Bio
Ivan Botha is a South African actor best known for his starring role as Pieter van Heerden in the SABC2 soapie 7de Laan.
He is also known for his starring role as Wimpie Koekemoer in the Bakgat! trilogy of comedy films.
Ivan graduated from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2006 with a BA Drama in Acting, Directing and Scriptwriting. The following year he attended Robert McKee's scriptwriting seminar in London.
His television debut was the recurring role of David Stephenson in the SABC2 legal drama series Justice for All, in 2007.
The following year he starred in the comedy film Bakgat!, which would return for two sequels in 2010 and 2013.
In 2009 he joined the SABC2 soapie 7de Laan in the role of Pieter van Heerden, a troubled orphan with a dark past who turned out to be the half-brother of Ryno. The character would go on to fall in love with Annelie (played by Donnalee Roberts), whom he married in real life in 2019.
He and Roberts co-wrote and starred in the romantic comedy film Vir Altyd (Forever) in 2016 with a limited budget. They aggressively marketed the film themselves, which went on to become the second highest grossing Afrikaans film of all time.
During and after his time on 7de Laan, Ivan continued to work in film as a writer, producer, director and actor, in films including Superhelde, Road to Your Heart and Stroomop, his directorial debut.
Other films he acted in include The Raven, Tornado and the Kalahari Horse Whisperer, Hond se Dinges, Roepman, Verraaiers and Everyman's Taxi.
In 2016 he began playing the recurring role of Manie in the kykNET mockumentary comedy series Hotel, joining the series in Season 1, Episode 7 (which aired on 22 August, 2016). He returned to the role in the next two seasons.
In 2020 he landed the starring role of Tristan in the kykNET drama series Kompleks. His character is a knight on a white horse who falls in love with Mika with her eccentric jokes and mouthy daughter.
Kompleks premiered on 22 September, 2020.