After Australian spin-off, 'The Office' gets South African adaptation
The popular mockumentary sitcom The Office is set to be adapted for South African audiences. The rights for the localized version have been acquired by the African streaming platform Showmax, in collaboration with BBC Studios. The South African edition will be primarily filmed in Afrikaans and is slated to begin production in 2025, Variety reported. This adaptation will be the 14th international version of The Office, which has already been recreated in countries including Australia, Canada, Israel, and Poland.
Showmax's relaunch and audience response
The South African adaptation of The Office follows Showmax's recent relaunch in February, in partnership with Comcast's NBCUniversal and Sky. The platform, now powered by Peacock, has added all nine seasons of the American version of The Office to its catalog. Nicola van Niekerk, Showmax's acting head of content, stated that the American version quickly became one of the top five international series on their platform.
Showmax's original content and Rapid Blue's credentials
Showmax has gained international recognition for its recent original scripted series such as Spinners, Wyfie, Catch Me A Killer, Donkerbos, Koek, and Adulting. The production company for the South African adaptation, Rapid Blue, is part of BBC Studios's international production network. Rapid Blue's portfolio includes the International Emmy-nominated series Is'thunzi and popular formats like Dancing With The Stars, The Bachelor, Family Feud, Got Talent, Shark Tank, Come Dine With Me, and Homegrown Tastes South Africa.
Meanwhile, Australian adaptation to premiere soon!
Meanwhile, the Australian Original The Office will premiere all eight episodes on October 18, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. The series is a fresh take on the hit comedy show, which originally aired in the UK and later got a popular US version that starred Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer. This is the 13th global adaptation of the workplace mockumentary since its inception over two decades ago.
