Don Edkins
- Birthplace
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Occupation
- Filmmaker, Producer
Biography
EARLY LIFE
Don Edkins was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1953. During his high school years, he developed an interest in photography, employing it to record various situations in his life. His upbringing took place under the apartheid regime, which mandated compulsory military service for white males upon reaching age 17. He has an academic background in Development Studies and African languages.
CAREER
In 1975, at the age of 22, Don Edkins departed South Africa due to his refusal to participate in compulsory military service. He pursued photography internationally, documenting social and political upheavals. In 1988, he relocated to Germany and became involved with Medienwerkstatt Freiburg, marking his transition from still photography to documentary filmmaking. His initial films, Goldwidows (1990) and The Colour of Gold (1992), examined the impacts of migrant labor systems linking South Africa and Lesotho. By the early 1990s, Edkins leveraged emerging affordable video projection technology to screen these documentaries in rural Lesotho communities. Edkins returned to South Africa in 1994 to participate in the country's first democratic elections. He produced 'Taxi to the Dark Side' (2007) which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. He also produced 'Steps for the Future' (2001-2004) focusing on HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa, and 'No U-Turn' (2022). He contributed to 'Why Democracy?' and 'Why Poverty?' initiatives. He is the Executive Producer of AfriDocs and leads the Generation Africa initiative under STEPS.
PERSONAL LIFE
Edkins returned to Cape Town after spending years abroad. He is now based in the city, where he continues his career through STEPS, a Cape Town-headquartered non-profit media organization. He co-produced the 2025 short documentary 'an open field' with his son, director Teboho Edkins.
Filmography
No filmography available for this person yet.
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Popularity Score
Top 100% of African actors
