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From UFS to fame: UFS alumnus joins Binnelanders Season 15

05 June 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Supplied

Logan James — Logan W. James, UFS alumnus and breakout star of Binnelanders Season 15, proudly waves the Kovsie flag as he steps into his first national television role.

University of the Free State (UFS) alumnus Logan W James made his national television debut in Season 15 of kykNET’s long-running medical drama, Binnelanders. Streaming on Showmax from 4 June 2025, the latest season introduces Logan in a role that delivers high drama, high energy, and a fresh wave of talent rooted in the Free State.

From campus to camera

Born and bred in Bloemfontein, Logan’s rise from student theatre to the small screen is a story stitched together by grit, passion, and a deep love for performance. A former learner of Grey College and a proud Kovsie, Logan honed his craft at the University of the Free State, where he quickly became known for his magnetic stage presence and commitment to his roles.

From standout performances in Everyman, How to Wuzz, and Run for Your Wife to unforgettable moments during UFS’s annual Africa Day showcases, Logan carved out a name for himself as a rising star on campus – one performance at a time.

A dream years in the making

Now based in Johannesburg, Logan is stepping into a new kind of spotlight. He plays Le Roux Snyman - a thrill-seeking, motocross-riding character with a bold facade and hidden depths.

“Le Roux is full of energy and contradictions,” Logan says. “He lives for extreme sports and adrenaline, but there’s a much softer, more vulnerable side he doesn’t often show. What excites me is exploring both boldness and fragility in the same breath - it’s something I’ve never quite done before.”

Though this may be Logan’s TV debut, stepping onto the Binnelanders set felt strangely familiar.

“I used to watch Binnelanders at my grandmother’s house,” he recalls. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d one day be part of the cast. It feels like a full-circle moment - a dream realised. The journey here wasn’t straightforward, but seeing it come to life like this is an incredible blessing.”

The foundation of theatre

Logan credits his Bloemfontein theatre roots as the foundation of his acting journey. “Theatre taught me discipline, presence, and heart,” he says. “On stage, there are no second takes. You have to show up, fully and honestly, every time. That kind of intensity trains you not as a performer, but as a professional.

These lessons continue to shape how he approaches his work today. “Kindness and professionalism – those are the two things I carry into every production,” he adds.

Big city, bigger lessons

The move from Bloem’s close-knit creative community to the bustling entertainment industry in Johannesburg came with new challenges – and new lessons.

“In Joburg, you quickly realise just how much talent is out there,” Logan says. “It forced me to embrace what makes me unique, rather than compare myself to others. Real passion – not the pursuit of fame – is what carries you through the tough times. If you’re chasing the art, not the spotlight, you’ll find purpose, even when things get hard.”

A voice for regional talent

Logan’s journey is not just a personal triumph – it’s also a win for regional talent. As a Free State-born actor breaking into the national scene, he is part of a growing wave of creatives proving that national recognition is possible from anywhere.

“To go from student theatre to national TV is a leap that’s both terrifying and thrilling,” Logan reflects. “But it's proof that consistent hard work, staying true to your craft, and trusting the process can open doors you once only dreamed of.”

Ready for the spotlight

With his first episode having aired on 4 June, audiences were treated to a performance that was rich with energy and layered with emotion.

“There’s a lot of growth ahead - for Le Roux and for me,” Logan shares. “I’m looking forward to every moment of it. I can’t wait for South Africa to meet him.”

News Archive

Emma Sadleir talks about social media etiquette

2016-05-18

Emma Sadleir
Photo: Supplied

“We have all become celebrities, we have become social figures because of our power to publish information. We have all become brands, and we need to protect our brand. Digital content is sometimes dangerous content,” said Sadleir.

On 11 May 2016, the University of the Free State, in collaboration with the Postgraduate School, hosted, Emma Sadleir, a leading social media expert, in the Equitas Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus. She is an admitted advocate, specialising in social media law. Dr Henriette van den Berg, Director of the Postgraduate School, described Sadleir’s presentation as a privilege for all the staff and students who attended.

Sadleir said that there are two important rules that staff and students of an institution should try to follow. The first is not to bring the name of the institution into disrepute; and the second is not to breach the goodwill of the institution or, in other words, not to bite the hand that feeds you.

“The common law, even if there is no policy, is that anything that brings the company into disrepute can lead to disciplinary consequences up to termination,” said Sadleir.

Sadleir focused on hate speech and free speech, stating that free speech is a right that is entrenched in the constitution, but, like every other right, it has limitations. She mentioned Penny Sparrow, Matt Theunissen, Velaphi Khumalo, and Judge Mabel Jansen, all of whom have been lambasted by the public over their racist posts on social media. Sadleir stressed that, even on social media, content has to be within the confines of the law, and people must remember our rights are not absolute. We have a lot of freedoms, but no one cannot disseminate hate speech.

“Would you publish whatever you thinking on a billboard, close to a busy highway with your name, picture and employers details or the institution you studying at? If you have no grounds to justify the comment, do not post it,” warned Sadlier.

According to the South African Bill of Rights, everyone has the right to privacy, but an expectation of privacy has to be enforced. She said people over-document their lives on social media, decreasing your right to privacy drastically. “It is like CCTV footage of your life. It is simple, the more you take care of your privacy, the more you have,” said Sadleir.

Sadleir said it was important for Facebook users to have privacy settings where they can review posts where they are tagged. According to Sadleir, managing your reputation is not only limited to what you post about yourself but also managing what others post about you.

She cited a 2013 case in the Pretoria High Court in which a new wife wrote a scandalous Facebook post about her husband’s ex-wife, tagging the husband in the post. The courts found both the new wife and the husband guilty of defamation.

“If you have been tagged in something but have not been online and seen the content, you are then an innocent disseminator. The moment you are aware of the post you are liable for the content,” said Sadleir.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently,” Sadleir said, concluding her presentation with the quotation from Warren Buffet.

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