The soapie community is saddened to learn that their beloved “Arendsvlei” telenovela is coming to an end in June 2024.
kykNET & kie recently announced that the first-ever telenovela to hit their channel has reached its final season.
This series, which revolves around the semi-private school Arendsvlei High School, managed by the Cupido family, made its debut on October 1, 2018.
In what was supposed to be one season only has become popular among kykNET viewers.
With two Safta wins in the first year and rapid growth in the numbers of viewers, the soapie featured popular actors including Jolene Martin, Christian Bennett, Jody Abrahams, Cantona James, Crystal-Donna Roberts, Rehane Abrahams, Jarrid Geduld, Brendan Daniels, Quanita Adams and more.
In gaining popularity, the show grew from two to four episodes a week.
M-Net director of Premium Channels, Waldimar Pelser, said: “From the very beginning, ‘Arendsvlei’ blew our viewers away. As the first fully-fledged Afrikaans telenovela, it proved so popular that one season turned into six.
“The team behind ‘Arendsvlei’ are incredibly proud of the rich story world that has become a part of our viewers’ daily lives.
“kykNET thanks Penguin Films, every actor, and every member of the production team who taught us to take Arendsvlei High’s motto to heart and ‘aim high’.”
Two Safta Awards in six years is proof of the hard work and creativity of the production team and talent that made ‘Arendsvlei’ a household name in South Africa.
On December 11, the team will celebrate its 1 000-episode milestone.
Roberta Durrant, the creative producer of the programme, said: “We are proud of what we have achieved with ‘Arendsvlei’ over the past six years. It has resonated with many people across the country, and its storylines touched them deeply. ‘Arendsvlei’ is not a soap opera, it’s a telenovela.
“It was always meant to come to an end. That the show still captivates viewers after six years is a remarkable achievement. We are grateful that we can end ‘Arendsvlei’ on a high note.
“We are grateful to kykNET for trusting us with the production of ‘Arendsvlei’, and we hope to work on future projects with the writers, actors, and production team after ‘Arendsvlei’ comes to an end.”