Meet the cast of the Showmax Original thriller series DAM

The creepy thriller series has been called “South Africa’s answer to The Outsider and Sharp Objects“. It was shot on location in the Eastern Cape, and comes from the pen of four-time SAFTA winner Alex Yazbek.

As you’ll see, the cast list is chock-full of exceptional local talent. Find out who’s who in DAM before, during or after your epic binge-watch session.

Binge Seasons 1 and 2 now »

Lea Vivier as Yola Fischer

Yola returns home to the Eastern Cape farmhouse of her childhood when her father passes away in mysterious circumstances. She’s reluctant to be back home, especially when spirits in the house seem to be trying to tell her something – and the townsfolk become increasingly threatening towards her. Yola will have to face the trauma from her childhood while fighting to make sure the past doesn’t repeat itself while she’s in town.

At the start of Season 2, Yola is missing. Where has she gone, and who took her?

You’ll recognise Lea Vivier from Wonderlus and The Day We Didn’t Meet. She was SAFTA nominated for her role as Yola.

Pallance Dladla as Themba Zita

Themba is a biker who’s come to town to seek out his grandfather, Lazarus Zita. He discovers that Lazarus has gone “wandering” and hasn’t been seen in weeks. He stays to look after his aunt Lindiwe, and while he’s in town, he meets Yola at the local bar. Though he’s interested in her, he doesn’t tell Yola that he’s running from serious danger, and that it will inevitably seek him out, even in the middle of nowhere.

In the second season, Themba gets closer to his dream of reclaiming his family’s land. But not everyone is congratulating him.

You’ll recognise Pallance from Isibaya and Shadow. He was SAFTA nominated for his role in DAM.

Natasha Loring as Sienna Fischer

Sienna has done what is expected of her – she’s stayed in town her whole adult life, tending to her nursery, while her sister Yola has been overseas. Sienna regularly visits her mother in the mental hospital where she’s been for years, and has maintained relationships with her father, Jacob, and aunt Dora. When their father dies and leaves the farm to Yola, Sienna realises that Yola really was always their father’s favourite. But deep down, she will do whatever it takes to protect and help Yola, even if that means going against her will.

In the second season, Sienna is worried about Yola, who hasn’t been seen in months. She’ll go to any lengths to find her – and whoever is responsible.

Natasha Loring took a break from Hollywood to star in DAM. She has voiced game characters in both the Star Wars and Game of Thrones franchises, and has starred in international series like Beaver Falls. She won a SAFTA for playing Sienna in the first season.

Faniswa Yisa as Lindiwe Zita

Lindiwe is a nurse who looks after Sienna and Yola’s mother Yvette and other patients at Fort Vannenberg. Her brother, Lazarus, is the local medicine man, and he’s recently disappeared. When her nephew Themba arrives out of the blue, she is happy to see him, but suspicious, too. But she doesn’t have time to think about his sudden arrival because she starts to develop an unusual skin disorder and starts having difficulty breathing. Her symptoms quickly get worse, and Lazarus is the only person who can cure her – but he’s nowhere to be found.

Faniswa Yisa is an African Movie Academy Award nominee for her role in Knuckle City, and she appeared in Showmax Original, Blood Psalms.

Antoinette Louw as Dora Fischer

Dora is Jacob’s sister. After Yola and Sienna’s mother was institutionalised, Dora took over as mother figure. She runs the farm school for young girls, and is well-known in the town as a nurturer. She’s also influential because of her family name (the town was named after the Fischers) – but Yola has no idea how powerful, or dangerous, Dora really is until it’s almost too late…

Antoinette Louw is a SAFTA-winning star whom you will recognise from An Act of Defiance, Die Laaste Tango and more South African series and movies.

Laudo Liebenberg as Rudy Reese

Rudy Reese has filled in as town leader after the death of Jacob Fischer. As the oldest son of one of the founding families, this has always been Rudy’s destiny. But his weakness – for Sienna Fischer, despite his being married with kids – threatens to destroy his reputation as a family man. Rudy’s family runs the general store in town, and this is the least of the burdens on Rudy’s shoulders.

Laudo Liebenberg is the frontman of South African rock band aKing, and has starred in Black Sails and Die Byl.

Gerald Steyn as Max Reese

Max is Rudy’s younger brother, and often turns to Rudy for help – such as when his farm is about to go bankrupt due to the drought and disease that’s been plaguing the land. Max has always had a soft spot for Yola, and when she returns to town, he feels like it’s his lucky day – until he realises that she only has eyes for Themba. Max finds himself having to remind Rudy of his enormous responsibilities to the town when Rudy falls apart.

Gerald Steyn has starred in Fiela se Kind, Trackers, Meisies Wat Fluit, Binnelandse Sake and more.

Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo as Qaqamba

Qaqamba is a student of Lazarus’s, learning his traditional practises and cures for diseases. As Lindiwe’s neighbour, she is called on to help her when her mysterious illness becomes deadly. Qaqamba’s not convinced she can cure her without Lazarus’s help, but she does her best. She’s the first person to recognise what it is – or who it is – that is haunting Lindiwe’s body.

Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo has starred in Isibaya, Unmarried and more local titles.

Tarryn Wyngaard as Clara

Clara is a patient at the mental hospital where Yola’s mother is being kept. Clara doesn’t speak much, but she draws disturbing pictures that point to the trauma she suffered in her past. Her brother, Charlton, is the local bartender, and he’s paying dearly for his sister to stay at Fort Vannenberg in the hope that she’ll one day be cured. Yola senses that Clara is the key to the mystery of the darkness that’s just under the surface of the deceptively peaceful town, but doesn’t know if she can get Clara to communicate with her in time…

Tarryn Wyngaard has starred in Noem My Skollie, Raised by Wolves and more.

Francis Chouler as Dirk

Dirk is new in town. He’s a detective who left his previous post under a cloud, and is now invested in getting to the bottom of the death of one of the locals. He and Sienna strike up a romantic relationship, and he’s everything that Rudy isn’t – kind, considerate, available. For Yola and Themba’s plan to work, they will need Dirk’s help, but his newness and his naivete when it comes to the townsfolk might not work in their favour.

Francis Chouler has appeared in international titles from Black Sails to Grant.

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Seen in Season 1

Siv Ngesi as Victor

Victor is a biker from Themba’s gang who comes roaring into town to retrieve the money that Victor owes his associates. Victor is not in the mood to mess around, and quickly realises that Themba has no hope of paying back the R50 000 he owes. When the Reese brothers approach Victor for help, he has no problem assisting, especially since it means he can kill two birds (so to speak) with one stone – or bullet, in this case.

Siv Ngesi is in Knuckle City, Tali’s Baby Diary, Still Breathing, and more.

Neil Sandilands as Bernoldus

Bernoldus is the local handyman and singer-songwriter, who has a deep connection to and extensive knowledge of the history of the area, even though he wasn’t born into one of the founding families. He may not be the most efficient plumber, which is what Yola needs him for initially, but she soon realises that he has much more that he can teach her, and many more important ways he can help her. Bernoldus offers welcome doses of humour, but he is also wise and spiritual – and may be the only person in town who sees what’s really going on beneath the surface.

Neil Sandilands has starred in a host of Hollywood shows and movies, and this is his first local role since making it big in the United States. You’ll recognise him from The Flash, The 100, The Americans and News of the World.

All episodes of DAM S1 and S2 are ready to binge on Showmax.