Sarah-Jane Nicholson (ZA)
With over a decade of experience in various sectors, Sarah Jane Nicholson has evolved into an impactful presence in the music industry.
Having managed some of South Africa’s most influential artists - including Moonchild Sanelly, Mi Casa, Zakes Bantwini, Locnville and GoodLuck – Nicholson’s drive to connect African music with the global market has proved a successful recipe, one that most recently delivered Bantwini’s African anthem “Osama” to the world and its top charts.
Since founding her first agency in 2010, Nicholson has evolved from artist manager to label owner, and Managing Director, at Paradise Africa Distribution (PAF), and focuses on the development of African independent artists and labels, on a worldwide scale.
Based between Cape Town and Berlin, Nicholson has successfully negotiated licenses with Armada Music, Spinnin’ Records, Universal, Warner Music, and Sony Music. Alongside this, live exposure for acts under her management has included Roskilde, SZIGET, Tomorrowland Unite, Ultra, Coachella, Global Citizen, Fusion Festival, Primavera, MIDEM, SXSW, ADE, Canada Indie Week, M for Montreal and Music Matters Singapore.
As an accomplished speaker and facilitator, Nicholson frequently shares her expertise - offering valuable insight on a broad range of topics with tried and tested methods to champion and improve Afro-Euro talent exchange – at conference engagements around the world.
The establishment of Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC) has seen Nicholson’s leading role in the development of Women In Music South Africa turn into a globally funded ambition to connect the two geographical sectors she has most successfully infiltrated.
As an affiliate of Paradise Worldwide, a tech driven power team that, through offices in six major cities, specialises in protection and independent rights collection; Paradise Africa Distribution has grown to include Paradise Sound System, an in-house label committed to developing African Music on a worldwide scale whilst providing a new-age model, breaking down the traditional management prototype for one that is authentically, and independently, tailored to the artist’s needs.
Fuelled by a passion to see Africa take its place in the global music scene, Nicholson is working with industry leading partners to bring a range of innovative concepts to market, in 2022 and beyond, under the umbrella of both PAF and ARMC, with a focus on building bridges between top tier African music executives and the worldwide market place, paving the way for other global stake holders to invest in the rich, diverse and relatively untapped markets the African continent offers.