Adelaide Moeng: Claiming Space in SA's Media Industry
Adelaide Moeng, a Johannesburg-based camera operator and production creative, is dismantling structural barriers in South Africa's historically white and male-dominated media industry. As the country commemorates Youth Day, her journey from a Wits film graduate to an award-winning live sports camera operator highlights the ongoing struggle for Black economic inclusion and creative freedom in a sector still wrestling with its Apartheid legacy.
What does Youth Day mean for a Black creative navigating Apartheid's economic legacy?
As South Africa commemorates June 16, we must look beyond the sanitized corporate narratives and remember the blood shed by Black youth in 1976. The fight against Apartheid education was fundamentally a fight for self-determination, a struggle that persists today in our economic structures. For Adelaide Moeng, this history is not abstract. It is the foundation of her right to exist and work in spaces previously denied to Black South Africans.
It's a constant reminder to value the sacrifices of youth that never got a chance to pursue their own dreams. It reminds me that I have to try and see how far I can take my passions because they marched and died for us to have such privileges.
Moeng understands that her presence behind the camera is a direct product of the 1976 generation's sacrifice. Her pursuit of an Honours Degree in Film and Production at the University of the Witwatersrand, and her subsequent rise in the industry, is a reclamation of space.
How does systemic gatekeeping shape the entry into South Africa's film industry?
The South African creative sector remains heavily guarded by gatekeepers. The industry demands experience but refuses to provide entry-level opportunities, a systemic trap that disproportionately affects Black graduates who lack generational wealth or family connections in the media landscape. Moeng faced this capitalist gatekeeping head-on after graduating.
The industry has many issues, but the main one I struggled with is the barrier to entry. It was difficult to find work or be able to join production houses or companies after graduating, mainly due to lack of experience, so I had to freelance a lot just to learn the ropes.
Rather than perishing at the hands of structural exclusion, Moeng weaponized freelancing. She turned a symptom of economic exploitation into a training ground, building a portfolio that now spans photography, videography, digital media, film production, and live broadcasting.
Navigating the male-dominated technical production space
Working behind the camera means existing in technical spaces historically reserved for white men. Today, Moeng works as a live sports camera operator for major broadcasts through SuperSport, covering events like the 2023 Netball World Cup, PSL matches, and the Professional Fighters League Africa event in Benin in 2025. Her recognition for camera operation during the first all-female Netball World Cup stands as her proudest moment, a clear victory for Black women in technical roles.
She acknowledges the marginalization that comes with the territory but remains analytically grounded about the realities of the workplace.
There is a dichotomy when it comes to working in a male-dominated industry. On one hand, yes, there are challenges. However, no more than what you would experience in an all-inclusive industry, as work can be stressful even if you're working with just one gender. There have been moments where I do feel marginalised, but thankfully that's not the case all the time as you meet different people in all parts of the production process.
Decolonizing media: Taking content back from big corporations
Moeng's resistance extends beyond her technical work. She appears weekly on Afternoons with Relebogile Mabotja to offer film and television recommendations, and she runs her own platform, @moviesandstuffsa. This independent media venture is a deliberate act of decolonization. It removes the reliance on traditional, white-owned corporate media houses that have historically controlled which stories get told and who tells them.
It's important because we are in a new media generation where content is not exclusive to big corporations anymore. One can cater to any audience they want, which has given us freedom in creativity and freedom in entrepreneurship, which is always encouraged.
Her platform interviews industry professionals and provides critical insights, effectively building an independent ecosystem where Black creatives can access information and opportunities outside the conventional gatekeepers.
Who is Adelaide Moeng?
Adelaide Moeng is a Johannesburg-based Camera Operator, Production Manager, Coordinator, and media creative. Originally from Pretoria, she holds an Honours Degree in Film and Production from the University of the Witwatersrand, where she won the Best Experimental Film Director award in 2018.
What major events has Adelaide Moeng covered?
Moeng has covered the 2023 Netball World Cup, various PSL matches, and the Professional Fighters League Africa event in Benin in 2025. She works as a live sports camera operator for SuperSport and other productions.
What is @moviesandstuffsa?
@moviesandstuffsa is an independent media platform run by Adelaide Moeng. It focuses on film and television recommendations, interviews with industry professionals, and insights into the entertainment world, operating outside the control of major corporate media entities.