Showmax has recently released the hard-hitting trailer for Brakpan Chronicles, premiering on the platform on February 20.

The two-part documentary series is from Rian van Heerden and Provoco, the team behind the SAFTA-winning Sex in Afrikaans and Tiek Tok Boem!, one of IOL’s “Most Jaw-Dropping Documentaries of 2025.”

“Brakpan’s become a punchline, so we wanted to share the full story, or get bliksemed trying,” said Rian.

“I’ve always been a fan of the Brakpan memes, but when I saw a YouTube video by The Boys (Matthew and Joey Perry) about Brakpan, I thought it was high time I make a documentary about this town.”

Sadly, Joey passed in the time since Rian saw that video, and Rian feels thankful for the inspiration.

“I’m hoping that people will also see that, beyond the jokes and memes, there is real heart in Brakpan; but also that probably some of the most unique people that I’ve met in my life reside there,” he said.

Deciding which stories and people best represent the town was, according to Rian, a tough decision.

“I was especially interested in chatting to the real characters,” he said.

Asked if there was a particular moment that stuck with him, Rian told the Brakpan Herald that he can’t reveal it yet.

Filming started in February last year, where the team spent about a month in the town, and they later returned in March to spend some time at The Rock Raceway.

Planning for the documentary started much earlier, however, and a few visits to the town beforehand was important before the crew was brought in.

The realness is what surprised Rian the most about Brakpan during filming, even despite some people being hesitant to “chat” with Rian and the crew “due to all the jokes about the town,” he said.

“But the vast majority saw the humour and were quite willing to crack a few Brakpan jokes themselves,” he recalls.

There was a lot he would have liked to include in the documentary that didn’t make the cut, but the finished product is still something he is proud of.

“I don’t see Brakpan Chronicles as a typical community documentary, it’s about a very famous town and its unique inhabitants,” he said.

“Give the show a chance! Watch it and then form an opinion.”