Finally! South Africa gets its own version of “The Office’ with ‘Die Kantoor’

THERE'S a special kind of chaos that happens when a character humiliates themselves, pauses mid-mess and looks straight into the camera like, “Please confirm I’m not the only one seeing this madness.

- BERNELEE VOLLMER

”That, dear reader, is the mockumentary, where fiction pretends to be reality and comedy lives in uncomfortable silence. When characters break the fourth wall to speak directly to us, it’s called direct address or the talking head style, and frankly, it’s one of television’s finest inventions.

Shows like The Office and Modern Family turned awkward stares, dry pauses and brutally honest mini interviews into pure comedic art. And let’s be honest, it’s hilarious.

This format has slowly become a favourite because it feels dangerously real. The messy energy, the side eyes, the exaggerated politeness hiding pure irritation. Its basically the workplace but with better lighting and sharper punchlines.

Shows like Hotel gave us a taste of how well this style translates locally, with actors such as Schalk Bezuidenhout, De Klerk Oelofse, Beer Adriaanse, Cintaine Schutte and Margit Meyer-Rédenbeck, embracing the awkward brilliance of the genre and delivering performances that proved South Africans don’t just understand mockumentaries, they excel at them.