How did the eldest son of a working class family become such a well-known South African face, and how did he manage to stay so relevant throughout tremendous change in our country?
As a youngster, Cruywagen was obsessed with the radio, and even as a five-year-old he would mimic radio broadcasts in his family lounge. Eventually, he started his career at the SABC, doing hard news for radio, as well as providing the voice for the Afrikaans children’s news character Haas Das. But it was when he was on a three-year exchange programme in the Netherlands that his eyes were opened to how the rest of the world lived, while South Africa was still under the grip of Apartheid, and Cruywagen became politically conscious for the first time.
Most notably, however, was the new broadcast medium that Cruywagen was exposed to while in Holland in the early 1970s: television. Cruywagen and his wife Riana returned to South Africa with a renewed perspective and an excitement on Cruywagen‘s part to pave the way for television broadcasting back at home.
From his rookie days in radio to becoming arguably the most trusted face on television news, Cruywagen and his closest friends and family talk openly about how Cruywagen navigated the ever-changing political climate in South Africa with the utmost integrity, and open up about the obstacles he has faced along the way, including one particularly devastating family tragedy.
Showcasing how Cruywagen has managed to remain current over his career spanning over five decades, this episode of My Story will air on M-Net, channel 101 on DStv at 19:30 on Tuesday, 10 November.
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