Annelisa Weiland leaves SABC2’s 7de Laan and her Hilda character for kykNET’s Suidooster after 19 years.

Annelisa Weiland has exited SABC2’s weekday Afrikaans soap 7de Laan after 19 years switching to the Suidooster weekday soap on kykNET (DStv 144) with her longrunning on-screen character Hilda van Zyl who will be making her last appearance at the end of September.

Annelisa Weiland will appear in Suidooster from November, and from July in the new kykNET Afrikaans comedy series, Lui Maar Op, Belinda which TV critics are already raving about.

Annelisa Weiland joined 7de Laan, produced by Danie Odendaal Productions, in 2000 and earlier this year celebrated her 70th birthday there but decided to quit. According to insiders it was quite a juggling act behind-the-scenes to get the actress to move from 7de Laan to Suidooster and Lui Maar Op, Belinda.  

In a statement 7de Laan confirms Annelisa Weiland’s departure, saying that she “has decided to exit the soapie after 19 years on the small screen, portraying the beloved character of Hilda van Zyl”.

“Hilda, a sweet, caring, albeit a bit naïve, middle aged woman, was first introduced to audiences as a receptionist and has since held many jobs including a cashier at T&T, and has been a waitress and chef at Oppiekoffie amongst others."

"Over the years her character has grown in leaps and bounds, and so has the public’s love and affection for her.”

“Hilda became famous in the Laan for her adventurous cooking and especially her elaborate, over the top wedding cakes. She is also synonymous with the dance of the seven veils, which she performed for her former husband, Oubaas, on special occasions."

"Falling in love and marrying Oubaas van Zyl was one of the biggest defining moments of her life. Although the marriage sadly ended in divorce years later, it remains one of the highlights of Hilda’s life. She embraced her new role with gusto and enjoyed many years of happy companionship.”

Annelisa Weiland in a statement says “Hilda has been a part of my life since 2000 and what a privilege to have been part of the supportive environment that 7de Laan has provided."

"It has been a pleasure to have portrayed quirky little Hilda with her terrible dress sense, the unavoidable serpies and subjecting everyone to her terrible cooking. I have also enjoyed discovering the more serious and sophisticated side of Hilda and I have been fortunate to have interacted with so many interesting characters over the years.”

“Sadly, it is time to bid Hilda farewell and to discover new challenges, opportunities and horizons in my old stamping ground, the Cape where I was born,” says Annelisa Weiland who is also known as the Afrikaans TV voice of Heidi.

“Annelisa remains one of the most talented people I have ever worked with.  I have loved working with her and have always been impressed with her unique talent, commitment and consistency,” says Thandi Ramathesele, 7de Laan’s executive producer.

“Annelisa has without a doubt been a major contributor to 7de Laan’s success over the years and how South African audiences have received, loved and supported her is testament to that. I wish her continued success.”

Heavens! Hillside has a new Hilda! After 17 years 7de Laan's 'spidery woman' on SABC2 gets a stylish makeover.

Hillside has a new Hilda. The well-known “spinnekopvroutjie” (spidery woman) in the SABC2 soap 7de Laan last night stunned viewers with a radical makeover transformation for the character that’s been known for her her eclectic scarfs, jerseys and bookworm appearance.

While it’s still the same actress, Annelisa Weiland, in the same role of Hilda de Kock, the producers decided on a radical new appearance for the character after her husband Oubaas who was played by Pierre van Pletzen, is literally out of the picture.

After discovering that Oubaas has been cheating on her with another woman for years, Hilda has agreed to a radical makeover – sporting a brand-new hairstyle, make-up, and stylish clothes.

The “new” Hilda that made her debut on Monday night is barely recognisable after Connie’s makeover, representing a brand-new chapter for the character after 17 years in the soap produced by Danie Odendaal Productions.

Gone is the long hair, often wore in a ponytail, replaced by a shoulder-length bob-hairstyle.

“The story mainly centres around Hilda who experienced big disappointments and challenges the past while and wanting to make a new beginning,” producers told TVwithThinus on Tuesday about Hilda’s dramatic transformation.

