Stephanie Baartman: I Saved Myself
When life takes an unexpected turn, and relationships become the prison from which we think we'll never escape... it's only a strong will, determination, and tough decisions that help us to break free.
Stephanie Baartman is the embodiment of just that. As one of South Africa's rising stars in entertainment, on TV, theatre, and broadcast media, she is a true survivor.
A story, not often shared, that takes a long and winding road, before Stephanie could finally break free, and start building her dream life, with her 2 beautiful children.
Today, Stephanie is celebrating the many hats she is wearing: Lettie in Diepe Waters, hosting a radio show, showcasing her singing talent in a musical, and of course, her multi-award winning, one-woman show, "Hoort," which she is performing across South Africa.
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Also available on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
ABOUT STEPHANIE BAARTMAN
Stephanie Baartman is a South African singer and actress, best known for her role as Bibi in the Kyknet soap opera “Getroud met Rugby”, where she played this role for 7 years. She can currently be seen as Lettie in “Diepe Waters”, and also as Kaptein Reinette in “Reënboogrant”. Stephanie is currently performing throughout South Africa in her one-woman show about her life, “Hoort”. This play was written in collaboration with playwright Johann Slabbert, directed by Elzabe Zietsman, and accompanied by Janine Neethling on piano in some original compositions.
Stephanie is no stranger to the stage, she has been seen in numerous productions at Innibos, Aardklop, KKNK, Kalfiefees, Suidoosterfees and also the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, where she was the recipient of the award for “Outstanding Contribution to Contemporary Music” for Hoort. She was also nominated for a Kanna for “Best Solo Performance”. “Hoort” is also now on its way to Bloemfontein for the Vrystaat Kunstefees and will once again be seen at the Woordfees in Stellenbosch later this year. Stephanie is very versatile. Her portrayal of 3 different characters in the comic farce “Hospitale, Kateters en Familielede” by Wynand van Vollenstee, is proof of this.
Throughout her career that spans over 20 years, she has received numerous nominations for her work and boasts with 3 trophies won to date. One of the biggest challenges in her career, was replacing the legendary Amanda Strydom in a musical production called “Brel and Piaf” earlier this year. Learning and singing songs in French alongside the legendary André Schwartz were no easy feat, but something she mastered with flying colours and is extremely proud of.
Since 2025 she has also been a regular late night radio host on RSG and can now be heard every Thursday night between 6pm and midnight on 101.5fm. Steph’s first love remains singing of course, and she performs wherever she is asked, often across borders. She is a seasoned motivational speaker, and performs at many corporate functions and churches, where she showcases a diverse array of her talents.
Steph grew up in Cape Town, where her Mom and Dad are both Pastors, and singing, speaking and dancing were always encouraged. She currently lives in the artists’ suburb of Melville in Johannesburg, where she is the proud mom of a 17-year-old daughter, Symphony and 13-year-old son, Duma. She says she has no hobbies, because… ‘there is simply no time.’ When there is free time, it will soon be filled with a new song to learn or a script to study for her next shoot. Throughout all the chaos, she always manages to make time to connect with her children and loved ones, enjoying walks with her dog Tinky around the Westdene dam, or she will be found conjuring up authentic Cape Malay dishes like Butter Chicken and Breyani in the kitchen.