'The Office' goes South African: Polony, awkward bosses and local humour

South African audiences are in for a treat as the local adaptation of the iconic mockumentary 'The Office' prepares to hit screens this month. 

'Die Kantoor', reimagined as an office selling polony, premieres on kykNET on 18 January and on Showmax on 20 January.

Bennie Fourie, who co-wrote and directed the adaptation, promises a distinctly South African take while keeping the humour bleak and awkward, just like the original.

"I think people are going to come with their preconceived ideas of what they want the show to be because everybody loves 'The Office'. If you give it two episodes and you learn to love these characters, then it becomes a show just about an office selling polony, and it's a very South African office, so I think people are going to resonate with that."

The series stars Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards winner Albert Pretorius as Flip, the office manager at Deluxe Processed Meats, who invites a documentary crew to film his journey to success and his playful pranks, drawing inspiration from Rassie Erasmus and Leon Schuster.

The cast includes SAFTA winner Schalk Bezuidenhout, screen legend Lida Botha, Carl Beukes, Silwerskerm winner Ilse Oppelt, Daniah de Villiers, Mehboob Bawa, former KFM presenter Sipumziwe Lucwaba, and newcomer Gert du Plessis.

Watch the trailer below:

Despite the pressure of adapting a beloved international hit, Fourie and his team embraced the challenge. 

“Initially, I put my hand up and said, ‘if somebody’s going to bugger it up, let us bugger it up.’ As soon as we started shooting, it felt right."

He assures fans that the show maintains the cringeworthy humour, awkward bosses, and group dynamics that made 'The Office' a classic.

To listen to Bennie Fourie in conversation with 947's Thando Thabethe, click the audio below: