Bio
Elma Potgieter is a South African actress, writer, singer, TV presenter, playwright and director.
She graduated from the University of Pretoria with subjects including French, German, Afrikaans/Nederlands, English, History of Art and Psychology. She later took singing and drama lessons privately.
After three years as a journalist at Die Transvaler and Huisgenoot, she started her stage career at CAPAB in 1973.
Whilst there she performed in four one-woman shows: Darling Blossom, Laetitia kom Terug, Vrou aan Flarde and Moervrug, in which she portrayed six characters (three women and three men).
Other leading characters on stage for CAPAB included Pavane by André Brink; Welkom Weemoed by Hennie Aucamp and Faan se Trein by Pieter Fourie.
In 1980 she formed the theatre partnership Die Bywoners with Schalk Jacobsz, who was director for all the Bywoners Productions. The duo later married and had a daughter.
Theatre productions produced by Die Bywoners included Hallo & Koebaai! (based on the Athol Fugard play Hello and Goodbye, translated into Afrikaans by Schalk Jacobsz), which had a run Upstairs at the Market Theatre in 1981.
There was also Darling Blossom (1983), a one woman show by Elma Potgieter in Johannesburg; Die Wildsboudjie (1986), which was staged to commemorate the Johannesburg Centenary; Hoer of Heilige by Corlia Fourie (1986); and Moervrug, the one woman show by Potgieter, which was adapted for stage by Elma from Engemi Ferreira's novel, Die Jaar Toe My Ma Begin Sing Het.
Elma has acted in numerous feature films and TV movies including Soekie, Dr. Marius Hugo, Sonja, Nicolene, Die Eensame Vlug, Plekkie in die Son, Skoppensboer, Adam and Voete van Goud.
For Die Eensame Vlug she was nominated for a 'Rapport Oscar' for her interpretation of a Jewess.
She has also done work in dubbing as an actor, director and translator from French, German and English into Afrikaans. Amongst others she translated the French art movie, Camille Claudel, into Afrikaans.
More than 50 short stories by Elma were published in the magazines Huisgenoot, Sarie, Rooi Rose and Vrouekeur. In 2007 NB Boeke published her first novel, 'n Tweede Begin.
She has also written and acted in numerous radio dramas, soapies and documentaries, including a music documentary about Elvis Presley and a leading role in the afternoon series Bure, in 2018.
She also wrote an English radio drama for SAFM called Betrayal, about human trafficking, which was transmitted in 2018.
Elma has presented a number of television programmes including Wielie Walie, Kraaines, and Feite en Flaters.
She has acted in numerous television series including TJ 7, Skoolplaas Stories, Seeduiker, Dirk Hoffman, Die Losprys, Cul de Sac, Huisjakker, Oos/Wes, Die Sonkring, Die Laksman, Passeur d'enfants, Iemand om lief te hê, Sterretjie, 7de
Laan and Villa Rosa.
She also had a recurring role as Wilna in the kykNET soapie Binnelanders, making her first appearance in Season 13, Episode 208, which aired on 28 March, 2018.
In 2019 she had a starring role as Fleur Pot, a resident of the retirement home, in the kykNET sitcom Huis Lelieveld.