The best Afrikaans shows
Afrikaans television has flourished over the past two decades, producing a remarkable range of stories, characters and stars that have become part of South Africa’s television culture. From long-running daily soap operas and telenovelas on kykNET to gripping dramas, comedies, reality shows, documentaries, travel series and family-friendly favourites, there is an Afrikaans show for almost every kind of viewer.
For many viewers, Afrikaans television has long been synonymous with kykNET, which has established itself as one of the country’s biggest homes for local-language entertainment. The channel and its sister services have delivered some of South Africa’s most recognisable productions, from the enduring popularity of Binnelanders, Suidooster and Diepe Waters to reality favourites such as Boer Soek ’n Vrou and newer dramas and comedies that continue to push Afrikaans storytelling in fresh directions. And while the end of 7de Laan left a very noticeable gap on the television landscape, it certainly did not mean the end of great Afrikaans television. Quite the opposite. There is now an enormous catalogue to explore. Whether you’re looking for a long-running daily soapie to follow every week, a gripping drama to binge, a comedy to unwind with, a reality show to get invested in or a proudly South African story you may have missed, there are plenty of options across DStv Stream, Netflix, eVOD and other platforms.
We’ve handpicked a selection of the best Afrikaans shows worth watching and streaming, bringing together established favourites, newer hits and titles that deserve another look. From Binnelanders, Suidooster and Diepe Waters to Wyfie, Reënboogrant, Kelders van Geheime and Netflix‘s Ludik, this guide covers the shows that have helped make Afrikaans television such an important part of South Africa’s entertainment landscape. We’ve also included reality favourites such as Boer Soek ’n Vrou alongside comedies, thrillers, documentaries and other productions that showcase just how broad the Afrikaans television offering has become.
The best Afrikaans shows to stream right now
If you’re specifically looking for something you can watch or catch up on now, start here. We’ve grouped some of the biggest and most interesting Afrikaans titles according to where you can stream them, while also highlighting what each show is about and why it is worth adding to your watchlist.
Long-running Afrikaans soapies and telenovelas
Binnelanders
One of Afrikaans television’s biggest and longest-running soap operas, Binnelanders remains a fixture for viewers looking for daily drama, romance, family conflict and the ever-changing lives of the people connected to the Binneland hospital. More than twenty years after the first episode aired on 13 October 2005, the drama inside and outside the walls of Binneland Clinic remains one of kykNET‘s greatest successes. The stories revolve around the lives of a dedicated group of professionals at the clinic who are committed to healing the suffering of their patients. Germandt Geldenhuys won Best Actor in a Telenovela or Soap Opera for his role as Louis at this year’s Silwerskerm Awards for Film and TV, while Izette Blignaut won Best Newcomer in a Telenovela or Soap Opera for her role as Petro. Watch Binnelanders from Monday to Friday at 19:30 on kykNET, with new episodes added to DStv Stream and Catch Up.
Suidooster
Set in the fictional Cape Town community of Ruiterbosch, Suidooster follows the interconnected lives of families, friends and neighbours who all seem to know one another’s business. Secrets emerge, relationships are tested and everyday mistakes regularly turn into much bigger problems. It has become one of Afrikaans television’s most recognisable daily dramas, offering viewers a combination of family storytelling, romance, comedy and plenty of conflict. Watch Suidooster from Monday to Friday at 18:00 on kykNET (DStv Channel 144). It’s also available on DStv Stream.
Getroud met Rugby
One of Afrikaans television’s beloved comedy-drama series, Getroud met Rugby one of kykNET’s best-known Afrikaans dramas, taking viewers into the glamorous, complicated and often scandal-filled world surrounding a professional rugby club and the people connected to it. The series combines sport, romance, friendship, family and comedy, making it a natural choice for viewers looking for something lighter. A nostalgic favourite that blends rugby culture with relationship drama and humour. The original drama became a major kykNET success and was later developed into the daily soap Getroud met Rugby: Die Sepie.
Diepe Waters
In its fourth season, Diepe Waters is the kykNET telenovela that takes viewers into the complicated world of the Swarts family and their prestigious swimming club, Die Swartmarlyne. At the heart of the story are families whose ambitions, relationships and rivalries often collide as they fight to stay ahead, both in and out of the pool. Watch Diepe Waters Mondays to Thursdays at 18:30 on kykNET (DStv channel 144). It’s also available online on DStv Stream and on Catch Up.
