About the Show
Die Boekklub (The Book Club) is an Afrikaans-language South African television drama series created by Louis Pretorius about a city slicker who moves to a small Karoo town and despite his reservations finds an unlikely new family when he joins the local book club.
Life has a way of sometimes taking a strange turn. For Tom Niemandt (Armand Aucamp), it all begins with the death of his grandmother Betty, who leaves him her guest house in a small Karoo town called Merweville. He doesn’t want the place! What should he do with it?
Unfortunately, it isn’t his choice and he is forced to stay in the village. As a Cape hipster he can think of nothing worse. Things change, however, when he meets his grandmother’s book club. And of course, the mysterious girl he meets in a field. What is she doing here, in the middle of nowhere?
The book club is an interesting group of people. There’s Anna (Jana Cilliers), Tom’s grandmother’s best friend and herbalist; the friendly farmer Herman (Arno Marais), who is equally good at sheep shearing and playing the harmonica; Hanli (Nicole Holm), a happy woman who takes any opportunity to bake and who is incredibly proud of her children; and Gerwin (Lee-Ann van Rooi), a teacher at the primary school who has already bought her own home and who strives to empower the people – and especially the children – in the district.
There’s also Gert (Paul du Toit) the butcher, a widower who enjoys jogging; Sofia (June van Merch), his grandmother’s business partner, and then there is… Lillie (Christia Visser).
Before Tom knows it he has become part of the day-to-day events and machinations of the small town, and finds an unlikely home among the book club members. Together with them he begins a journey of self-discovery which irrevocably changes him.
The cast includes Armand Aucamp, Jana Cilliers, June of Merch, Christia Visser, Nicole Holm, Paul du Toit, Lee-Ann van Rooi, Arno Marais, Marcel van Heerden, Anrich Herbst and Louw Venter.
Die Boekklub was written by Louis Pretorius (co-author of Vallei van Sluiers and Die Boland Moorde) with Quentin Krog (Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling and Sterlopers) as the director. Pretorius and Albert Snyman were the producers and music was by Braam du Toit. The supervising producer for kykNET was Marguerite Albrecht.
Filmed on location in Merweville, Die Boekklub was produced for kykNET by Moebius Films.