We know, we know. Is Stuff seriously suggesting its readers watch Die Kantoor, an Afrikaans spin-off of what is arguably the greatest sitcom of all time? Yes. Yes, we are. We, too, wondered whether the South African audience was ready for a proper recreation of a workplace mockumentary — or more accurately, whether the writers were up for such a Herculean task. After watching the first two episodes, available on Showmax, we can say…
Die Kantoor is certified kiff, Charna
Die Kantoor pulls off the near impossible by combining elements of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s 2001 workplace mockumentary, as well as Michael Schur’s US retelling that stuck Steve Carell in the manager’s seat — though with a distinctly South African flavour (and a hint of Parks and Rec seasoning). Die Kantoor’s main crew, consisting of Flip, Tjaart, Joubert, and Emma, are all obvious caricatures of those who came before them.
If you’ve seen the original or its US knockoff, then you’ve got a pretty good idea of who’s who. Flip Bosman (Albert Pretorious) plays the awkward, overly cringy boss to perfection, delicately adjusting his tie every time one of his racey jokes flies over his colleague’s heads, or more accurately, nobody finds him particularly funny.
Joubert’s (Gert du Plessis) hilarious workplace rivalry with Tjaart (Schalk Bezuidenhout) is in full swing from the get-go, and the kindling already laid for the eventual workplace romance between… well, we won’t spoil it if Die Kantoor is your first foray into this office mockumentary, which has since grown into a genre of its own.
As hilarious as the central posse is, Die Kantoor wouldn’t work without every member actor nailing their roles, small as their parts may be — especially in the series’ early days. And boy, does Die Kantoor work. Emma (Daniah De Villiers) plays the role of newcomers social media manager (and “pa”) deftly, as do the rest of the cast. It’d be a crime if the likes of Ilse Oppelt and Sipumziwe Lucwaba, at least, don’t get more room to grow as the show does.
What2Watch: Severance
Die Rassie of Polony?
Die Kantoor may employ the same basic building blocks that power The Office elsewhere — thoughtful cinematography that captures the mockumentary style chief among them — but this show’s greatest strength is its reliance on good writing, which in turn don’t rely on the words of Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, or the many excellent writers who made The Office US the sensation it is today. We appreciated that it did its own thing.
Selling paper is so 2001. That’s why the series follows the antics of the still utterly boring Deluxe Processed Meats, a polony company all the way out in Klerksdorp. That’s only a front to get this crew riffing off one another in the same room because, as “Q” says, he’s never seen anyone ever make a sale of polony.
The humour, too, takes the utter South African-ness on display in its stride. It’s a wholly Afrikaans affair (this is Klerksdorp), but don’t let that halt you. We found ourselves laughing out loud across the first two episodes. This, by the way, comes from an English speaker who knows about as much Afrikaans as Ricky Gervais. There are a couple of ‘in-jokes’ that might slip by the average English-speaker, but the subtitles get the point across, and well.
Die Kantoor tempts HR departments everywhere as it walks that fine line between hysterical and, er, ‘PC’ rather well — mimicking the sort of jokes you’d find at an actual corporate environment down at Klerksdorp (we’d imagine, anyway). It tackles South Africa’s many issues with impressive sleight of hand and a heart of gold, unafraid to stick any of the diverse cast into the firing line.
If Stuff’s ceaseless gushing can’t convince you that Die Kantoor is worthy of your time, nothing will. You best believe we’ll be glued to our TVs every Tuesday when the latest episodes drop on Showmax.
