When Aadielah Maker Diedericks talks about what shaped her life’s work, she does not begin with university or her career. Instead, she goes back to her childhood, where inequality was not an abstract concept but something her family experienced every day.
Born in District Six before her family was forcibly removed to Mitchell’s Plain, Diedericks grew up witnessing how inequality affected people’s lives. Those experiences ultimately steered her towards a career in public health and advocacy.
Today, the 58-year-old is Secretary General of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA), working across Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to promote evidence-based alcohol policies that reduce harm and protect vulnerable families.
“I had a brother who had a disability and lacked access to facilities. That was compounded by growing up in Mitchell’s Plain, where young girls I went to school with were falling pregnant at a young age,” Diedericks said.
“Meeting people living with HIV in person changed me. I was at university when Shaun Mellors, who was living with HIV and AIDS, addressed our third-year psychology class. It strengthened my determination to address the social and environmental factors that influence people’s health and the choices they make.”
Building a career around prevention
For more than three decades, Diedericks has worked in sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, child and youth development, gender equality, and violence prevention. She holds a Master’s degree in Community Health from the University of New South Wales in Australia.
Among the achievements she is most proud of is helping develop the Soul Buddyz multimedia intervention. When children across South Africa embraced the pilot project, it led to the creation of Soul Buddyz clubs that continue to have an impact today.
“When we tested the pilot project, children across South Africa asked to join. We had never intended to create a club, but that response led to the birth of Soul Buddyz clubs across the country,” she said. “Even today, adults tell me what Soul Buddyz meant in their lives, and that reminds me what children can achieve when they are given opportunities.”
Despite her accomplishments, Diedericks says becoming a leader meant first learning to believe in her own voice.
“One of the biggest challenges as a Black woman leader has been developing confidence in my own voice. Apartheid affected many people’s self-esteem and, with English being my second language, I had to work hard to build the confidence to speak up in rooms filled with academics and professionals.”
More than three decades later, that same belief continues to guide her work in public health advocacy. “Change is a long-term project. Every one person’s life you impact creates a ripple effect. When people tell me our work has changed their lives, it reminds me why this work matters.”
Fighting alcohol harm through policy
Those experiences now inform the issue that occupies much of her time – reducing alcohol-related harm across Southern Africa. As Secretary General of SAAPA, Diedericks advocates for stronger alcohol policies to address what she believes is one of the region’s most preventable public health challenges.
“Across Southern Africa, alcohol is widely available in the places where people live, and too often that availability is poorly regulated. Children are exposed to alcohol on their way to and from school, neighbours sell it from their homes, and many grow up seeing harmful drinking as normal. Over time that shapes their own choices.”
She said the consequences extended far beyond alcohol consumption itself. “Alcohol diverts money away from household needs, contributes to gender-based violence, and exposes children to violence, creating lasting consequences for families.”
Her advocacy is grounded in research. Diedericks is the co-principal investigator of a four-country study examining the relationship between alcohol availability and gender-based violence.
She also co-authored a paper, published in 2025, examining the alcohol industry’s involvement in delaying South Africa’s Draft Liquor Amendment Bill. She believes scientific evidence, rather than commercial interests, should guide alcohol policy.
“It is critical that Southern Africa adopts evidence-based alcohol policies because science should guide legislation and public health programmes. The alcohol industry should not regulate its own advertising. Advertising around six-packs and ‘two for the price of one’ promotes a consumption culture that is unhealthy and feeds into the binge-drinking culture we particularly experience in South Africa. None of the advertising tells women that every drink they take increases their risk of breast cancer.”
Diedericks emphasised that independent regulation would better protect consumers.
Putting people first
One finding from her recent research has remained with her long after the interviews ended. “What really surprised me was hearing people speak about the constant noise and lack of sleep because alcohol outlets operate in residential areas.
When children and adults don’t get enough sleep over long periods, it affects both their physical and mental wellbeing.“
Balancing a demanding advocacy career with family life has not always been easy, she admits.
“At night you must have a cut-off time. Having an understanding partner helps. I have also ensured that my children understand what the next two weeks will look like and what my work requires, and I still do that today even though they are older.”
As South Africa marks Women’s Month, Diedericks says it is an opportunity to recognise progress while reflecting on the work that still lies ahead. “It’s an opportunity to affirm yourself and others, celebrate positive change, and reflect.”
From a childhood shaped by forced removals and inequality to helping influence public health policy across Southern Africa, Diedericks has built a career on the belief that lasting change begins when people are equipped to make informed choices about their own lives.
“I want to help create spaces where individuals and communities can make informed choices about their own lives. As professionals, our role is to support communities so they can lead change themselves.”