When one international branch of The Office closes, another one opens somewhere else in the world. Last month, Prime Video announced it would cancel the Australian version of the ever-popular sitcom mockumentary series after just one season, despite some positive momentum. The show marked the first iteration of the format to star a female lead in the form of Felicity Ward, and was solidly received by critics at the very least, boasting a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were less sold on the new version of Down Under, which may have contributed to Flinley Craddick’s early closure. Now, the latest adaptation of the U.K. original is set to premiere on Showmax on January 20, 2026, taking viewers to a new workplace in South Africa.
Titled Die Kantoor, this latest edition of The Office will mark its 14th international adaptation and will also get an early preview with Episode 1 on the broadcaster kykNET on January 18 before the two-episode premiere on the African streamer. Instead of a paper company, it will follow workers at a polony manufacturer called Deluxe Processed Meats. At the center of the show, as its answer to Michael Scott or David Brent, will be Flip, played by 2025 Fleur du Cap award winner Albert Pretorius, who harbors some delusions of grandeur and believes the documentary crew is about to capture his moment of glory as a manager. Of course, that glory is undercut by the decidedly unglamorous work at the manufacturer.
Rounding out the ensemble for Die Kantoor is South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) winner Schalk Bezuidenhout, alongside Lida Botha, Carl Beukes, Ilse Oppelt, Daniah de Villiers, Mehboob Bawa, Sipumziwe Lucwaba, and newcomer Gert du Plessis. Bennie Fourie, another SAFTA winner who co-created kykNET‘s acclaimed comedy series Hotel, is both writing and directing the series. In an official statement, he expressed how much of an honor it was to get to tackle The Office, especially after taking inspiration from the iconic sitcom for his own work on Hotel. Fourie‘s primary goal for Die Kantoor was to make it more tailored to South African culture, adding, “South Africa is not the U.K., and it’s not the U.S., and we really wanted to reflect that.” That identity is further expressed through the different, yet still mundane setting of a polony manufacturer.
“South Africa is a proud meat-consuming nation. From biltong to droëwors to steak, many South Africans find some of our identity in the meat we eat. But polony is not on that list. It’s just so flippen pink. When you’re standing around a braai, the last thing you want to say is that you are passionate about polony. Especially after that Listeriosis outbreak.”
How Has ‘The Office’ Fared Around the World?
No iteration of The Office has fared quite as well as the Steve Carell-fronted U.S. sitcom, with most not surviving past their first season. However, there have been a few success stories beyond the first two series. Stromberg, the German version of the show, enjoyed a successful five-season run from 2004 through 2012 and earned a spin-off film in 2014. Finland’s Konttori, meanwhile, ran for three seasons despite dividing viewers over its quality. Among the currently ongoing series, The Office PL has maintained its momentum so far in Poland, recently debuting its fifth season on Canal+ and taking viewers back to the offices of the Kropliczanka mineral water company.
In the U.S., meanwhile, viewers have been enamored with The Paper, the official spin-off of The Office, following the same documentary crew into the workplace of a struggling Ohio newspaper. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman and starring Domhnall Gleeson as the Toledo Truth Teller‘s eager editor, the series’ first season was a success, garnering both an 85% score from critics and a 70% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Peacock felt confident in the project from the get-go, ordering a second season just before the show went to print, a move that seems to have paid off with it being an enduring streaming hit since its release. As of November 10, episodes have been airing on Mondays on NBC, bringing the new employees and a returning Oscar Nuñez to a new audience.
Die Kantoor will get an early preview on kykNET in Africa on January 18, 2026, before officially kicking off with two episodes on Showmax on January 20.
via Collider