Melanie Ramjee

Melanie Gia Ramjee stands as a formidable force shaping South Africa’s public relations and lifestyle landscape. Known widely by her personal brand HYPRESS, Ramjee has built a career defined by passion, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting others — both within the entertainment industry and beyond.

Publicist, entrepreneur, humanitarian, motivational speaker, and lifestyle influencer, Ramjee’s multifaceted career reflects a life lived with intention. As founder and managing director of Tutone Communications, a boutique PR agency established in 2010, she has spent over 28 years navigating the evolving worlds of public relations, events, and social media marketing.

When she is not travelling the globe, Ramjee is immersed in her dynamic professional world — running her boutique PR agency, attending high-profile launches, sports events, and brand activations, volunteering for humanitarian initiatives, or sharing her lifestyle experiences through her platform HypressLive.com.

Beyond brand campaigns and event activations, she dedicates her time to mentoring young people, motivating them to make positive life choices, and nurturing emerging talent in music and public relations. Her influence extends beyond industry success — it is rooted in meaningful connection, empowerment, and community upliftment.

As the leader of a 100% female Black-owned agency, Ramjee has positioned Tutone Communications as a respected name in lifestyle, entertainment, and youth culture marketing. Over the years, she has represented leading local and international brands, including Miller Genuine Draft, Jack Daniel's, Heineken, as well as influential media and entertainment platforms such as BET, TRACE Urban, YFM, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), the Department of Sports and Recreation South Africa, and the Joburg Film Festival.

Her extensive experience spans working with major music festivals, launches, and internationally recognised artists including Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, Kendrick Lamar, Migos, A$AP Ferg, Robin Thicke, Trey Songz, Usher, John Legend, Keri Hilson, Kim Kardashian, Rick Ross and Swedish House Mafia, among many others.With a long list of awards and accolades under her belt, Ramjee truly lives up to her alias — HYPRESS.

Ramjee’s impact extends far beyond brand campaigns. Since early 2016, she has played an integral role within Special Olympics South Africa, where she currently serves as Deputy Chairperson, Board Member, and Ambassador. In addition to overseeing PR and marketing, she manages the ambassador programme and has chaperoned national teams to world games hosted in Abu Dhabi, Germany, Italy, and Austria.

Her commitment to empowerment is also reflected in Tutone Communications’ initiatives, which focus on supporting small female-owned businesses and emerging female artists. Each year, the agency selects one to two businesses or individuals to receive complimentary PR services — a testament to her dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders.

Building Legacy through Experience Prior to launching Tutone Communications, Ramjee served as Senior Account Manager at the acclaimed PR agency Speaker Corner for over six years, working with global brands such as Smirnoff, Heineken and Levi Strauss & Co. Her entrepreneurial journey also includes co-founding Eargasm Records and Eargasm Entertainment in 1996, as well as contributing to the launch of...