Nêrens, Noord-Kaap
Nêrens, Noord-Kaap is an Afrikaans family drama about three estranged brothers who are drawn back to their childhood home, the drought-stricken Northern Cape farm Nêrens. Their return forces them to confront their bitter, emotionally distant father, Lourens Adendorff, as well as the secrets, heartbreak and unresolved trauma surrounding their mother’s death. The series is based on Nico Scheepers‘ stage play of the same name, with Scheepers also directing the television adaptation. The series had an exceptional run at the 2025 Silwerskerm Awards. Frank Opperman won Best Actor in a Drama, while Geon Nel won Best Supporting Actor. Ilse Klink and Daneel van der Walt also won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively, making Nêrens, Noord-Kaap the most awarded TV series at that year’s ceremony.
Arendsvlei
Arendsvlei is an Afrikaans telenovela set in a fictional community on the Cape Flats, with the fictional Arendsvlei High School at the centre of the story. The school is run by the Cupido family, and the series follows the teachers, pupils, families and wider community as they navigate relationships, family conflict, ambition, betrayal and the many pressures facing life in the Vlei. Arendsvlei premiered on 1 October 2018 as kykNET & kie‘s first original Afrikaans telenovela. The series ultimately ran for six seasons with more than 1,000 episodes. By Season 6, Arendsvlei had already won three SAFTAs and at the Silwerskerm Festival Television Awards, Dan-Jacques Mouton won Best Actor and Devonecia Swarts won Best Newcomer. Most notable for putting Cape Flats characters, voices and experiences at the centre of a mainstream Afrikaans television drama.
Boer Soek ’n Vrou
Boer Soek ’n Vrou is one of South Africa’s best-known Afrikaans dating reality shows, bringing single farmers from across the country together with hopeful romantics looking for love. The format has proved remarkably enduring because the romance is only part of the appeal: viewers also get an entertaining glimpse into different farming lifestyles and personalities. The hit DStv dating show Boer soek ’n vrou, which is now airing on kykNET, has revealed the five farmers who will continue their search for love in Season 18 and marked the occasion with a striking new photoshoot. Boer soek ’n vrou airs on Thursdays at 20:00 on kykNET and is also available on DStv Stream.
Magda Louw
Magda Louw is an Afrikaans mockumentary comedy centred on Magda Louw, a middle-aged woman navigating the realities of getting older, marriage, motherhood and the everyday absurdities of life. The series follows Magda and her husband, Erhard, as they participate in a reality television programme, with a camera crew documenting their day-to-day lives often capturing far more than the couple intended. Magda Louw began as a one-woman stage production created by Desiré Gardner before being adapted into a 2021 kykNET story film and eventually expanded into the television series. Magda Louw had a major SAFTA moment in 2026. At the 19th South African Film and Television Awards, the series was one of the big winners in the TV categories, taking four awards. Desiré Gardner won Best Actress in a TV Comedy for Magda Louw 2, while Hannes van Wyk won Best Actor in a TV Comedy.
New fan-favourite Afrikaans shows streaming
Die Kantoor
If you love workplace comedy, Die Kantoor offers a distinctly Afrikaans take on the genre. Die Kantoor is the South African Afrikaans adaptation of the hit workplace comedy The Office, bringing the mockumentary format to a very South African setting. Albert Pretorius won Best Lead performer in a Comedy for his role as Flip at Silwerskerm Awards 2026, with Schalk Bezuidenhout taking home Best Supporting Performer in a Comedy with his role as Tjaart. The series had five nods in total at this year’s Silwerskerm Awards. All the episodes of Die Kantoor are available to binge on DStv Stream.
Reënboogrant
Reënboogrant is a South African Afrikaans teen telenovela set in Tshwane, following the Brink family and their friends as they navigate teenage drama, family conflict, romance, ambition and intense social rivalries. The story centres on the Brink family, with sisters Shani and Sunette in Grade 10 and their older brother Dolf, who is in matric and serves as the school’s head boy. The series is based on the popular Afrikaans young-adult novels by Louise van Niekerk, originally published in the 1990s. An accessible ensemble drama with plenty of interconnected storylines. Reënboogrant Season 2 premiered on 28 August 2026 on kykNET and airs every Friday at 18:30. New episodes are also available on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
Ontwaak
Ontwaak adds another dramatic option to the growing selection of Afrikaans productions available to audiences, with its characters facing personal challenges and difficult choices. The series follows Melissa Human, a psychiatrist who returns to South Africa and begins working at Noordlig, a facility for highly dangerous patients. Her new job takes a disturbing turn when she discovers a sinister cult called Horisonne, which has drawn in her daughter Adri The cult is led by Melissa’s former fiancé, Melchior. All the episodes of Ontwaak are available to binge on DStv Stream.
