04/05/2026
In our recent In The Boardroom conversation, David Zinzan Zidel sat down with South African film producer and entrepreneur Adam Thal, whose journey is a powerful reminder of what it means to truly build something meaningful.
Adam’s story begins in Johannesburg, after his family rebuilt their lives from scratch following their move from Zimbabwe. Growing up in an entrepreneurial household, resilience wasn’t something he learned later in life, it was something he lived.
His passion for storytelling began early, sparked by a school video camera. Although he initially pursued electrical engineering, he soon realised his path lay elsewhere. With the support of his parents, he made the brave decision to follow creativity instead.
At film school, Adam and his business partner started building a company together while still studying. But in 2007, everything changed when his partner passed away unexpectedly. Faced with a difficult decision, Adam chose to continue the business, not just for survival but to honour what they had started.
As his career in commercial production grew, so did his success. But one realisation shifted everything:
He didn’t own the work he was creating.
That moment changed his entire approach to business. Through mentorship and experience, Adam transitioned from simply producing content to building long-term assets and ownership.
Today, his work spans global platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Showmax, and SuperSport, and he has earned international recognition including an Academy Award nomination.
But his biggest insight came at the Oscars:
The tools weren’t different. The processes weren’t different.
What was different was scale, access, and ownership.
Adam’s journey is a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship is not only about what you create but what you build, own, and sustain over time.
Because true success is measured in legacy, not just output.
