The South African Afrikaans adaptation of The Office is finally here, and while I really enjoyed it – I know it’s not a show for everyone.
The Office is known for its absurd and sometimes cringey humour, something that Die Kantoor gets right from the start. Unfortunately, that’s also the one thing I think not all audiences will enjoy. I, on the other hand, absolutely adore it when writers push the envelope in comedy. The show feels familiar, but still fresh and very South African. Instead of a paper company, the people in the office work at a polony processing plant called Deluxe Processed Meat (DPM).
The show keeps everything that made the original British and American versions memorable and adds a little South African flair to it. It might be primarily Afrikaans, but it captures all sides of the South African experience. The diversity of cultures and races adds to the humour, which is where it gets a little cringey at times.
The characters sometimes feel like they were pulled straight from The Office US, but adapted for local audiences. If you’ve worked in the corporate world in Namibia or South Africa, then you’ve probably run into a few of these characters. The one thing that sets this show apart from all the other adaptations is that the personalities of all the characters are established in the first few episodes, so you already feel like you know them.
Everyone’s hilarious, and they beautifully complement each other. Albert Pretorius stars as a Michael Scott-esque office manager, and he actually reminds me of one of my former bosses. The show also stars Schalk Bezuidenhout, Lida Botha, Carl Beukes, Ilse Oppelt, Daniah de Villiers, Mehboob Bawa, Sipumziwe Lucwaba and Gert du Plessis.
The show is set in Klerksdorp, which is ideal, as it needed that small-city feeling. The intro is also very reminiscent of The Office US, and it even has a catchy jingle. You get exactly what you’d expect as soon as the intro credits roll, and I genuinely love the mockumentary-style.
The show was adapted by Bennie Fourie, who also serves as head writer and director. He captures the essence of what makes The Office different from all other mockumentaries and excellently executes it for South African audiences. We have a unique sense of humour, and the candid camera feel kind of sells those moments that usually happen behind the scenes.
I know The Office isn’t for everyone, and that’s also why I know Die Kantoor won’t be for everyone. The humour can come across as crude, dark or a little insensitive at times, but if there’s one thing South Africans do well, it’s laughing together. This show will definitely make you laugh.
I’m excited for everyone to get the chance to watch this. It feels authentic to the real kantoor experience and, at the same time, it’s purely entertainment. The cast brings their A-game and makes this a fun watch. We need to laugh a little, and this show made me laugh a lot. I’m not going to criticise anything about the show, because comedy is subjective, but I did rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
The show will premiere with a preview episode airing at 20:00 on Sunday, 18 January 2026 on kykNET. It will be followed by a Showmax double-bill premiere on Tuesday, 20 January 2026. This will also mark the 14th international remake of the globally beloved show.
