At the end of August 2025, I was given an unexpected opportunity of a lifetime: to attend FAME Week Africa in Cape Town as one of only five filmmakers selected by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC).
FAME Week is South Africa’s biggest film, TV, animation, and entertainment market—a vibrant hub where African creatives connect with global industry leaders. For three days, the city buzzes with pitches, conferences, exhibitions, and networking events. For me, it was a chance not only to represent the Eastern Cape but also to step into a space I’ve dreamed of for years.
This diary captures my personal journey through FAME Week—the highs, the challenges, the surprises, and the lessons learned. From scrambling to find support for my interpreter, to navigating crowded conference rooms, to hearing words of wisdom from trailblazing women in film, every moment left its mark.
Here’s how it all unfolded…
Monday, 25 August
Early this morning, I received a life-changing phone call from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC). They congratulated me and announced that I had been chosen as one of five filmmakers from the Eastern Cape to represent the province at FAME Week in Cape Town. In total, 10 creatives were selected—five filmmakers and five fashion designers.
The call came rather late (Fashion Week already starts next Monday!), but I was overjoyed. Months ago, I had submitted a proposal to pitch my feature film at the exclusive Pitch Platform Room, but sadly, I wasn’t selected—over 200 entries had been submitted. I was deeply disappointed at the time, realizing I wouldn’t be able to attend FAME Week.
Now, against all odds, I was told that the ECDC would fully sponsor me—covering flights, accommodation, and the very expensive all-access pass. This meant I could attend the market, the conference, and explore over 60 global exhibition stalls.
There was just one challenge: I needed to take my interpreter with me—my mom. I don’t use sign language, but I do require a lip-reading interpreter, especially in large, noisy events where my senses get overstimulated and I tire quickly due to adrenal fatigue. We explained this to the ECDC, and they promised to look at the budget and get back to us.
Tuesday, 26 August
The next morning, the ECDC called again—this time with bad news. They couldn’t sponsor my interpreter. Their budget simply didn’t allow for an extra person. The best they could do was give my mom an all-access FAME Week ticket (valued at over R2,000).
I immediately phoned Simon from DAWN & ThisAbility Magazine to ask if he knew of any sponsorships or grants that could help. He didn’t, but he fully understood the importance of my interpreter and even called the ECDC himself. Unfortunately, they confirmed that there really were no additional funds available.
Simon reminded me that South Africa still has a long way to go when it comes to disability support in the creative industries, but hopefully things will improve.
So, what now? I decided to use part of my ThisAbility short film funding to pay for my mom’s flight ticket. That settled it—Cape Town, here we come!
Sunday, 30 August
On Sunday evening, I boarded my Airlink flight to Cape Town from Port Elizabeth. My mom flew separately with FlySafair. On my flight, I met two fellow ECDC-sponsored creatives, Elmaré and Kholiswa.
Just as we were about to depart, we were delayed for over an hour—the plane’s steering system was locked, and the pilot had to call Johannesburg headquarters to reboot the system. Eventually, we took off. (It was a scary thought—what if something like that happens mid-flight?)
Thankfully, we landed safely. By the time we checked into the Cape Town Lodge Hotel, ordered a complimentary oxtail dinner via room service, and finally collapsed into bed, it was midnight.
Monday, 1 September
After a delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel, the first official day of FAME Week began. My mom and I collected our Industry Participant badges—everything looked sleek, professional, and international.
Our first session was Documentary Reimagined in Theatre 2. A few notes I jotted down:
- “Stories must punch you in the gut. People want to be entertained, but they also want to learn something new.”
- “Don’t pitch immediately—build relationships first. Trust is everything.”
- “The film industry is relationship-based. Find your home.”
Next, we attended Wellbeing Behind the Scenes at the Brainbox. This resonated deeply with me. Health is more important than career—without it, you cannot sustain your work. Notes included:
- “Yoga is work-in, not a workout. The head brain is just one part of your intelligence—the heart and gut matter too.”
- “Financial health is financial wellness.”
Then came From Africa to the World – Post-Production in Theatre 2, which emphasized involving post-production teams from the very start of a project.
We even managed to slip into the Pitch Platform Room—the very room I had hoped to pitch in months earlier. It was bittersweet, but inspiring to watch others present.
Our final and most powerful session of the day was She Who Tells The Story: African Women Reshaping Film & TV. It featured Hollywood actress Edwina Findley, who lit up the room with energy. Some quotes that stayed with me:
- “Your why should be bigger than you.” – Edwina
- “The calling God gave you means you must be the first in your generation to do it.” – Kim
- “Support women. Collaboration should be the norm.”
