7de Laan used to be one of the most loved soapie dramas in Mzansi, with loved characters as well, but did you know that not all of those characters are still alive today. In this post we look at 15 7de Laan actors who passed on.
Number 1. Patrick Shai who died of Suicide in 2022
Actor Patrick Shai who was also known for playing Jacob in 7de Laan season 1 and for starring in other prominent South African dramas, died of suicide in 2022. He was discovered by his wife Mmasechaba Shai, hanging in the garage of his Dobsonville home. The veteran actor became a household name after appearing in numerous television series including Mission Top Secret, Zero Tolerance, Hillside, Soul City and Yizo Yizo. Shai also had an extensive feature film resume which included Cry, the Beloved Country and Critical Assignment among many others.
Number 2. Randall de Jager, died of gun shot wound in 2001
Another 7de Laan actor who died and probably most of you knew about his death is Randall de Jager. The actor who was known on 7de Laan for playing the role of bookshop assistant Aubrey Rudolph was shot in the face by robbers at a house in Sandton. He was declared brain dead at hospital upon arrival which means there was no hope of resuscitation. When the robbers incident occurred, Randall was with his friend and actress Helene Lombard. Randall was killed when he was still riding the ladder of success and had not appeared on many dramas and films.
Number 3. Themsie Times died of short illness in 2021
Actress Themsie Times died in 2021 after a short illness and the news of her death was confirmed by publicity manager at 7de Laan, Kayleen Bessit. On the soapie drama, Themsie portrayed the role of Maria Zibula. She joined the show as a domestic worker for Oubaas and Hilda at the Heights apartments and became a good friend to Angie, played by Mimi Mahlasela. Apart from acting Themsie was devout Christian, a complete different person to 7de Laan character. She accepted Jesus as Lord and savior in 1986 and remained in her faith until her death in 2021.
Number 4: Mutodi Neshehe died of Covid19 in 2021
Best known for his Muvhango role as Ndalamo Mukwevho is Mutodi Neshehe who also starred in 7de Laan as Carter. Mutodi died of Covid19 complications in 2021 and his death was confirmed by his family. The actor who was versatile in his career appeared also on Generations, Egoli: Place of Gold and Broken Vows just to name a few. When his funeral was done, his estranged American wife, Leslee Dalton couldn’t attend so he send a eulogy to her husband’s family in a pre-recorded audio tribute.
Number 5: Daniel Odendaal died of short illness
Actor and producer Daniel Odendaal died in October 2024 after suffering from a short illness. In 2019 he suffered from a stroke in his home in Pervillac, France before returning to South Africa where his health continued to deteriorate. His legacy is that he created 7de Laan which was one of the long run successful SABC soapies. There is no information that he acted on 7de Laan, but it’s clear that 7de Laan was his brain child.
Number 6: Milla Louw died of heart failure in 2012
Afrikaans actress Milla Louw died in 2012 from heart failure at St George’s Hospital in Port Elizabeth. Her legacy is that she dedicated her life to entertainment industry as an actress and voice coach. Her debut film was in the 1960s where she played in Huis op Horings a 1963 film. She appeared in numerous television serials such Number Please, William, Behind Every Man and Egoli: Place of Gold. In 7de Laan, Milla played the role of Aunt Schoeman.
Number 7: Ben Kruger died of Covid-19 in 2021
Best known for Binnelanders as Okkie Ferreira is Ben Kruger who died of Covid19 in 2021. Ben Kruger also appeared and starred on SABC2 soapie 7de Laan where he played the role of Neef Gert. He died on 26 May 2021 at his home in Brooklyn, Pretoria from Covid19 complications and the news of his death was confirmed by KykNet publicity Suzaan Keyter. His character on Binnelanders continued to appear on the show months after his death because they shoot scenes months in advance.
Number 8: Shaleen Richards died from an unknown sickness
Shaleen Surtie-Richards, best known for her starring roles in the 1988 film Fiela se Kind and the long-running series Egoli: Place of Gold is one of the 7de Laan who died. According to Wikipedia, Shaleen died during the night in her sleep and had been suffering from multiple health issues. Her family have denied rumours that her death was a result of suicide. She died on 7 June 2021 at the age 66. At the peak of her career, Shaleen appeared on 7de Laan season 1 where she played the role of Dorothy Daniels.
Number 9: Adrian Alper, who died of Tuberculosis in 2024
Actor and director Adrian Alper died on 14 May 2024 after succumbing to tuberculosis complications. He was 51 years old at the time of death. Adrian was known as a coloured actor who played the role of Pastor Gammies in the season 1 of SABC2 drama 7de Laan. After several years acting in different dramas and films he ended up focusing on directing television dramas such as Isidingo, Backstage, Madam & Eve, Shado’s and Scandal!.
Number 10: Antonio Summerton died of motorcycle accident in 2007
Actor Antonio Summerton who was best known for his role in Backstage as Jason died on 29 December 2007 after he had accident on his motorcycle. According to the reports of the time, Jason lost control of his motorcycle in Roodeport and hit a light pole and he died on the scene. He was 27 years old at the time of death. On 7de Laan, Antonio Summerton was known for playing the guest role of Rick in its first season.
Number 11: Shareen Swart who died of Cancer in 2018
Afrikaans actress, director and producer Shareen Swart died on 29 October 2018 after succumbing to battle with cancer. In the acting industry Shareen Swart was known for playing a comedic character in drama serials. On 7de Laan Shareen played the role of Katinka in its first season. She has acted in several films include PI Van der Merwe, Circles in a Forest and Committed.
Number 12: Bronwyn van Graan died of internal bleeding in 2018
Afrikaans actress Bronwyn van Graan who was best known for playing in 7de Laan died of internal bleeding. The cause of this internal bleeding was never published. Possibly no one knew the cause because the actress was alone in her Johannesburg apartment when she died. The actress who was known for her bubbly personality died at the age 39 in April 2018.
Number 13: Trudie Taljaard died of bone cancer
Actress Trudie Taljaard who was best known for playing Esther in the soap 7de Laan died on 31 January 2009 after succumbing to bone cancer. She appeared in the following films, Windprints, Hitchhiker and Hearts & Minds. Trudie joined 7de Laan in 2008 just a year before she died. She played the role of matron Netta Nortjé’s sister by the name of “Esther”.
Number 14: Dr Sindi Van Zyl died from Covid-19 in 2021
The much-loved medical doctor and Kaya FM host, Dr Sindi Van Zyl died on 10 April 2021 after losing her battle against Covid-19. She is on this list because she appeared on season 20 of 7de Laan as a doctor for the sake of HIV awareness. During her appearances, the character Diederik played by Hennie Jacobs had contracted the HI-virus disease as a result of reckless drug abuse.
Number 15: Crystal Donna Roberts, stage 4 breast cancer
Donna Roberts was an actress from South Africa who died in 2025 from breast cancer. According to reports the actress lost battle to stage 4 breast cancer. The actress who was 40 years old died on 6 March 2025. She was known for other dramas including Arendsvei and Swartwater.
