Sarawan to focus on expanding Universal Music’s footprint in the region and developing local talent
Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced that Manusha Sarawan has been promoted to Managing Director, Southern and East Africa.
UMG has a long and successful history across the continent and was the first major label to open offices in Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon, and Morocco, alongside its established operations in Nigeria and South Africa.
Sarawan is an experienced business leader, with decades of experience working at the intersection of business and creativity including several years at Sony Music in South Africa. Throughout her career, she has held various roles across the music industry, and most recently was Chief Operating Officer at UMG Sub-Saharan Africa, where she oversaw the day-to-day operations of the region’s most prominent major music label.
At UMG South Africa, Sarawan pioneered a digital-first approach to business that has been integral to the company’s success in the region as streaming has become more and more widespread. In addition, she has played a key role in negotiating the contracts of some of the most successful African artists and has been a tireless champion, helping platform African music on the global stage.
In her new role, Manusha Sarawan will continue to work closely with Adam Granite, UMG’s EVP, Market Development, to grow UMG’s roster of artists, and help them achieve success both domestically and around the world.
Adam Granite, EVP, Market Development, commented, “I am delighted to promote Manusha to Managing Director for Southern and East Africa. She’s someone I’ve known since her days at Sony, and during her time at Universal she has repeatedly shown her leadership skills and strong business acumen. Manusha is ideally suited to developing the careers of our market-leading label roster – both regionally and internationally I can’t wait to see her go from strength to strength.”
Manusha Sarawan, Managing Director, Southern and East Africa, said, “This is an incredibly exciting time for African music, as it continues to build new audiences both here and across the world. We have an amazing roster of talent here, and it’s a huge privilege to get to work with our artists and our talented team to promote African music on the world stage.”