Eric Macheru, the former soccer player who plays Leeto Maputla, is a business mogul in real life. On Skeem Saam, he plays an attorney with a troublesome past. Leeto used to be a wild young man in his early 20s. He used to DJ abroad and got himself and his family in trouble with international drug lords. After meeting his now ex-wife Mokgadi, he focused on his legal career. Right now, Leeto is one of the most prominent lawyers in Turfloop.
His real-life business empire
The actor owns a liquor brand called The Blaq Gin in real life. What is beautiful about his gin brand is that it is manufactured in Eric’s distillery. What prompted his brand was the desire to help promote and celebrate black excellence. Black is spelt as ‘blaq’ for that theme of youthfulness. One bottle of The Blaq Gin retails for R265, totalling VAT. He kept promoting his brand and suggested something to level his company to the top.
Eric noticed he has a lot of family and friends in his circle. His friend list includes all of his fans. He says if half of everyone rooting for him supports his brand, he will be enabled to hire more people.
Promotions of The Blaq Gin
So far, Eric has been pushing for the gin to be sold at various events. On the club scene, his drink has also made a few appearances. To elevate the marketing, he put promoters and mixologists in liquor stores to give people samples. Most of the time, people don’t drink things they’ve never tasted before. By giving out examples, he is perpetuating word of mouth advertising.
Eric also made a huge money move by getting the brand at various Tops at Spar retail outlets. Availing of the drink in liquor stores eased his distribution.
Other celebrities in the liquor business
Some of Mzansi’s celebrities with their liquor brands are Cassper Nyovest, Kelly Khumalo and Bonang Matheba.
Mufasa owns the tequila brand Billiato which is gaining momentum in Mzansi. Kelly Khumalo holds the Controversy Gin. Kelly’s choice of name was fueled by her association with various scandals in the media. Bonang Matheba owns a champagne brand called House of BNG, and she has been holding down the brand for a few years now.
Eric’s Lifestyle
Eric is a relatively modest celebrity. He prefers spending quality time with his family and close friends. When he’s not on the screen, he promotes his gin on the streets. However, he does live in an upmarket estate somewhere in Jo’burg, and he drives a unique Audi vehicle.