Biography

Meet Carolyn Steyn…

Philanthropist, arts patron and media personality Carolyn Steyn was born in Johannesburg. She holds an honours degree in Speech and Drama from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Teacher’s Licentiate in Speech and Drama qualification from the University of South Africa.

Los Angeles acting career

Carolyn lived in the United States for ten years and in England for five. In Los Angeles, where she was pursuing an acting career, she studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse for five years under acting coach, Milton Katselas, along with fellow students Kate Hudson, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeffrey Tambor, Tony Danza and Doris Roberts among others. She appeared on Melrose Place and Babylon 5 and also performed in numerous plays, including Private Lives, Shadowlands and Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. She served on the Los Angeles guild of the children’s mentorship organisation Big Sisters, and in 2004 was nominated as one of the ‘Most Exciting Women’ by the Beverly Hills Sheet.

South African acting and media career

In South Africa, Carolyn performed for PACT (Performing Arts Company of the Transvaal) for many years, including a lead in the smash-hit, Poppie Nongena, which ran for a year to rave reviews, before hosting the Tongue in Cheek television talk show on SABC 3. Her extensive radio work includes Radio 5 (now 5FM) as a newsreader while co-hosting the weekend breakfast show with Martin Locke; she also worked on Radio Today for nine years co-hosted Whispers with Carolyn Steyn and Michael de Pinna, later joining Classic FM to present The Classic Cocktail Hour with Carolyn Steyn as well as Classic Lunch on weekdays. Carolyn currently presents Hot Classic on Hot 102.7 FM.

As a patron and ambassador, Carolyn has previously served as patron of the Joburg Ballet, and the Auto & General Theatre on the Square and is an ambassador for Peace Starts in South Africa. She was the executive producer of the international film Mandela’s Gun, which was nominated for four awards (winning three) at the 2018 Harlem International Film Festival.

Awards and philanthropy

Carolyn’s ability to leverage her public profile for the greater good of South African society is inspirational. Recognitions include the Woman of Substance award (2015); an honorary golden key from the Golden Key International Honours Society (2021); and the Global Impact Award, given in partnership with Brand South Africa (2021). The Carolyn Steyn Performing Arts Centre at Jeppe High School for Girls, Carolyn’s alma mater, was dedicated on 6 May 2021.

The Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite

On 30 March 2022, Carolyn received the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite. It was awarded to Carolyn by the ambassador of France to South Africa, Aurélien Lechevallier at the French Residence in Pretoria for her contributions related to South Africa’s cultural relations with France.

67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day

67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day (or ’67 Blankets’) started in December 2013, when Nelson Mandela’s former assistant, Zelda la Grange, challenged Carolyn to knit or sew 67 blankets to support the annual Mandela Day (18 July) to be donated to those in need. Carolyn accepted the challenge and – with her deadline approaching – called in a few friends to assist, who in turn called others. Since then it’s grown into a global movement, with thousands of members across South Africa and the world, delivering some 100,000 blankets to South Africa’s most vulnerable communities.

Since its founding in 2013, the 67 Blankets organisation has celebrated a number of ground-breaking milestones:

• 2014: 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day was formally launched at the Nelson Mandela Foundation on 27 January.
• 2014 to 2018: Carolyn shot scenes for Generations, one of Africa’s most popular soap operas with a nightly viewership of some 7-million. She played herself, as founder of 67 Blankets – with the creative storyline concept and massive exposure resulting in 67 Blankets winning the 2014 Campaign of the Year (beating Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, KFC and Knorr) at the South African of the Year Awards, just nine months after its founding.
• 2015: The establishment of a partnership with The Department of Correctional Services, enabling hundreds of prisoners in correctional centres across South Africa to contribute positively to a society that has been affected by crime and poverty.
• 2018: 67 Blankets unveils largest portrait blanket in the world (measuring over 8,000sqm), setting a Guinness World Record, while kick-starting the Mandela Centenary calendar of events. The event took place at the Zonderwater Maximum Correctional Centre in Cullinan, South Africa with the help of hundreds of inmates. The portrait comprised of thousands of blankets made by South Africans as well as hundreds of contributions from India, the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia. Since its founding, 67 Blankets has set four Guinness World Records.

“67 Blankets pledges to keep thousands of less fortunate South Africans warmer during the bitter winter months, wrapped in the warmth of our beloved Nelson Mandela. His legacy continues to lives on, stitch-by-stitch, with each and every blanket lovingly created by our volunteer army of KnitWits for Madiba, making every day a Mandela Day.” Says Carolyn.