Storms: TV presenter forced to flee Franschhoek mudslide.

by Thinus Ferreira

The TV presenter Marciel Hopkins and her husband Handrè Lourens had to flee from a massive mudslide together with the other guests staying at the Mont Martre estate next to the Franschhoek pass after the mudslide engulfed their chalet and the wedding venue.

Due to the extremely adverse weather coupled with torrential rain affecting the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, water and mud started to flood into Mont Martre high on the northern slopes of the Franschhoek Mountains, with Marciel and her husband who had to evacuate their chalet, along with other guests at the estate at 06:00 yesterday morning. 

Marciel is known as the face of the Afrikaans reality farmer matchmaking show Boer Soek 'n Vrou on kykNET (DStv 144) and is also a presenter on the weekly entertainment magazine show Bravo!.

Marciel, now staying at another guest house in Franschhoek, explains that the couple had to escape over the balcony with their bags just before 06:00 "when we had to evacuate our accommodation in Franchhoek when the water and mud started flowing through our little homes".

"The owner informed us that a mudslide is going through the chalets. We had to climb over the balcony with bags in PT shorts since the front doors were shut from mud. Not how you plan on starting your public holiday. My heart breaks for people whose homes and businesses have been totally flooded and destroyed by water coming from the river mountains."

"Just last night it rained 100mm and doesn't stop. Every road in Franschhoek has been flooded so nobody can get in or out of the town - everyone's stuck! We're drinking coffee barefoot at the cooperation and praying hard that the rain subsides and that those in dire need will find safety!" 

Showing photos of the couple's Mont Martre chalet on her Instagram page, Marciel says the mudslide from the mountain slammed through every chalet and Mont Martre's wedding venue. 

"My heart is so unbelievably broken for the owners. The Robertsvlei road is now open to drive in and out of Franschhoek but the main road is still closed and flooded."

Marciel Hopkins joins kykNET's Bravo! as presenter.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Boer Soek 'n Vrou presenter Marciel Hopkins who has crisscrossed South Africa for three years interviewing farmers and their potential love interests has joined the Afrikaans magazine show Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144) as a presenter.

kykNET issued no announcement or press release but Marciel Hopkins made her first appearance on Sunday night's edition of the Homebrew Films produced entertainment magazine show.

Marciel Hopkins replaces the spot left vacant by Tracey Lange who exited Bravo! in March, with the show that also makes use of Ewan Strydom and Reynard Slabbert, which has one vacant spot left after the exit of Robbie Kruse in May 2022.

kykNET's farmer-love reality series Boer Soek 'n Vrou to announce 10 new farmers Sunday, broadcast of 13th season pushed to 2021 due to Covid-19 and written letters switched to cyber messages.

by Thinus Ferreira

On Sunday night kykNET (DStv 144) will still announce the top 10 farmers who have been selected for the next season of its Afrikaans reality series Boer Soek 'n Vrou but the broadcast of the 13th season has become another victim of the Covid-19 pandemic and has been shifted to 2021.

On Sunday at 20:00 kykNET will announce the new 10 farmers from across South Africa who have been shortlisted to take part in the new season.

However, where a season is usually broadcast between October and January of the next year, the 13th season with new presenter Marciel Hopkins will only start on Thursday 21 January 2021 because of production and filming delays because of Covid-19. It will still consist out of the usual 13 episodes.

After Sunday night's broadcast "entries" will open for people to write to the farmers but here there will also be a change - with the show ditching the South African Post Office and with nobody allowed to send written letters or parcels any longer.

Because of Covid-19 it will now all have to be digital entries that can include a video.

"The safety of the participants and the production team is the priority and several strict measures have been put in place to ensure that," says Wilmer Müller, Boer Soek 'n Vrou publicist.

The 5 farmers who garner the most reaction and responses from viewers will undergo a love-seeking journey in the new season.

Marciel Hopkins says she's excited to introduce the new 10 farmers to the public.

"I've been looking forward for so long to the filming of the new season and I'm so thankful that the time has finally arrived to start with that."

"In uncertain times like now, Boer Soek 'n Vrou is a wonderful opportunity for singletons to meet someone new in person - something that they wouldn't have been able to do during lockdown regulations."