AFDA CEO, Diaan Lawrenson, has developed a multifaceted career in South Africa’s creative industries as an actor, producer, educator and now executive. With her appointment as CEO of AFDA in January 2025 she now occupies one of the top leadership positions in the country’s film, television and performance education sector. At the same time, she continues her acting career and recently took on a leading role in the new Afrikaans drama series Appels en Tee, a 10-episode Afrikaans drama on kykNET (DStv channel 144) that premiered on 21 October 2025.
Diaan plays Lisa Rossouw, the owner of a successful tea-garden business in the fictional town of Paradysbos, whose life appears ideal on the surface with a husband, son and business until the arrival of her long-lost school friend, Henriëtte, which reopens old wounds and secrets.
In an interview with IOL earlier this year Diaan said: “One of the most rewarding aspects of my tenure has been witnessing the success of our students. That doesn’t mean I’m disappearing from screens. I believe this dynamic synergy between active industry participation and academic rigour is one of AFDA’s greatest strengths.”
As someone leading an institution that trains creative practitioners, Diaan remaining on-screen helps her stay connected to current industry realities such as production workflows, actor-director dynamics, changing technology and audience tastes. Her involvement in Appels en Tee keeps her grounded in practice and theory.
Diaan’s decision to maintain her on-screen acting commitments even as CEO is both strategic and beneficial. Her dual role demonstrates to students and alumni that a creative professional can evolve into leadership without completely abandoning their craft. It’s a powerful example: one can act, produce, lead, teach, and still create. This is particularly useful for an institution like AFDA, which emphasises graduates not only being employable, but entrepreneurial and adaptive.
It also matters for her personally. Leadership can become administrative, removed from the spark of creative making. Continuing to act keeps her connected to why she entered this field in the first place.
Diaan’s dual engagement is a deliberate strategy. She stays relevant, credible, grounded, and visible. For her students, alumni, the institution and the industry at large, this is a powerful stance. In a creative world where roles evolve, where actors become producers, where education must meet industry, it’s refreshing to see an individual embody that transition without letting go of the craft.