# Arendsvlei

Arendsvlei (lit. 'Eagle Valley') is a South African soap opera. Featuring an almost all-Coloured cast, it premiered on 1 October 2018 as kykNET & Kie's first telenovela. It was originally intended to be a limited series spanning one year, its first season picking up two SAFTAs. Due to popular demand, Arendsvlei was renewed for a second season in August 2019 and a third in August 2020.
The series hit 500 episodes in August 2021.

## Premise

The series centres on a prestigious school, its administration, and the families associated with it in a fictional community of the Cape Flats called Arendsvlei.

## Cast
### Main

* Jolene Martin as Beatrice Abrahams, Arendsvlei High vice-principal
* Oscar Petersen as David Abrahams, Arendsvlei High principal
* Maria Valente de Almeida as Samantha Abrahams, Beatrice and David's daughter and school captain
* Sherman Pharo as Thys Cupido, Beatrice's brother and co-founder of Arendsvlei High
* Crystal-Donna Roberts as Janice Cupido, Thys' wife
* Celeste Matthews as Aunty Gertie Cupido, matriarch of the Cupidos
* Ann Juries-May as Claudia Cupido, Thys and Janice's daughter
* Rehane Abrahams as Wendy Newman, the Cupidos' adversary who runs the WendyHouse restaurant
* Kay Smith as Debra Newman, Wendy's daughter
* Melanie du Bois as Ronel Foster, Beatrice's friend and an aspiring actress
* Roberto Kyle as Lee-Roy Foster, Ronel's son who transfers to Arendsvlei High to escape bullying
* Jody Abrahams as Lionel Foster, Lee-Roy's negligent father with ulterior motives for moving to Arendsvlei

### Supporting

* Ernest St Clair as Christopher February, teacher at Arendsvlei High
* Dillon Windvogel as Vernon Booysen, an ambitious student who gets in an accident
* Christian Bennett as Emile February, a gardener who helps out at WendyHouse
* Craig Adriaanse as Wesley Roussow, a student with a troubled past
* Gerwen Simon as Valdonia Lee Matthews
* Menicia Sass as Chantel Williams
* Gretchen Ramsden as Nicolene
* Joseph Mitchell as Uncle Johnny
* Ceagan Arendse as Woelag (seasons 1–2)
* Elton Landrew as Steve Mortlock (seasons 1–2), Janice's brother
* Danny Ross as Nathan Koopman (seasons 2–3)
* Maurice Carpede as Ridwaan "Waanie" Matthews (season 2), Chantel's father
* Shaleen Surtie-Richards as Muriel Foster (seasons 2–4), Lionel's mother
* Zenobia Kloppers as Aunty Emily (season 2)
* Quanita Adams as Mother Laetitia (seasons 2–3)
* Jarrid Geduld as Gavin "Bompie" Galant (seasons 2–3)
* Cantona James as Daniel Lafras (season 2)
* Antoinette Louw as Advocate Rina Botha (seasons 2–3)
* Ilse Klink as Dorothy Galant (season 3), matriarch of the Galants
* Chelsea Thomas as Angelique Galant (season 3), Dorothy's daughter
* Nancia Dorland as Candice Burger (season 3), Angelique's friend
* Carmen Maarman as Natalie Burger (season 3), Candice's stepmother
* Chad Baai as Kaleb Jakobs (season 3)
* Brendon Daniels as Constable Krige (season 3), detective and Lionel's friend
* Inge Isaacs as Emmie Langeveld (season 3), new student at Arendsvlei
* Clayton Evertson as Jake Sylvester (season 3)

## Production

Arendsvlei is based on a concept Theltom Masimila brainstormed and originally penned as a short story. He serves as its head writer and co-producer. Masimila makes a point of the Afrikaans dialect used in the series being "authentically Cape-based". Also in the writers' room are Wilmien Rossouw, the head storyliner, as well as Ilse Oppelt, Margaret Goldsmid, Henry Cloete, Quanita Adams, Johann Davis and Retief Scholtz. The series is directed by Denny Y. Miller and produced by Penguin Films. Roberta Durrant was the creative director for season 2.
It is filmed at Atlantic Studios in Milnerton.

## Reception
### Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| 2020 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Telenovela | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2020 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Director – Telenovela | Denny Y. Miller | Nominated |
| 2020 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Art Direction – Telenovela | Beatrice van Zyl | Won |
| 2020 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Actor – Telenovela | Roberto Kyle | Won |
| 2020 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Actress – Telenovela | Crystal-Donna Roberts | Nominated |
| 2020 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Editing Team | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2020 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Lighting | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2020 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Writing | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2020 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor | Jody Abrahams | Nominated |
| 2020 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Couple | Roberto Kyle and Craig Adriaanse | Nominated |
| 2020 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Newcomer | Cantona James | Nominated |
| 2021 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Actress – Telenovela | Crystal-Donna Roberts | Nominated |
| 2021 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Telenovela | Quanita Adams | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Directing Team | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Lighting Direction | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Cinematography | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing & Editing | Arendsvlei | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress | Quanita Adams | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Onscreen Couple | Clayton Evertson and Jolene Martin | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Newcomer | Chad Baai | Nominated |
| 2021 | Royalty Soapie Awards | Outstanding Female Villain | Ilse Klink | Nominated |