AFDA is proud to announce that AFDA staff and alumni have been selected for The “200 Young South Africans” awards, presented by the Mail & Guardian. Alumna Flavia Motsisi was selected in the Arts and Entertainment category, alumnus Austin Malema in the Film and Media category and AFDA Johannesburg BCom Lecturer Baphile Duba was selected in the Entrepreneurship category.
” I am truly humbled to be recognized by the Mail & Guardian as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans for 2025 in the category of Entrepreneurship.This recognition is more than just a personal milestone, it is a testament to the incredible people, mentors, partners, clients, friends, and family who have walked alongside me in my entrepreneurial journey.” says AFDA Johannesburg BCom Lecturer Baphile Duba.
“Celebrating our very own AFDA BCom Business Strategy Lecturer and successful entrepreneur Baphile Duba, MBA on this incredible, well-deserved milestone! This achievement is a true reflection of your dedication to your craft and a testament to your excellence!!! The entire BCom Faculty and the AFDA creative community is very proud of your recognition.” Says AFDA JHB Vice Dean and Business Innovation Head, Tebogo Motaung.
The “200 Young South Africans” awards, is an annual recognition event celebrating the achievements of young South Africans across various fields. These awards highlight the contributions of individuals under the age of 35 who are making significant impacts in their respective domains, showcasing the potential and talent within the country.
The selection process involves nominations from the public, which are then reviewed by a panel of judges. The judges look for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional talent, innovation, and leadership in their fields. They also consider the impact these individuals have had on their communities and the country at large.
About AFDA alumna Flavia Motsisi – Honours degree in Motion Picture Medium
A self-made force in South African storytelling, Flavia Motsisi, 33, is redefining what it means to be a creative entrepreneur. As founder of Flavia Motsisi Media, she crafts powerful African narratives for local and global screens, and as executive producer and showrunner, she’s worked on major hits including The Wife, Shaka iLembe, and the Emmy-nominated The River. Her career includes a stint as one of South Africa’s youngest broad- cast executives at MultiChoice and Showmax. Now, she steers her own empire, including Flavia’s Boutique, her fashion label, and Bempowered Africa, a pan-African solutions company. Recognised by Forbes Africa and a founding member of SWIFT, she is a committed mentor and public speaker advocating for gender equity and transformative leadership in film, business and fashion. Flavia’s journey, marked by moving more than 24 times during her childhood, taught her adaptability, empathy and resilience. She channels those experiences into layered, human-centred stories that resonate with audiences worldwide. Her creative intuition is rooted in faith, community and purpose. Whether producing content, running businesses or mentoring the next generation, Flavia leads with conviction and clarity.
About AFDA alumnus Austin Malema BA Honours degree, AFDA
For Austin Malema, 34, creativity isn’t just a career, it’s been a lifelong calling. “At one point, I even wanted to be an actor,” he recalls. But his passion for storytelling led him behind the camera. As the founder of RTC Studios, Austin secures business deals and pitches creative concepts, leads shoots and oversees editing. A graduate of AFDA, he has become a sought-after photographer with an impressive portfolio that includes global icons like David Beckham and Thuso Mbedu. Photographing Mbedu in Paris marked a milestone, one that opened doors to shooting Hollywood A-listers and reinforced his belief that South African talent belongs on the world stage. “Those moments reminded me that our work here can have a global impact,” he says. Austin draws inspiration from figures like Dany Garcia, whose ability to build enduring, innovative businesses resonates with his ambitions. His journey has taught him that “it gets hard before it gets easy”, a mantra that fuels his resilience in an industry known for its challenges. For Austin, success lies in bold, inclusive leadership. “We are the generation that can reshape industries,” he says. “Representation matters, not just in optics, but in decision-making, storytelling and access.”
About AFDA Johannesburg BCom Lecturer Baphile Duba
Hailing from the small town of Cedarville in the Eastern Cape, Baphile Duba, 28, is redefining what it means to be a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur in South Africa. As the founder and chief executive of Just-In-Time Logistics, he has built a transport and logistics company from the ground up, providing removal and shuttle services with a client-centric approach. What began as a bootstrap venture has grown into a reliable enterprise, but Baphile’s entrepreneurial drive doesn’t stop with logistics. Through his youth development initiative, Mind Newtrition, he champions literacy, public speaking and entrepreneurship in under-resourced communities. Baphile is also an academic, lecturing in business strategy, transport and logistics at the University of Johannesburg and AFDA. Armed with an MBA in digital transformation, a Postgraduate Diploma in Operations Management, and hands-on experience across academia and industry, he fuses innovation with mentorship to unlock new pathways for others. His work reflects a core belief: start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. For Baphile, entrepreneurship isn’t just about building businesses, it’s about building futures.