Johannesburg - Rian van Heerden has no qualms in admitting that his latest TV series may possibly be the most controversial series that has ever been produced in South Africa.
It’s easy to see why the local producer feels this way.
The series is set to debut on Showmax on Valentine’s day and explores the world of sex by specifically focusing on the needs and wants of Afrikaans people.
The series titled, “Sex in Afrikaans” follows clinical psychologist Bradley R Daniels as he helps four Afrikaans couples and two singles to have shameless discussions about their sex lives for the first time publicly -–and in the process discover that there is so much more fun to be had.
The series also features interviews with sex workers, adult shop owners, a unicorn, swingers, dominatrixes, a cross-dresser, a dungeon master, people who dress up like babies, and even people who prefer full-body latex suits.
Sex in Afrikaans, says Van Heerden, will be an eye-opening tour of what “your neighbours and co-workers get up to behind closed doors.
“Sex in Afrikaans explores the world of sex by specifically focussing on the needs and wants of Afrikaans people. Why Afrikaans people you ask? Well, they are traditionally seen as more conservative when it comes to sex. But are they really? We take a closer look at subjects that are seen as taboo: from swinging to fetishes and everything in between.
“It was high time. So yes, I’m sure there will be people that will be offended but that there will be many more people that will be helped by this series,” he says.
The groundbreaking, adults-only Showmax Original is being produced by Van Heerden through Provoco.
He says having grown up in an Afrikaans community, he was keen to explore what goes on behind closed doors in these communities.
“I grew up in the Afrikaans community and experienced first-hand what a conservative approach to sex can do to relationships.
“We try to make people think or feel differently with the television shows that we produce, and I thought that this is exactly what is needed when it comes to the subject of sex,” says Van Heerden.
The series features couples and singles discussing their sex lives on camera. Van Heerden says it was quite a challenge finding couples and individuals to speak about such a taboo subject live on camera.
“As you can imagine, the vast majority of people are reluctant to talk about sex. Now imagine if you have to do it on television. We did try to be as diverse as possible, covering as many age groups as possible, levels of sexual experience, different sexual orientations, and different groups within the Afrikaans community.
“Because of the fact that people with alternative sexual needs are judged so harshly in the Afrikaans community, you can imagine how difficult it was to get Afrikaans people to openly talk about sex. I think that every person who participated is a pioneer and is very brave indeed,” he says.
Van Heerden says there are some eye-opening moments in the series that South Africans can look forward to.
“There are cross-dressers, dominatrix’s, and even people who like getting dressed up like babies, but there’s a lot more than that. I particularly remember the interview with “Amanda” now. She is a sex worker who was willing to show her face and reveal exactly what the “ooms” ask for when they visit her.
“Some of the details made my jaw drop. And then there is the latex fetish where people become human dolls. I can go on and on,” he says.
Van Heerden says he, too, was surprised by some of the things he saw during the production of the show.
“But I learned that I can, still at my age and after all these years in the industry, be caught off guard,” he says.
While Van Heerden says he is excited for the debut of the show, he does admit that he expects backlash.
“There will be a backlash. I am sure about that. But while some may view it as controversial, I believe this series delivers an important message. It is important that South Africans understand that they are not alone in their sexual wants and needs.
“There are others like you. And it is OK. As my grandmother used to say ’As long as it’s legal and it doesn’t scare the horses,” Van Heerden says.
Clinical psychologist Bradley R Daniels, who helps the four Afrikaans couples and two singles to have discussions about their sex lives for the first time publicly, says he was delighted to be part of such a ground breaking show.
“I learned something new every day with Sex in Afrikaans,” says Daniels, who has a master’s degree in clinical psychology from New York University.
“It was a wonderful feeling to see how well what I’ve learned from textbooks came together in practice. I think it's the same in all communities that are conservative. Nobody really talks about sex, it's a very sensitive topic.
“Even people who consider themselves liberal, struggle to talk about sex because many people do not have adequate language for sex and sexual practices. So a big part of the sexual health practitioner's job is to give people the necessary language. We had a lot of fun, but I am also a serious academic person, so the show is also very educational and informative,” says Daniels.
Sex in Afrikaans will be available on Showmax on February 14.