2025 saw Afda announce the upcoming launch of its new Afda Hatfield campus in Tshwane, set to open in 2026.
This will be Afda’s fifth campus, joining its existing locations in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha.
Alongside this expansion, Afda welcomed a renewed leadership team: in 2025 Diaan Lawrenson took on the role of CEO, bringing her deep industry experience and Afda roots to steer the institution’s future.
As part of the Hatfield campus plan, Afda announced new deans across various campuses, a show of commitment to leadership and academic excellence as enrolment expands.
2025 saw the launch of Afda’s “Legacy Learning” short-course offerings. The six-week First Assistant Director course designed to give students and industry-professionals flexible, stackable training opportunities proved to be a great success. In 2026 a variety of different Legacy Learning courses are due to roll out.
Afda extended its reach with the launch of The Afda Podcast - The Home of the Creative Economy, bringing stories, insights and thought-leadership to listeners.
Afda also relaunched its official alumni website and digital community platform, giving graduates a centralised space to connect, collaborate, and find opportunities in the industry.
To celebrate its community, Afda hosted a nationwide Afda Alumni Reunion Event across all campuses in October 2025, offering alumni networking and creative-industry connection opportunities.
Afda ran several successful Open Days in 2025, including for the upcoming Hatfield campus, along with Holiday Workshops, Fee Payer Evenings, Deans Q&A sessions, and Post-Graduate Information Sessions. These helped prospective students and families explore programmes and meet staff.
Afda’s annual Experimental Festival returned in June 2025, giving students a platform to stage experimental work and explore boundary-pushing storytelling.
Later in the year came the Afda Graduation Festival 2025, a major showcase of final-year undergraduate and postgraduate work across campuses. Films, performances, creative writing, business pitches and more took centre stage in theatres and cinemas nationwide.
Afda re-affirmed its industry footprint by serving as the Fame Week Africa 2025 Official Education Partner. Students, staff and alumni took part in panels, workshops and screenings, highlighting Afda’s commitment to African storytelling and professional growth.
Alumni contributions to the global creative economy continued to soar. The Afda alumni network now boasts over 380 feature films and 350+ TV/streaming productions, showcasing the breadth and depth of Afda’s impact.
2025 was a standout award-winning year for Afda students, staff and alumni. A few examples include: the film The Heart is a Muscle, produced by Afda alumni, was selected as South Africa’s official entry for the Academy Awards and garnered multiple accolades around the world.
At the National Film & TV Awards South Africa 2025, Afda alumni claimed top honours: Best Feature Film, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress among others.
The creative success extended beyond film: Afda alumni were finalists in high-profile industry polls such as the Mail & Guardian Power of Women 2025, a sign that Afda graduates are making waves across media, arts, and cultural arenas.
As Afda prepares to open its Hatfield campus in 2026, the institution is poised for even further impact, broadening access to creative education, nurturing a new generation of storytellers, and strengthening ties between academia and the wider creative economy.
With our leadership committed to innovation, Afda is focused on its vision and goal to be the primary incubator for creative talent in Africa, ready for the demands of an evolving industry.
Bring on 2026!!!
