revealed that Tuface Idibia’s wife, Annie, has partnered with her husband’s sister, Antarnesha Blue, in launching a beauty palace which caters to providing beauty accessories such as natural hair extensions and beauty products in the highbrow of the United States. The budding actress however, is already looking to launch another outlet in the country due to high demand. The mother of two who doubles as a part-time presenter, is looking to take advantage of the buzzing trend and demand of natural hair extensions. “Really excited to Let You all know that “BeOlive Hair Studio” is NOW Open for services.. We are Located at 227 Sandy Springs PI Ne Suite 422 Sandy Spring Atlanta GO 30328. Get 15% off colouring with appointment. $10 towards ANY haircut w/treatment. . Book now with my Partner n sister, @bluehairguru one of the best celebrity Sylist in Atlanta!!!!”, Annie wrote of the business back in August.

10. Mercy Aigbe – Mag Divas

The Edo State born Nollywood actress who is the face of Prestige, has built on her extreme fashion obsession in creating a fashion boutique in Lagos. She launched her business venture in December 2014 and joins the highly competitive but lucrative fashion outlets. Mercy’s Mag Divas caters to provision of fashion accessories and beauty products such as hair extensions, shoes and cosmetics.

Other notable names in the entertainment industry who are growing their private businesses in some capacity are; Liz Anjorin, Iyabo Ojo, Biodun Okeowo, Doris Simeon, Tuface Idibia, Ini Edo, Odunade Adekola, Emeka Ike and a couple of others.

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All of them just dey copy each other na, I'm yet to see a wowing business in all the above mentioned.