7de Laan

Contrary to what most South Africans would admit, this is one of the worst shows on South African television. The acting and writing is too bad too describe in words. I have watched soap operas for more than 15 years, including many other South African soaps, and this is the worst by far. There may be no sex scenes which 'makes it suitable for family viewing' as someone else commented here, but no relationship ever lasts. The younger people in the soap swap boyfriends and girlfriends like there is no tomorrow - which I would not think is suitable viewing for someone still growing up and learning what life is like. Also, it is not considered a plus for the soap to get well known and good actors to play roles, no, a 'sexy young new actor/actress' is considered a bigger plus. And usually this just contributes further to lack of acting talent on the show. My honest expert opinion - don't watch!

7de Laan is my guilty pleasure. It's basically Neighbours, but South African. Same looking sets, same plots, more or less identical characters. If it wasn't in Afrikaans, I might easily believe it is Neighbours. Dialogue often slips in and out of Afrikaans and into English or an African language, which can be very funny to hear.

Unfortunately, we in the UK can't watch it anymore since the South African channel stopped being available on Sky. But I enjoyed it thoroughly while it was on. It's light-hearted, harmless.... pure escapism.

I won't pretend it's groundbreaking television. I won't even pretend it's particularly good television. But it has what Neighbours has: the ability to focus on the happier things in life and not to get tied up in anguish and melodrama all the time. It's truly easy to watch, and it was my guilty pleasure.

7de Laan has always been a dumb show, with dumb plots and an unrealistic representation of South African society, but at least the show was wholesome with characters leading conservative, conventional lives.

Unfortunately, now the show is getting increasingly "woke". It is promoting interracial relationships and the white parents of those whites in relationships with non-whites seem to be OK with it and do not threaten their children with disinheritance, which is what would have happened in all but the most pinko, white-guilt ridden communist households. The interracial couples are unrealistic and over represented, considering those relationships don't even make up 1% of all relationships involving white people in South Africa. Whites are only 7% of South Africa's population, and encouraging race mixing in a popular TV show can lead to the extinction of whites and European beauty in the country.

I wish 7de Laan could change course from being dumb, woke, anti-white garbage to being dumb, wholesome and conservative again. Before you could let your kids watch it and know they would not be exposed to degenerate, woke values, but now that has changed.

This show is an insult to anyone with a double digit or higher IQ. Predictable & corny & a waste of the SABC's meager budget. You have token representation by people who can't speak the Afrikaans language properly yet insist on communicating via the language & story lines that are simplistic & repeated often. South Africa produces a very low quality of public television in general but this is among its worst quality offerings.

The show is based in a fictional street where an entire community is able to find employment at either a coffee shop, community newspaper or travel agency. Every character is only able to date from a potential - heterosexual only - pool of 2-3 characters & the writers attempt to add American soap style drama to the most laughable of mundane issues such as fund-raising for a hockey tour & the electrical inspection of a building. So bad it verges on the amusing - though that novelty itself fades with time.

7de laan may be the only soap (from around the world) that doesn't include sex. Even children can watch it without "learning". 7de laan is suitable for any age, and believe me, EVEN MEN fancy this show. 7de laan also isn't a copy of Days of our life's, Bold and the Beautiful, etc. It is truly SOUTH African, with a lot of laughs, tears, suspension. It is also based on ordinary people, and ordinary days. There is a rich family, a troubled family, couples with normal problems, and guess what, it also shows the world that you don't need sex or half naked scenes to attrack viewers. And there isn't something like this man slept with that mans' wife or vice versa. If you ask most of the South Africans which program they watch, their awnser will be: 7 DE LAAN!