“After she tried herself to do a makeover, Connie decided to help her to properly change her appearance and on Monday night it was the first time that we saw the ‘new’ Hilda on TV.”

It’s the first time in a quarter of a century that actress Annelisa Weiland is wearing her hair short. 

The new appearance and clothing styles are to signal that the character has undergone emotional growth after coming to terms with her husband’s cheating ways.

Oubaas out at 7de Laan as actor Pierre van Pletzen is leaving the SABC2 soap; character won't get divorced or die, says producers.

Oubaas is out at 7de Laan with actor Pierre van Pletzen who played the iconic character for 17 years, leaving the Danie Odendaal Productions weekday soap in early August after he was unceremoniously fired by the production company after years of loyal service.

The producers of the weekday Afrikaans soap told TVwithThinus that the character of Septimus van Zyl, known as Oubaas ("Old Boss") that lives in a flat in Hillside Heights in the fictional Hillside suburb in Johannesburg and who is married to Hilda (Annelisa Weiland) is being written out of the show but that the character won't get divorced or die.

The extremely well-liked and highly regarded Pierre van Pletzen (65) who also used to be one of the directors of the soap until 2016 when he was prevented from continuing in a dual on-set role due to newly enforced SABC rules, will leave the soap and film his last scene on 14 August.

Since the soap films episodes some months in advance, the final scenes with Oubaas, known for his mixed metaphors, will only be broadcast on SABC2 in the latter part of 2017 during the 19th season.

The veteran actor, director and musician Pierre van Pletzen is one of the last remaining original actors and characters left who has been with the soap since its inception on SABC2 in 2000 - but now he has been fired as well.

The production company said "as of 14 August Pierre van Pletzen won't form part of the 7de Laan cast" and that "on his exit he won't be killed nor divorced from Hilda. We don't have immediate plans for his character but the possibility always exists for him to come and visit for a story arc."

The production company gave no reasons for why Pierre van Pletzen was let go.

"Pierre has been a valuable part of 7de Laan for many years. His contribution is highly appreciated.We will not be saying goodbye to Pierre as he will be visiting from time to time."

Meanwhile the bulk of the South Africa's viewers and even the local TV fraternity are completely unaware of the extremely hard-working Pierre van Pletzen's unofficial South African and Afrikaans television "Guinness Book of Records"-like achievement.

This month Pierre van Pletzen became the first artist to appear on three different and competing TV channels simultaneously, starring in three different Afrikaans shows, in different roles.

He's the first and so far only person to appear on SABC2, the Afrikaans lifestyle channel VIA (DStv 147) and the Afrikaans entertainment channel kykNET (DStv 144) at the same time in first-run productions.

Besides his role in the Afrikaans soap 7de Laan on SABC2, the veteran performer can also be seen as a bumbling university academic in the new Afrikaans comedy Phil 101 on kykNET and as himself in the new Afrikaans reality music series, Die Ooms se Band on VIA setting up a new band called Harrebaard with Frank Opperman.

The more on-screen appearances and more work in different shows Pierre van Pletzen did the past few months besides just 7de Laan are in fact a direct result of what happened behind the scenes at the soap.

While the SABC's now fired Hlaudi Motsoeneng in 2016 as chief operating officer (COO) kept publicly touting how he's creating a better dispensation for artists and actors, behind the scenes the public broadcaster made things much worse and more difficult for creatives and production companies.

The SABC ordered shows like 7de Laan to end the practice of "double dipping" where people could fulfill and be paid for more than one role. Pierre van Pletzen subsequently lost the directing part of his job at Danie Odendaal Productions that abruptly saw his income halved.

On orders from the SABC to broadly "revitalise" the soap, the older character actors like Pierre van Pletzen, Anneliza Weiland and Annelize van der Ryst (Matrone) in 7de Laan also saw their contracts being changed from permanent to so-called "on call" actors that also had a negative impact.

According to insiders, the multi-tasking and skilled Pierre van Pletzen, known among his colleagues for often taking catnaps on sets in-between filming, won't struggle to find new work opportunities and will likely be snapped up for new acting and directing work at other Afrikaans soaps and productions.