‘I knew lots of Tjaarts’: Schalk Bezuidenhout on his ‘lekker common’ character in ‘Die Kantoor’

Comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout is a hit as Tjaart in ‘Die Kantoor’. Picture: Supplied In his latest stint behind the cameras, award-winning stand-up comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout has been raking in rave reviews for his portrayal of the “lekker common” Tjaart inDie Kantoor. Arguably one of Mzansi’s favourite funnymen in the stand-up arena, Schalk has been quietly building an equally impressive showreel as an actor over the years.

He’s earned four Safta nominations in eight years, for roles like Johan Niemand inKanarie, Attie inTaktiek, and Danny inHotel, which won him the Best Supporting Actor – TV Comedy prize. Even so, none of those roles prepared fans for Schalk’s almost unrecognisable turn inDie Kantoor, the Afrikaans adaptation of the international TV hit seriesThe Office. Since its debut on kykNET and Showmax in January,Die Kantoorhas been praised for capturing the cringe comedy that made the original series a global hit – while giving it an unmistakably South African take.

Die Kantooralso stars 2025 Fleur du Cap and Woordfees winner Albert Pretorius (Niggies;Nêrens, Noord-Kaap) as Flip,the office manager at polony specialists Deluxe Processed Meats. Inspired equally by Rassie Erasmus and Leon Schuster, Flip welcomes a documentary crew to record his rise to greatness…and his occasional pranks. He’s living his ownChasing The Sun.

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Everyone else is just trying to survive eight hours without throttling anyone. Schalk – who plays Tjaart, Flip’s sidekick – spoke aboutDie Kantoorahead of jetting off to Australasia and Europe next week with his new stand-up show,Hey Hey Divorcé, inspired by life afterhis 2024 divorce. Instead of Schalk’s trademark jerseys, moustache and unruly head of curls, Tjaart sports an army cut and beard.

Think Gareth and Dwight in the British and American versions, completely reimagined in the “Kempton Park way”. “He’s almost the opposite of Danny fromHotel, who was naive and cute,” says Schalk.

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