Widely acclaimed Afrikaans series to stream right now
Koek
Koek is an Afrikaans crime comedy centred on Christelle Smit, a Cape Town housewife who suspects her husband is having an affair with a stripper named Candi Floss. What starts as an attempt to investigate her husband’s suspected infidelity quickly pulls Christelle far outside the comfortable suburban life she knows and into the criminal underworld. The series garnered praise from viewers and critics alike, plus an International Emmy nomination in its first season. Koek had a particularly strong showing at the 2024 kykNET Silwerskerm Awards, where it won four awards, sweeping the drama category for best actor and actress in a drama for Jacques Bessenger and Cindy Swanepoel, as well as for best male and female supporting actor in a drama for Dawid Minnaar and Sandra Prinsloo. All the episodes of Koek are available on DStv Stream.
Wyfie
Wyfie is a South African Afrikaans university drama that follows four very different young women as they navigate friendship, love, identity, university politics and the complicated realities of student life. The series quickly became one of the newer Afrikaans titles to attract attention, with its young cast giving it a distinctly contemporary feel. Wyfie was nominated for Best International Series at The Seoul International Drama Awards; Best Soap or Telenovela at the Rose d’Or Awards in London; and Outstanding Use of Locations at the Global Production Awards in Cannes, France, presented by Screen International. All the episodes of Wyfie are available to binge on DStv Stream.
Afrikaans shows currently airing on TV and streaming
Die Toring
Die Toring is an Afrikaans telenovela set in the high-pressure world of investment banking in Cape Town. The story takes viewers inside Meyer Peterson Investments, an elite financial firm where ambition, money and power determine who rises to the top. At the centre are four young analysts, Stella Fredericks, Theo Burger, Cassandra “Cazz” Fouché and Ezra Grootboom who find themselves competing for success while dealing with intense workplace pressure, complicated relationships and the personal cost of their ambitions. A different world for an Afrikaans telenovela, strong ensemble cast. Watch Die Toring every Monday at 21:00 on kykNET and episodes are available on DStv Stream.
Beter as Gister
Beter as Gister is an Afrikaans drama that follows four families and the different ways fatherhood, responsibility, love and family expectations shape their lives. At the heart of the series is a simple but provocative question: why are fathers often held to a different standard than mothers? The 13-episode drama explores modern fatherhood through men who find themselves dealing with parenting, relationships, loss, second chances and the consequences of their choices. The drama brings together Neels van Jaarsveld, Edwin van der Walt, Elton Landrew, Frank Rautenbach, Rolanda Marais, Greteli Fincham, Hanna Grobler and June van Merch, alongside a younger ensemble. Watch Beter as Gister every Tuesday at 20:00, with new episodes available on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
Die Nuusmakers
Die Nuusmakers is an Afrikaans drama set inside a Johannesburg newsroom, taking viewers behind the scenes of a team responsible for gathering and delivering breaking news while juggling their own complicated personal lives. Rolanda Marais won Best Actress in a Drama at this year’s Silwerskerm Awards for her performance as Adri Joubert, with the series receiving two nominations for Best Achievement in Scriptwriting for a TV Drama and Best Achievement in Make-up and Hairstyling.
Die Oord
Die Oord is a 10-episode Afrikaans crime drama set in the fictional coastal holiday town of Kalfiebaai, where generations of families return to the same caravan park every December. The seemingly idyllic holiday atmosphere is shattered when the body of a teenage boy washes up on the beach, turning the close-knit community into a murder investigation where suddenly everyone is a suspect. Die oord boasts a star-studded cast featuring big names such as Jana Kruger, Erica Wessels, Melissa de Vries, Dawid Minnaar, Jacques Bessenger, Nicole Holm, Zane Meas, Antoinette Kellermann, Laudo Liebenberg, Liam Bosman, Clayton Evertson and Amalia Uys.
