Ace your Matric exams with 10 Afrikaans series and movies

The National Matric Exams are just around the corner and to support the hardworking matriculants in South Africa who will be writing Afrikaans as one of their main language subjects, you could offer them a little Showmax inspiration with Afrikaans appreciation.

The Afrikaans series on Showmax have handy subtitles to help you along, and while watching the series and movies, you will also learn more about Afrikaans culture and get an appreciation for this delightfully poetic, expressive and flexible local language, which was once called kombuistaal (a kitchen language).

Here are 10 must-watch gems, packed with life lessons, drama, and awesome entertainment that will make you fall in love with Afrikaans!

Quick links

1. Lien se Lankstaanskoene 

2. Fiela se Kind

3. Vaselinetjie

4. Reënboogrant Season 1 

5. Trompoppie Season 1

6. Dinge Van ’n Kind

7. Die Pro

8. Hollywood In My Huis

9. Meerkat Maantuig

10. Tydelik Terminaal

10 movies and series to get you speaking Afrikaans

1. Lien se Lankstaanskoene 

Director André Odendaal and screenwriter Saartjie Botha have adapted Derick van der Walt’s novel of the same name, one of our Grade 12 setworks for 2025. 

Matric student Lien Jooste (Carmen Pretorius, who played the “prostitute” in Table Manners) goes from rich and secure, to life on the edge after her father is arrested for fraud. As her mom Christien (Franci Swanepoel, Truida in Donkerland) sinks deeper into alcoholism and despair, Lien shows resilience and courage in the face of hardship. Supported by her dreams, her neighbour Tanie Bets (Marie Pentz, Ouma Anna in Hoofmeisie), a couple of supportive teachers, and her only friend Wouter (Gideon Lombard, Young Pa Lourens in Nêrens, Noord-Kaap), Lien goes all out to keep her chin up, keep food on the table, and take care of her brother Braam (Tiaan Kelderman, Lance in Reënboogrant) – even if it means begging on the street.

Did you know? Carmen was in Matric when she won the 2008 reality series High School Musical: Spotlight South Africa.

2. Fiela se Kind

Brett Michael Innes’ (Khaki Fever, My F*k, Marelize) latest adaptation of Dalene Matthee’s 1985 novel Fiela se Kind/Fiela’s Child (a setwork for Grade 12 in 2025) stars Zenobia Kloppers (Rebecca in soapie series Suidooster S4-6) as Fiela Komoetie, and Wayne Smith (Jack in Fynskrif) as the older Benjamin. Fans of Dalene Metthee’s work should also look out for the movie adaptation of Toorbos, which is set in the Knysa forest during the 1930s.

When Fiela, a coloured woman in Southern Africa in the 1890s, finds a three-year-old boy lost on her doorstep in the Karoo, she takes him in and raises him as her own son … until government officials take notice and return him to his supposed white birth family, the Van Rooyens, who’re poor woodcutters in the Knysna forest. For the next 10 years, Benjamin and Fiela face abuse and despair as they struggle to find one another again, while Benjamin wrestles to claim his true identity in a racially and culturally divided country. 

Did you know? Director Brett Michael Innes uses wood as a symbol of strength, growth and flexibility, but also leans into its Chinese Taoist link to negative feelings of anger.

3. Vaselinetjie

Looking for a similar story to Fiela se Kind, set at a different time? Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Anoeschka von Meck, this film tells a story about race, culture and identity – specifically the identity of Helena Bosman (Marguerite van Eden, Jane in movie Somerkersfees) who was found abandoned as a baby in the heat-seared veld of the Northern Cape.

She is taken in by an elderly couple who nickname her Vaselinetjie (a reference to the Vaseline that was put on her burned skin when she was baby) and she calls them oupa and ouma (Afrikaans for grandad and granny). When she is older, though, social services take her away and place her in an orphanage in Johannesburg far away from everything she knows.

In the orphanage, Helena faces many troubles, and experiences some happiness. But the main life lesson of the story is that everyone has a purpose, no matter how you were brought into this world. We can’t recreate our past, but we can navigate our future.

Did you know? The film digs into the politics of post-apartheid South Africa, the relationship between communities and race, and how those who apartheid oppressed have navigated their new world without any legal restrictions.

4. Reënboogrant Season 1 

This Showmax Original telenovela was inspired by Louise van Niekerk’s 1990s young adult novels, which were updated and adapted for screen by screenwriter Desiré Gardner. 

Hoërskool Reënboogrant Rhinos cheerleader Shani Brink (Minke Marais, Miempie in Mooiweer en Warm) has big dreams of translating her skills on the squad to a career in modelling or being an actress. Performance is performance. But Shani is surrounded by mean girl frenemies looking to topple her off the pyramid – like rich girl Rachelle Labuschagne (Marelee Ferreira), and jealous social media terror Tina Swanepoel (Cara Kruger, Kiki in Horisonne). And if you’ve seen Shani going “one, one and two” at cheerleader practice, you know she’s not quite ready to step it up like a Trompoppie. If you’re struggling to imagine your post-Matric world, you’ll really relate to Shani’s constantly shifting dreams. 

Did you know? Mila de Villiers (Megan in  Wyfie), who plays Shani’s “perfect” headgirl big sister Sunette, used to sneak away to the school library during breaks to read the Reënboogrant novels. 

