GARY GOLD

Gary Gold  is a South African rugby union coach who has coached at various levels of the game in England, Japan and South Africa. Gold has considerable experience having worked with leading clubs in both the northern and southern hemispheres and at international level. He is currently the head coach of the United States national side.

A two-year spell with English Premiership side London Irish between 2003-05 was followed by a stint with WP Rugby that saw him serve as head coach of Western Province and later as the Stormers’ technical director and then assistant coach. In May 2008 Gold was appointed by Peter de Villiers as an assistant coach of the Springboks, a position he held until after the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Gold gained many successes with the national team, helping the side defeat all of the other Tier 1 nations at least once; including three victories against the All Blacks during the 2009 Tri Nations Series.

He was assistant coach during the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, which saw the Boks secure a 2–1 series victory over the British & Irish Lions, the first South African side to do so since 1980.

ROHAN DICKSON

Rohan Dickson is an award-winning screenwriter and show runner, born and raised in South Africa. Rohan is a Palm d’Or Nominee in screenwriting from the 1999 Cannes International Film Festival for “Husk” and winner of Best Short Film at the 2015 Jozi Film Festival for his directing debut, “Welcome to Hawaii”.

In 2021 Rohan created, wrote and executive produced “Reyka”, an 8-part TV drama for M-Net  and Fremantle Media International and “Desert Rose” an 8-part TV drama for M-Net which he created, wrote and produced. The World Premiere screening of “Reyka” opened the 60th Monte-Carlo Television Festival on 18 June 2021.

In 2020 Rohan scripted four episodes of Professionals, Africa’s biggest co-production to date, an action/thriller television series depicting the high-risk lives of private military contractors. Rohan co-created the TV series Jo’burg with Appian Way (USA) producing and won Best Short Film at the 2015 Jozi Film Festival for his directing debut Welcome to Hawaii.

With over 20 years of experience as head writer for SATV, Rohan has worked with all of South Africa’s major broadcasters and has been showrunner on the highly successful dramas Scandal!, Zone 14, Jacob’s Cross, and High Rollers. Rohan was also the executive producer & showrunner of the long-running Isidingo, a multi-award winning, multiracial drama series with a huge fan base across the whole of Africa.

WAYLENE BEUKES

Born and raised in Windhoek, the young lady with the deep voice that fills a room says she spent her formative years collecting relatable life experiences before completing her high school education at Windhoek’s Delta Secondary School.

Right after graduating, she dived headfirst into pursuing her dreams and practising her craft every day full-time, which she says is absolutely “worth it”. Comedian Waylene Beukes, known by her stage name Waybeline, is a 27-year-old Namibian-bred talent currently making a name for herself on the South African comedy scene.

Armed with just the right arsenal of anecdotes, she keeps the laughs coming. She has worked with Marc Lottering, Schalk Bezuidenhout, Jason Goliath and other comedians in growing her craft. She has dreams of working with Trevor Noah, but jokes that she has worked with people who actually do associate with him and considers American funny man Dave Chappelle her ‘comedy dad’.

Though her first love is telling jokes, she is enthusiastic about sketch comedy, acting and dancing. Her social media sites are filled with homemade memes, jokes, funny tales and hilarious skits featuring some of her funny friends.