On being vulnerable, curiosity and truth

Presenter invites viewers to examine their views on identity and what it means to be South African

- Rolland Simpi Motaung

Journalist and presenter Govan Whittles has been writing and telling human stories for more than a decade. From his student days in Pretoria, where I first met him, to being a presenter on Carte Blanche, Whittles has carried the passion he has for his work to his new show Govan Ontbloot (Govan Exposed).

Produced by Combined Artists, also behind Carte Blanche, Govan Ontbloot takes viewers on a journey into the heart of communities far removed from the mainstream.

During our virtual interview, Whittles tells me the inspiration for the show was organic. M-Net, Kyknet and Combined Artists saw a gap for more dynamic Afrikaans content they wanted to explore.

“Carte Blanche is more of a formal show,” he says. “We wanted to do something casual and less confrontational and that is how we came up with this show. Govan Ontbloot is chilled and allows people to speak without being judged.”

The show looks at topics such as marginalisation, cultural preservation, addiction, identity issues and religious shifts through the eyes of those who experience them.

Filmed across three provinces, the series visited 15 towns from Kleinfontein’s self-proclaimed Afrikaner community near Pretoria to the back-to-the-ground movement in Knoflokskraal, in the Western Cape.

“I’ve always wanted to give people an opportunity to be vulnerable on camera and speak to people who have been written off in our society.

“What we try to achieve is sincerity and a raw, uncut look at what South Africa is without the outrage that follows in some of these interactions,” Whittles says.

Vulnerability and sincerity are certainly what he brings to the screen as he shares meals and sips tea with marginalised communities.

Instead of approaching stories with certainty and a scripted outcome, Whittles’s approach on Govan Ontbloot is led by curiosity and uncertainty, in learning about the lived experiences of his subjects.