During lunch, I bumped into my former co-star Zane Meas from Kinders van Stilte. He said: “We need to make Kinders van Stilte into a feature film.” It was a joyful reunion.
That evening, I attended the NFVF Networking Lounge and finally met Nadine Cloete (with whom I’ve been corresponding) and her boss Yolanda Ncokotwana. They shared that out of 4,000 applications this year, only 80 projects received NFVF grants. I was overwhelmed with gratitude to be one of them.
We ended the day with a hearty dinner at the hotel’s The Famous Butcher’s Grill before heading to bed early.
Tuesday, 2 September
The day started chaotically—we missed the hotel shuttle, took an Uber, and were dropped at the wrong entrance, meaning a long walk across the bridge to reach the venue. Despite this rocky start, I dedicated the day to networking.
Our first stop was the NFVF Funding Calls session, where we learned about PESP funding. At first, I thought it was about NFVF training programs, but it’s actually about setting up your own accredited training centre—a path not for me, at least for now.
Next, we explored the exhibition floor with over 60 stalls:
AFDA: I met Earl Holmes, brother of founder Garth Holmes. To my surprise, he recognized me, praised my marketing work, and even suggested I become a mentor for AFDA students. He also invited me to speak at the Port Elizabeth Open Day—though I was already booked that weekend.
Gambit Films: I visited the recommended stall but no alumni were present; I was advised to send my CV via email.
Ottera: Their agent loved my short film concept on the taxi industry and encouraged me to meet Sandra C. Nduna, but as an Industry Participant, I had no access to the online meetings portal. It was frustrating to realize I couldn’t book one-on-one sessions with key broadcasters like kykNET and Showmax.
Penguin Books: I met Charissa de Wet and shared my passion for book-to-screen adaptations. She was impressed by my published work and eager to connect further.
After hours of trying to solve portal issues, I accepted the reality of my limited access—until Elmaré introduced me to Candace, a writer for kykNET’s Suidooster. She remembered my ThisAbility submission, encouraged me to submit my final script for feedback, and ended with: “Moenie moed verloor nie. Don’t give up!”
That evening, we skipped the Inclusive Awards due to exhaustion and had dinner at the hotel—beef stroganoff for both of us. Later, I spoke with fellow filmmaker Lukay, who shared invaluable advice: M-Net’s online pitching portal, BASA grants, kykNET’s October pitching window, and DTIC funding for festival travel. With these insights, the day ended on a hopeful note.
Later still, we received a message about a Primedia FAMOUS Party at the Cabo Beach Club. Lukay and Elmaré convinced me to go. The beach venue was beautiful, but the music was so loud we couldn’t even speak. After an hour, we gave up and were back at the hotel by 10pm, ready for the next day.
Wednesday, 3 September
At breakfast, I met producer Mariza Matshaya, renowned for her successful grant applications. She reminded me how difficult it is to wear both hats—writer and producer. I couldn’t help but agree.
The first session of the day was Beyond the Page – Adapting African Stories for the Screen and Young Audiences. While it focused on children’s books (not my genre), my mom loved it. Quote:
- “The most important question you can ask right now is: what is possible now?”
Later, we visited the NFVF stall to speak with Hloniphile Gabela, the PESP Project Manager. There was talk of me potentially offering scriptwriting classes, but the process of accreditation sounded long and complicated. At the iKasi stall, I was kindly offered the chance to “piggyback” on their organisation if I pursued this route. But I’m not sure yet—it feels like a detour from my main focus.
A highlight of the day was attending The Three Wells of Creativity with author Matthew Kalil. He spoke about drawing from the imagination, memory, and external world to fuel creative work. His words resonated deeply: “AI can’t compete with our memories—it’s still our strength.” I bought his book immediately.
Later, I met Lwazi, an engineer at eTV. He welcomed me to submit my short film to him once it’s completed, promising to forward it to the right department.
We ended the day on a lighter note—free ice cream at the Film Cape Town stall, followed by the session Community is the Campaign: Rethinking How We Launch African Content. Key takeaway:
- “Just talk, and then just listen. Adapt your message according to your audience’s needs.”
Dinner was once again at The Famous Butcher’s Grill—I had chicken schnitzel, my mom the lamb chops.
Thursday, 4 September
After breakfast, we packed our bags for the journey home. Before leaving, Elmaré, Lukay, and I filmed a short thank-you video for the ECDC (with my mom behind the camera).
It was an incredible honour to attend FAME Week, though also exhausting and overwhelming at times. I left with new contacts, insights, and much to reflect on about my journey as a filmmaker.
Now comes the next step—following up on the connections I made, and seeing where they may lead.
