“Troukoos” creators Louis Pretorius and Albert Snyman are launching “Fraksie”, a new drama set to make its debut on kykNET, DStv channel 144, in September.
The star-studded cast includes award-winning actors Edwin van der Walt, Marlo Minnaar, Ilse Klink, Crystal Donna Roberts, Daneel van der Walt, Lee-Ann van Rooi, Trix Viviers and Pierre van Pletzen.
The 17-episode series will take viewers on a roller coaster ride as it raises the question: ‘How far will one man go to get what he wants?’
Bolstered by a wonderful mix of characters, the stories include current affairs and real-life challenges faced in the lives of ordinary South African families.
“The lead character, Schalk Smith, is more of an anti-hero,” said Pretorius.
He continued: “The series is darker than our previous work, and there are times that it is difficult to like some of the characters, but I hope that viewers will, in the end, grow to love them.
“The series is set in Stellenbosch, a town known for its history and old money and for the last couple of years, as the tech capital of South Africa.”
Schalk Smit, played by van der Walt, is an investment manager with dreams of becoming a dollar millionaire.
He is married to Nina (Roeline Daneel), whose mother, Deidré (Hélène Truter), comes from old money. Nina’s father, Willem (André Jacobs), is an oncologist and her sister, Bianca (Daneel van der Walt), is an anaesthetist.
Zac (Alex van Dyk) and Mari (Jana Malan) are Schalk and Nina’s teenage children. Tim, played by Minnaar, is a computer science lecturer in Pretoria and recently married Chantel (Roberts). In his free time, he developed QPI (Quick Payment Interface) and is looking for an investor.
Jana (Viviers) is a commercial lawyer and went to school with Schalk and Tim. She moved to Stellenbosch six months earlier, leaving behind her husband, Alwyn (Sean Marco Vorster), and daughter, Emmy (Izebella Louw).
In Stellenbosch, she meets Jack (Duane Williams), who causes problems in her and Alwyn’s marriage.
Melt Sieberhagen is Henk, Schalk’s boss, and Brendon Daniels is Donovan, an events planner and Henk’s housemate. Ilse Klink is Judy, Chantal’s mother, and Gerwen Simon is Anél, her sister.
Also in the cast is Natalia Da Rocha as Jack’s grandmother, Lee-Ann van Rooi and Pierre van Pletzen as Schalk’s boss at T&M Holdings and Hendrik Nieuwoudt as Henk’s son, JP.
“Each of the characters got a life of their own as we developed the series. Apart from the storyline around Schalk, we also look at second chances, children and their relationships with their parents and the challenges that marriages bring,” added Pretorius.
Catch “Fraksie” on kykNET (DStv channel 144) from Tuesday, September 13, at 8pm.