It was 23 years ago when South Africans were first introduced to one of Mzansi's favourite Afrikaans soapies. But sadly, all good things come to an end. 

South Africans have been left heartbroken after SABC 2 announced that beloved soapie, 7de Laan, will not be returning for another season after 23 years. The original brainchild of Danie Odendaal, 7de Laan's first aired on SABC 2 on April 4, in 2000, the soapie also introduced us to the much-loved characters such as Oubaas, Hilda, Charmaine, Aggie, Emma, and the Meintjies family, who all captured our hearts, becoming Mzansi's favourite.

The soapie was initially presented in Afrikaans only, but as time went by and as South Africa was becoming more open minded, the show also became versatile and slowly transformed through the introduction of various dynamic characters, storylines and languages from other races and cultures, reflecting the rich diversity of our country. 

Over the years the show has also dealt and tackled many social problems such as Gender-Based Violence, drug addiction, kidnapping and human trafficking. Head of Content for Video Entertainment for SABC, Lala Tuku, announced that, "SABC is proud to have worked with Danie Odendaal Productions and been part of the journey leading and producing the best Afrikaans soapie on local television for SABC 2. "7de Laan has penetrated the hearts of millions of South Africans. With iconic characters over the years that still hold a place in the viewers hearts, powerful storylines crafted by a talented writing team engaged the audience on relevant topics. After more than two decades on air, the award-winning 7de Laan leaves a lasting imprint on the South African television landscape. 7de Laan is centred around the lives of residents staying in and around the community of 7de Laan in the suburb of Hillside."

BITTERSWEET GOODBYE

In a media statement, Thandi Ramathesele, executive producer of 7de Laan, expressed that it was "bittersweet to say goodbye". "As we come to the end of this chapter, we express our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated cast and crew who have poured their talent and passion into bringing the show to life."