Pronk Primêr
Pronk Primêr is an Afrikaans sitcom set at a small-town public primary school, where five former school friends return to the school they once attended. The series stars Juanita de Villiers, Tobie Cronjé, Pietie Beyers, Solomon Cupido, Laura-Lee Mostert and Jaco Muller, with supporting performances from actors including Condré Scholtz, Milan van Vuuren, Karin Retief and Marijke van der Westhuizen. Tobie Cronjé won Best Supporting Actor in a TV Comedy at the 2026 South African Film and Television Awards for his performance as Principal Welgehawe.
Een Keer Om Die Son
Een Keer Om Die Son is a South African Afrikaans family drama that follows the Van Wyk family through one life-changing year. When tragedy suddenly strikes, the family is forced to confront grief, secrets, complicated relationships and the cracks that have been growing beneath the surface. It was a massive hit in 2024 when it premiered on kykNET, with outstanding performances earning Silwerskerm Award nominations including Jacques Bessenger, Liam Bosman, and Alma van Heerden.
Afrikaans hits to stream on Netflix and eVOD
Tuiskoms
Tuiskoms is a seven-part Afrikaans romantic comedy-drama about Fleur (Amalia Uys), a woman who, after suffering a series of personal setbacks and mourning a profound loss, returns with her daughter to her childhood home in Wilderness on the Cape south coast. Back under the roof of her mother, Abigail (Michelle Botes), Fleur decides to start over. Opening a flower shop gives her a new purpose and introduces her to a new community, new friendships and the possibility of finding love again. The late Michelle Botes, renowned for her previous portrayals of iconic villains in South African television, takes on a gentler role as a mother and confidant in Tuiskoms. Michelle Botes won the 2026 SAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama for her performance as Abigail.
Kelders van Geheime
The Afrikaans telenovela became a cultural talking point, drawing viewers into a world of buried secrets, fractured loyalties, and hard-won redemption. The series is set around Soebatskloof, a wine farm in the Cape, and follows the intertwined lives, secrets and conflicts of the Abrahams, Syster and Marais families. Kelders van Geheime is available to binge on eVOD.
Ludik
The explosive 6-episode series follows the story of Daan Ludik, portrayed by South African and Hollywood icon Arnold Vosloo as he tries to drag his empire out of a scandalous mess. Netflix‘s Ludik marked an important moment for Afrikaans storytelling on an international streaming platform. A darker, more international-style crime story told in Afrikaans, with Arnold Vosloo leading the cast. All the episode for Ludik are available to binge on Netflix.
More Afrikaans shows worth discovering
The titles above are only the beginning. Afrikaans television stretches far beyond the biggest daily dramas, with an extensive catalogue of series that includes reality shows, travel programmes, documentaries, comedies, thrillers, lifestyle productions and family entertainment.
Among the titles worth exploring are Appels en Tee, Mevrou Vrouie & Kie, Taktiek, Die Brug, Straat and Hotel, alongside the many productions that continue to arrive on kykNET, kykNET & kie and streaming platforms.
Some of these shows may not always be available on every streaming service, so availability can change. That is why this guide will continue to evolve.
Afrikaans shows on DStv Stream
DStv Stream remains one of the most useful destinations for viewers looking to keep up with Afrikaans television, particularly if you want access to long-running kykNET favourites, daily dramas and newer local productions. From Binnelanders, Suidooster and Diepe Waters to newer titles and returning favourites, this is where viewers can find many of the shows that continue to shape Afrikaans television.
The Afrikaans shows to put on your watchlist
Whether you grew up watching Afrikaans television or are discovering it for the first time, there has never been a better time to explore the catalogue.
There are the long-running soap operas that have become part of viewers’ daily routines. There are telenovelas and dramas packed with secrets, romance and family conflict. There are comedies for when you want something lighter, reality shows that keep audiences talking and documentaries that explore real South African stories. And then there are the newer productions shows such as Wyfie, Reënboogrant, Een Keer Om Die Son and Die Kantoor, proving that Afrikaans television continues to find new ways to tell stories.
So whether you’re looking for your next daily soapie, a weekend binge, a reality guilty pleasure or a new Afrikaans favourite, start with this list. We’ll keep updating this guide as new Afrikaans shows arrive and more titles become available to stream.
