Riaan Cruywagen (born October 5, 1945) is a veteran person in the entertainment industry. He began to make waves in the South African entertainment industry in the 70s.
His broadcast journey started while in school. On weekends, he would broadcast from the Cape Town studios. Holidays gave him enough time to work. Cruywagen read his first news bulletin on November 26, 1975.
Biography
Riaan Cruywagen is a 77-year-old television voice artist and newsreader. He has been on screen for many years and has been with SABC since 1975.
The veteran television personality was born in Johannesburg and studied at Stellenbosch University. In 1965, he started to work part-time with SABC in Cape Town.
Being a news anchor on the SABC Afrikaans news brought him much fame and prominence. He is one of the television station’s longest-serving anchors.
Early Life
Riaan Cruywagen  | |
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| Quick Facts | |
| Full Name: | Riaan Cruywagen |
| Born: | October 5, 1945 (age 77 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Education: | BA degree |
| Alma mater: | Stellenbosch University |
| Parents: | Adrian Cruywagen, Christie van Wyk |
| Spouse: | Riana den Besten |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Occupation: | News Anchor, TV personality |
| Known for: | Working for SABC |
Riaan Cruywagen was born on October 5, 1945, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
His parents, Adrian Cruywagen and Christie van Wyk raised him to be a disciplined man. He is proud of his parents and their support for him as a young child.
Cruywagen grew up in the largest city of Johannesburg. He has two younger siblings.
At a young age, five years, he started to exhibit his talent and love for news reading. He read his first news broadcast in his father’s garage.
Education
Riaan Cruywagen obtained a BA degree at Stellenbosch University.
Career
Riaan Cruywagen is a well-known news reader and voice artist and has been with the SABC since the station’s first broadcast in 1975.
The legendary has been the focus of popular culture for a time, used for several internet jokes and memes.
Most of the jokes pointed to his youthful appearance and intellectual prowess. He is a voice-over artist and voice for Haas Das on the Afrikaans children’s news program Haas Das se Nuuskas.
Cruywagen has also appeared in many films and has played as a newsreader. He appeared reading the news in Zulu in Leon Schuster’s Sweet ‘n Short.
The TV personality appeared in Stander as a nostalgic reminder of his long career as a newsreader. He was among the featured celebrities on season one of the genealogy documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?
The South African version of the series premiered on SABC2 in May 2009. In November 2012, he retired from the South African Broadcasting Corporation after 37 years.
On Monday, February 4, 2013, he joined the kykNET’s breakfast show Dagbreek.
Books
The newsreader published his autobiography in 2012 and titled it What’s News. He shared his experience of over forty-seven years as a broadcaster, his journey, and how he delivered the news during those years.
The book also covered his reasons for some appearances in pop music videos. He addressed why he was with girls half naked in a bubble bath.
The masterpiece is in local bookstores across the country and other top international online stores like Amazon.
Personal Life
Wife
Riaan Cruywagen married his wife, Riana den Besten, in 1971.
Hair
Many viewers are still stunned at how the veteran television personality maintains perfect hair. People even debated that he used a wig each time he was onscreen.
Cruywagen’s red hair is short and styled to the left with a parting on the right. The same style he has worn for decades.
Social Profiles
Though Riaan Cruywagen is a well-known television personality, he has little presence on social media.
However, many South African internet users talk about his life and other things about him on many platforms. They create and post hilarious memes about him.
Television shows
| News: Afrikaans as News Reader |
| Who Do You Think You Are? (SA) as Himself |
| Triptiek as Nuusleser |
| Orion as Nuusleser |
| My Story as Himself |
| Die Vlieënde Springbokkie as Oom (voice) |
| Die Sonkring as Nuusleser |
| Dagbreek as Presenter |
| Andries Plak as Nuusleser |