[1] Hannes Uys, a fourth-generation South African of Dutch and Belgian Huguenot stock,[1] was a musician and organist in his local church.

from the University of Cape Town where he began his dramatic career as an actor under the tutelage of Rosalie van der Gught, Mavis Taylor and Robert Mohr, among others.

Under Apartheid, Uys used the medium of humour and comedy to criticise and expose the absurdity of the South African government's racial policies.

Much of his work was not censored, indicating a tacit approval of his views by many members of the ruling party, who were not so bold as to openly admit mistakes and criticise the policies themselves.

Following South Africa's first non-racial elections in 1994, Uys starred in a TV series, Funigalore, in which Evita interviewed Nelson Mandela and other prominent politicians of the day.

He is currently involved in teaching AIDS awareness to children and education in the use of condoms, travelling to schools all over South Africa to spread the message of safe, responsible sex.

[14] Uys received the Special Teddy Award 2011[15] at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) for his commitment to AIDS education at South African schools and for his on-stage alter ego, Evita Bezuidenhout.

An independent jury presents the Teddy Award to individuals for lifetime achievements for films with LGBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) topics.