Eben Cruywagen

Eben Cruywagen (1956-2026) was a renowned radio personality performer. He was not only a performer and broadcaster, but an admired director and scriptwriter for stage and radio, as well as a sometime lecturer, poet and academic

Biography

He was born in 1956, one of four children. His parents were both teachers and he grew up in Randfontein, where he received his schooling at the local primary school. He spent his high school years at Hoërskool Kuswag in Amanzimtoti, Natal, where he became the very first head boy in 1974.

From his school days onwards he displayed a deep love for the performing arts, and after finishing his school career, he studied drama at the University of Stellenbosch, where he obtained a B.A. Drama degree (in later years also completing an MA degree at the University of Durban-Westville and a D.Phil degree at the University of Stellenbosch). Though he primarily worked in - and was a champion of - Afrikaans, he was fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English, and initially spent a year as an actor at the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) before accepting a position as an announcer at Radio Port Natal. This ignited a life-long career in broadcasting, inter alia working for Radio South Africa and ultimately for Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) in Cape Town.

He spent a large part of his life working at the Sea Point offices of the SABC and lived in Bellville with his wife, Theresea. After a battle with pancreatic cancer, he passed away at the age of 70 on 10 September 2026.

His contribution to South African theatre, film, media and performance

Radio work

Cruywagen was a specialist in radio drama and wrote, adapted and directed numerous award-winning radio dramas and serials during his lifetime.

Among the many Afrikaans novels and short stories he adapted for radio count such classics as Ampie, Die Man van Cirene, Jaffie, Gelykheid en broederskap (2024), Ou Leeumelker (2024),

South African plays adapted for radio include Faan se Trein (1997), Faan se Stasie (1997), Draadwerk (2013), Die Koggelaar (1997), Putsonderwater (2021).

Plays translated into Afrikaans and adapted for radio include: Kysbriewe (2024), .

Among the many radio dramas written by Cruywagen himself are Sending van vêr

Other radio plays directed by Cruywagen, include Iets Om Oor Te Praat (1995),

Podcasts written by Cruywagen include: Ken jy vir Fytjie Eland? (broadcast 8 May 2025)

Stage work for various companies

For the Drama Department at the University of Pretoria he appeared in Die Storm (by Ostrovsky) in 1978, Die Nag van Legio

For CAPAB he played "Sappie" in 'n Skool vir Hansworse (1980), "Bernard" in Kat in die Donker (1980),

Film and TV work

Played "Robbie Steyn" in the popular Afrikaans comedy tv series Nommer Asseblief ("Number please", 1979).

Other writing

Among his other publications have been an Introduction to the anthology Droomskip en ander radiodramas, a collection of Afrikaans radio dramas compiled by Herman van der Westhuizen (Nasou Via Afrika, 2009). He was also a contributor to the entry on Radio for ESAT.

Other media activities

He had a deep-seated interest in the rich dynamics and educational value of radio drama as an educational medium and in 1990s took up further study in this regard, completing a masters degree at the University of Durban-Westville with a dissertation on The radio drama and the radio feature in South Africa: a comparative study in 1992, followed by a D.Phil degree (Drama) at the University of Stellenbosch on the educational possibilities of radio drama in South Africa (written in Afrikaans and entitled Luister-leer: die opvoedkundige moontlikhede van die hoorspel in Suid-Afrika) in 1999.

In addition to his work behind the microphone and in the control room, he was one of the founders of SABC Education (SAUK Opvoedkunde in Afrikaans)[1] in 1996, a project launched to carry out the educational mandate of the public broadcaster through innovative and empowering media content.

Cruywagen was also used as a part-time lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch in the new millennium, where he helped to hone and inspire generations of young drama students and voice artists.