5. Trompoppie Season 1

In the Showmax Original murder-mystery series Trompoppie, the rich Patterson family take shy, ambitious gymnast Luna (Melissa Myburgh, Mika in Kompleks) under their wing believing that she has the star quality to boost their daughter Zanne's (Celeste Loots, Amanda in Wyfie) Deacon College cheerleading squad to the next level. But when Zanne goes missing during Luna's top secret initiation ceremony, everyone's lacquered claws point at the new girl. 

If you love a grand villain, you won’t be able to take your eyes off Marion Holm (“Actress” in the comedy series Taktiek) as soap-star-turned-helicopter mom and trophy wife Jill Peterson. What a menace!

Did you know? Aside from having backgrounds in dance and gymnastics, the cast trained and ate like real trompoppies for months – and Jane de Wet (Valerie) was a real-life cheerleader for the DHL Stormers and the IPL in India, while Maite Rakabe (Tracy) was a stunt performer on the movie The Woman King. 

6. Dinge Van ’n Kind

How about some history with your literature? This Nagvlug Films (Donkerbos, Nêrens, Noord-Kaap) drama series is based on Marita van der Vyver’s classic 1994 novel Die Dinge Van ’n Kind, which centres on the beginnings of womanhood and the loss of innocence – in every sense – as a woman tries to answer the questions “Who am I”, and “Where do I belong?” at different phases of her life.

Mart Vermaak grows to adulthood in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa in the 1970s (played by Melissa Myburg, Luna in Trompoppie), 1990s (played by Cintaine Schutte, who joined Wyfie in Season 2), and the present (played by Susanne Beyers, Salie in Een Keer Om die Son). And look out for rising star Mienke Ehlers (Lydia in Magda Louw) as the young Mart’s rebellious best friend, Dalena. There are so many attitudes and actions for students and literature lovers to debate. 

Did you know? Cintaine Schutte played Mart in the 2019 one-woman stage show of the story. And if you’re looking for more book-to-film high school stories, try Spooksoeker, a supernatural young adult drama series based on François Bloemhof’s Spooksoeker series of novels.

7. Die Pro

Leon de Villiers’ novel Die Pro used to be a prescribed book for Afrikaans as a high school subject. It focuses on teenage surfer Tiaan (Edwin van der Walt, Theo in the comedy series Troukoors), who must come to terms with the accidental death of his best friend, Dirkie (Viljé Maritz, Andries Pretorius in the series Bloedbroers).

Tiaan suffers heavily and refuses to surf again, until Dirkie’s twin sister Yvette (Reine Swart, Cindy in Nul is Nie Niks Nie) arrives in town and turns to Tiaan for help with her quest to be selected to join Wave-Seeker, a fictional World Surf Tour, which Tiaan and Dirkie wanted to be a part of.

This film teaches teenagers how to deal with loss, and to learn to work through trauma and to be okay with getting on with life, even though it sometimes still hurts.

Did you know? Afrikaans actor and singer Bouwer Bosch (Thys in Thys & Trix) wrote and recorded the theme song for this movie, Vlug (Afrikaans for flee).

8. Hollywood In My Huis

This movie about a Matric farewell (how fitting!) stars actress and singer Christia Visser (Lillie in the drama series Die Boekklub, another must-watch) as wallflower Jana van Tonder, who hasn’t had it easy in life.

At school she is basically invisible and even gets bullied by the blonde bombshell head girl Angelique (Leandie du Randt, Dr Jolene Joubert in Hartklop). You can just feel that “mean girl” vibe. There is a boy (of course there is, it’s a rom-com) Jana smaaks (Afrikaans for fancies), who she hopes will be her date for the Matric farewell, but of course things don’t go her way. Later, Jana learns who she is meant to be with – and he was right beside her all the time.

Did you know? The movie is set in 2004, when South African-born actress Charlize Theron won her first Oscar for Best Actress. This is a huge moment for Jana, who uses Charlize’s Oscar red carpet dress as inspiration for her own Matric farewell gown.

9. Meerkat Maantuig

Towerkuns (magic), is the best way to describe this beautiful film about a young girl named Gideonette de la Rey (Anchen du Plessis, who also plays young Vaselinetjie), who lives in fear that her family curse – die vloek – will get her! Anyone with the name Gideon in her family will supposedly die early in life, and as Gideonette is named after her father Gideon (Why? What were they thinking?) who has just died, she is constantly waiting for her impending doom, until her mom sends her away to go live with her grandparents.

Once on their farm, Gideonette’s eyes open to a life full of mystery, magic, intrigue, fun and, above all, love. Fear and worrying about tomorrow and all the “what ifs” are the things that can really tip you into an early grave (so take note, overachieving teen pushing yourself too hard…). Rather embrace life, face your fears, and live each day to the full.

Did you know? Veteran Afrikaans actors Pierre van Pletzen (Hannes in Alles Malan), and Rika Sennett (Prof Laetitia in Afrikaans soapie Binnelanders) play Gideonette’s grandparents Willem and Koekie Joubert.

10. Tydelik Terminaal

Kitte Claassen (Carla Smith, Kleintjie in dramedy Ekstra Medium) has her whole life in front of her in this dramedy series. She’s 22, she has an awesome group of friends and she’s in her final year of completing her honours degree in journalism. But then, out of nowhere, she is diagnosed with the big C ... cancer.

It’s a shock to her system, but she doesn’t let it get her down, even though going for chemo for the next six months is a beast. This is a series with real characters from all walks of life and the great thing about it is that it teaches you to love yourself even in the face of an extraordinary challenge.

Did you know? Actress Carla shaved off all her hair for this role to make it as authentic as possible. It was a performance that put her on an emotional roller coaster.