Introducing Flip: Albert Pretorius redefines a beloved role in 'Die Kantoor'

South African acting sensation Albert Pretorius, the lead star of "Die Kantoor", the South African spin-off of "The Office", is thrilled to have stepped into a character type that is instantly recognisable across the globe.

After Ricky Gervais starred as David Brent in the UK edition of the original version of the series, and Steve Carell earned widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Michael Scott in the American iteration, the Afrikaans actor will now take the lead in the upcoming Mzansi mockumentary series.

The 2025 Fleur du Cap and Woordfees winner plays Flip, the manager of Deluxe Processed Meats, a polony factory where the stakes, at least in Flip’s mind, feel nothing short of monumental.

“I know he will be compared to David Brent and Michael Scott - I can’t escape that - but I tried to steer away from watching anything related to 'The Office' when I heard I got the role,” Pretorius told "Independent Media Lifestyle".

He added: “Some of Flip’s traits are similar to theirs, but he is also uniquely his own man in a country with very different social, cultural and political situations. Here and there, there might be a gesture or two honouring those characters - a touch of a tie or a look - but Flip is his own man, with his own flaws.”

"Die Kantoor" was previewed on kykNET on Sunday, ahead of its Showmax double-bill premiere on Tuesday.

The local adaptation is based on "The Office", created by Gervais and Stephen Merchant back in 2001. The British sitcom centred on the mundane lives of employees at the Wernham Hogg paper company in Berkshire, accompanied by the uninspiring and often inappropriate jokes of their manager, Brent.

The show proved to be such a success that it led to the US version of the same name, this time with Carell starring as Scott, the well-meaning but deeply misguided manager of a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

As a massive fan of both editions, I thoroughly enjoyed the local iteration, which is directed by Bennie Fourie and also features Saftas winner Schalk Bezuidenhout, acting veteran Lida Botha, Carl Beukes and Ilse Opperlt.

Other top South African talents include Daniah de Villiers, Mehboob Bawa, former KFM presenter Sipumziwe Lucwaba and newcomer Gert du Plessis.

With the original British version regarded as one of the best-reviewed comedy series of all time, and the American version winning five Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series, while also becoming the most-streamed show in the world in 2020, there is much anticipation around what’s in store for "Die Kantoor", now the 14th adaptation of the programme worldwide.

With Pretorius at the helm, he opens up about how his character comically regards himself as the Rassie Erasmus of polony.

He also explains that, in Flip’s mind, the documentary crew is making his very own "Chasing the Sun", the local documentary series chronicling the South African Springboks’ journey to their 2019 Rugby World Cup victory.

Describing Flip as a man living with values that feel decades out of date, Pretorius says he is “clinging to certain old macho taboos like ‘boys don’t cry’, and ‘a man doesn’t braai on a Weber’, which is such a contradiction of what and who he really is.”

“He is very emotional and has no filter, and the part of the future and the changing world that scares him is the world that will make him lose his job - and then he will be alone,” he said. “He fears being left out and being alone above any other changes.”

Pretorius, who grew up both on a farm and in the city, believes that this split upbringing strongly informed the way he approached themes of class, ambition and insecurity in Flip.

“Growing up in the platteland did wonders for my imagination,” he explained. “Acting out scenarios, slaying dragons, endless possibilities - and I grew up with people living in a small town.”

“The city stimulated other aspects of my life. Suddenly, I had access to a cinema and drama classes, and city people operated differently from what I knew. So I think I got to see both sides of the coin. I understand city and town people - to a point.

"But even within that, there are so many layers to our country and our people, something that continues to excite and tickle my curiosity.”

When asked what might happen if Flip were dropped into a real South African office, Pretorius joked: “As a news anchor, he would be fired in a day - if not an hour - and probably dragged to court. I think he would thrive at Home Affairs. System down? No problem for Flippie. His system is always down.”

Meanwhile, in "Die Kantoor", Flip manages polony but behaves as though he is running a national institution. Pretorius believes this inflated sense of importance is deeply relatable.

“There are a few world leaders currently that let power go to their heads,” he said. “Overall, I think it’s about being seen and heard and feeling like you belong - and then using your status as soon as you start losing ground. It’s driven by ego and insecurities.”

As the Afrikaans actor landed the lead role of a major television adaptation in the same year he turned 40 and got married, this marked his first venture into this particular kind of comedy, proving he is still eager to evolve and take his career to new heights.

Because the mockumentary format relies heavily on silence, glances and discomfort, Pretorius says he particularly enjoyed bringing Flip’s loud confidence to life, as well as portraying the moments where his mask begins to slip.

“I enjoyed playing both sides of that coin, because you need one to play the other,” he explained. “The silences are only loud because there was noise before that and the storms only rage if the silence before it was loaded.”

He also admitted that the role saw him charting uncertain waters.

“It’s not a style I often perform in, and sometimes you wonder if a pause is too long or if something inappropriate is too inappropriate,” he said. “But the feeling didn’t last very long because Bennie Fourie was always there to steer the ship, help and guide.”

As Pretorius continues to receive rave reviews for his portrayal of Flip in "Die Kantoor", he is looking forward to many more career milestones - but without attaching his sense of fulfilment to any single role.

“I don’t like to think too hard about my career as one single thing,” he said. “Every job shifts it. I take it project by project. If I do every project as best as I can and enjoy it as much as I can, maybe one day, when I am old, I can look back at my career and see it for what it was.”

“But if I solely focus on career, and only see projects as stepping stones or place faith in one project to change my life, then if it doesn’t work out, I don’t have the career or the joy the projects gave me.”