At nearly 40, with a thriving career in the creative industries and a growing reputation as a problem solver, Cedric Fourie knew what he needed: an MBA that would give him the recognition and influence to transform the Arts sector in South Africa.
His journey is a masterclass in the “solutionist” mindset. Long before he became a household name as Lehasa Maphosa on Skeem Saam, Fourie was mastering the complexities of telecoms networks at Huawei and Ericsson. It was stable, logical, and a “proper job”, exactly what his mother had hoped for, but his heart had always been in acting. So, he used the money from his stable job to fund acting lessons and auditions until he got his breakthrough!
Today, heading up a thriving production company, Cedric combines the business skills he gained from two degrees at Henley, with the rigorous project management and problem-solving precision he learned in engineering, to redesign an industry notorious for exploitation.
'With every contract I negotiate, every project I manage, every young creative I hire, I’m building the kind of industry I wish had existed when I was starting out.’
Read his story in his own words ...
I remember being captivated by an old Hulk movie when I was about five or six. That’s where it all started for me – standing in our bathroom in Orlando Gardens, Soweto, re-enacting all the movie scenes I’d watched. Even at that young age, something about performance, about bringing stories to life, sparked something deep inside me. Little did I know that our bathroom would be my first stage, and that moment of childhood wonder would eventually lead me to become a household name across South Africa.
When I started talking about wanting to act, my mother was worried. She wanted stability for me, security. The kind that comes with a ‘proper’ career, not the uncertainty of the Arts. So, I listened to her advice and became a network engineer, working my way up through companies like Ericsson, Huawei, and Mobax Group. It was stable work, good money, and exactly what my mother had hoped for. But every day, sitting behind that desk, dealing with telecoms infrastructure and network systems, I felt like I was living someone else’s life.
Engineering had its upsides. Having a steady telecoms job gave me the money I needed to take acting lessons and allowed me the space to go to auditions. Slowly but surely, I started landing TV roles. Small parts at first – a guest role as William on Generations in 2012, then The Hammer on Generations: The Legacy in 2015. Each role taught me something new; each audition was another step toward the dream I’d never abandoned.
Then came December 2016, when I first appeared as Lehasa Maphosa on Skeem Saam. That role changed everything for me. Suddenly, I wasn’t just another struggling actor taking small parts – I was a character that South Africans talked about around dinner tables, a face that people recognised on the street. Lehasa made me a household name, but more importantly, it gave me the platform to build something bigger.
I opened my own company in 2016, focusing on motion-picture and content creation. This is where my engineering background became my secret weapon. While other creatives were just focused on the art, I was approaching it like a solutionist – someone who could solve problems for clients. Whether it’s targeting, storytelling, colour palette, or audience engagement, I learned to combine my technical project management skills with creative vision. Today, I have about 170 freelancers that I contract with depending on the project. We produce TV shows, commercials, social media content – whatever the client needs.
My telecoms background taught me project management, problem-solving, and how to work with complex systems. Those skills didn’t disappear when I started acting; they made me a better businessman and a more reliable creative partner. When clients know you can deliver on time, on budget, and with measurable results, they keep coming back.
By the time I was considering an MBA I had already completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice (PGDip) at Henley. Choosing to continue my journey at Henley wasn’t just practical, it was strategic. I researched other programmes, but I kept coming back to Henley’s reputation for accommodating working professionals and families. The hybrid delivery model meant I could stay in Johannesburg and enjoy that crucial in-person interaction – getting to spend time with my classmates is very cool!
For me, education has always been about more than just coursework. I understand that the network you build during your MBA can be just as valuable as the degree itself. Henley’s strong alumni presence and word-of-mouth recommendations from people I trusted played a significant role in my decision to study there. I was fortunate to receive the Dean's scholarship on the basis of the work I have done. My application wasn’t only based on academic potential. I was able to demonstrate the real-world impact of work I had been doing in the community, and contributions I was making to the creative industry.
The generalist structure of the Henley MBA suits me perfectly. Working across creative industries – from motion pictures to content creation – I needed broad business skills rather than narrow specialisation. I’m a solutionist. I love solving problems and the generalist nature of the MBA gives me tools I can apply across different challenges and industries.
The arts industry in South Africa needs a complete redesign. There’s so much exploitation, such a lack of proper management structure. Too many talented people are treated as contractors when they should be employees with real job security. I’ve seen strikes, I’ve seen brilliant filmmakers struggle because there’s no proper industry support. That’s why I believe so strongly in combining creative talent with solid business skills. When you can speak the language of investors, when you can present structured solutions, you’re not just another artist hoping for a break, you’re a professional offering value.
As I develop strategic thinking capabilities, project management expertise, and stakeholder communication skills, I’m becoming increasingly valuable to the industry. The integration of business training within creative professions is crucial for implementing meaningful reforms across the sector, from establishing improved labour practices and developing sustainable funding models to creating robust management structures that protect and empower creative workers while maintaining artistic integrity. And with every contract I negotiate, every project I manage, every young creative I hire, I’m building the kind of industry I wish had existed when I was starting out.
The kid from Orlando Gardens is still here, still excited about bringing stories to life. But now he’s doing an MBA and building the business skills necessary to make sure those stories actually reach the audience – and that everyone involved gets paid fairly for their work.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
My approach to solving complexing issues has evolved to a higher level that would definitely shock my pre-MBA self. My personal development journey has become increasingly broad because the MBA programme has given me deeper, more insightful perspectives on how to be of higher value anywhere you go.
The most practical global problem to tackle would be preventable childhood deaths from infectious diseases, mainly through vaccination. Millions of children still die each year from diseases for which there are vaccines (such as measles, pneumonia, rotavirus). The issue is not science but rather funding, logistics, and access.
A classmate once said to me, ‘If you change the way you see things, the things you see begin to change’, and that has been a theme I carry with me when faced with tough challenges and when it’s hard to keep going.
The positive impact I contributed to organisations, and to people’s lives.
An emerging trend in film industry technology is very short, fast-paced films and series (called micro-dramas, vertical dramas or mobile-first series) made purely for watching on cellular devices. People are already consuming content on mobile, but it’s not content specifically shot to watch on your phone, with episodes that are typically only 1–3 minutes long.
Such a masterclass would likely centre on judgement, boundaries, and emotional discipline. A plausible title would be ‘Discernment: The Cost of Ignoring Red Flags’. The underlying message would be about converting difficult experiences into a framework for better decision-making.