From page to screen: 6 South African film adaptations

The Open Book Festival takes place in Cape Town from 6-8 September this year and celebrates literature, ideas and creativity. Growing in popularity since its inception, this literary event is a hub for bestselling authors, acclaimed poets, top journalists and audiences to engage in meaningful discussions, workshops and masterclasses. 

A festival for top local and international authors, Open Book serves as an important showcase for the best of South African writing. To honour some of our most renowned authors, here are 7 film adaptations based on or inspired by their novels – now streaming on Showmax. 

1. Griekwastad 

Griekwastad is adapted from the true-crime novel The Griekwastad Murders: The Crime that Shook South Africa’ by Jacques Steenkamp. A chronicle of the tragic events following what appeared to be a home invasion and farm murder in 2012, the daunting investigation, bizarre aftermath and media sensation is now a gripping and suspenseful cat-and-mouse thriller. 

Arnold Vosloo stars as Colonel Dick de Waal, who’s called to investigate a triple murder with a lone survivor. What really happened to the Steenkamp family at Naauwhoek? Vosloo is supported by young talents Alex van Dyk and Jane de Wet, who headline a stellar cast as this compelling murder mystery unfolds – a dark and unsettling adaptation.  

2. Jagveld (Hunting Emma) 

A bestselling local crime and thriller author Deon Meyer’s books seem destined to become films with the celebrated novelist personally adapting Jagveld to screen. When a pacifist witnesses six men murder a cop in the wilderness, she’s forced on the run. As the cold-blooded killers begin to track her down, the prey becomes a predator in the arid and unforgiving Karoo.   

Leandi du Randt stars as Emma in a defiant and gritty performance as a gentle teacher who transforms into a hard target. In hot pursuit are a ruthless and violent gang, played by a stellar local cast including Neels van Jaarsveld, Edwin van der Walt, Bouwer Bosch and Tim Theron.   

3. Noem My Skollie (Call Me Thief) 

A gritty and vivid retelling based on true events, Noem My Skollie is adapted from the life story of John W Fredericks, whose experiences of growing up in a gangland neighbourhood are captured in his autobiographical book of the same name. Set in the Cape Flats during the 1960s, this authentic translation is penned by the author himself and offers an intimate and poignant account of his growing pains and time as a storyteller in prison. 

Through earnest and soulful performances from Dann Jaques Mouton as “AB” and Gantane Kusch as “Gimba”, Noem My Skollie accurately chronicles the hardships and politics of surviving the streets and prison system at the time. 

4. Tess

Set against the sun-kissed coastal suburb of Muizenberg in Cape Town, Tess is a hard-hitting translation of the novel Whiplash. Adapted for screen by the author Tracey Farren, the gritty and raw character portrait centres on Tess, a jaded sex worker whose unplanned pregnancy and difficult past threaten to trap and ultimately break her. 

A provocative meditation on love, loss and resilience, Tess is a gutsy, heart-rending and sometimes hellish drama and social commentary about the devastating effects of abuse and trauma. A committed and headstrong title role performance from Christia Visser compels this powerful adaptation as the past and present converge.  

5. Toorbos

Knysna forest has been a constant source of inspiration for renowned Toorbos author Dalene Matthee. The film adaptation of her novel plays like a blend of The Grapes of Wrath and My Fair Lady, as young Karoliena Kapp leaves her dream forest behind for a more sophisticated town life on the arm of a dapper suitor. 

Strong performances from Elani Dekker, Stiaan Smith and Ira Blanckenberg anchor the emotional turmoil of this haunting, luscious and poetic romance drama. An authentic retelling, Toorbos captures a young woman’s defiance against being inducted into high society etiquette. Struggling to retain her sense of freedom and identity, she rallies against the social hardships of the Bosmens community in the 1930s. 

6. Vaselinetjie

Set in post-apartheid South Africa, Vaselinetjie is a coming-of-age story about a young girl’s childhood and journey of self-discovery, as written by Anoeschka von Meck. The nuanced film adaptation centres on a girl who is sent to a Johannesburg orphanage when child welfare discovers she is not biologically related to her loving grandparents.  

An authentic and beautifully composed drama, it captures a melancholic, heartfelt and thoughtful slice-of-life from this challenging transitional period in South Africa’s history. Starring Nicole Bond and Marguerite van Eeden as a young and older Vaselinetjie respectively, their compelling performances resonate with the character’s wide-eyed experiences, quest for identity and hard-earned resilience.