Anna-Mart van der Merwe (born 9 August 1963) is a multiple-award-winning South African actress. She is best known for playing Maryna in Die Sonkring and Christelle in 7de Laan.
Van der Merwe has appeared in films like Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux, Poppie Nongena, and Kanarie. She has also acted in other television serials such as Torings, Konings, Onder Draai die Duiwel Rond, and Binnelanders.
Anna-Mart van der Merwe
Award-winning Film and theatre actress.
Personal Details
Name:
Anna-Mart van der Merwe
Born:
9 August 1963 (age 63 years old)
Place of birth:
Vredendal, Western Cape, South Africa
Nationality:
South African
Alma mater:
University of Cape Town
Occupation:
Actress
Years active:
1986-date
Spouse:
George Ware
Early Life
Anna-Mart van der Merwe was born on 9 August 1963 in Vredendal, Western Cape, South Africa. She was the youngest of five children. Her parents exposed her to music, books, theatre and movies from a young age, and she decided to pursue acting in matric. She eventually moved to Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Education
Van der Merwe matriculated at Vredendal High School. She obtained a diploma in speech and drama at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
Career
Anna-Mart got a contract at The Windybrow Theatre in Hillbrow after graduating in 1987. She has acted in many theatre productions, including The Women of Troy, Sing You of Bombs, The Witches of Salem, and Boo to the Moon.
In 1988, she appeared in the film Uitdraai, portrayed Miss Rautenbach in the comedy Taxi to Soweto in 1991, and played Klara Viljee in the drama film Die Storie van Klara Viljee in 1992.
Anna-Mart has also played roles in The Long Run, Red Dust,Hanna Hoekom, Stuur Groete aan Mannetjies Roux, Dis Koue Kos Skat. She played Joan Birchett in the SABC1 telenovela Soul City.
She won the NTVA Avanti Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She played Christelle Terreblanche in the SABC2 soap opera 7de Laan and Sanet Visser, a small-town doctor, in the Afrikaans series Amalia.
She played Mana in the 2010 film Die Ongelooflike Avonture van Hanna Hoekom and appeared as Erna Verwey in the 2013 film Die Ballade van Robbie de Wee.
In 2013, Anna-Mart starred as Koba Basson in the film Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux. She bagged the Silwerskerm Festival Prize for Best Actress at the 2014 Silwerskerm Festival.
She earned a SAFTA Golden Horn nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film for her role as Arlene Louw in the blockbuster Kanarie in 2018. She played Antoinette Swanepoel in the 2019 film Poppie Nongena.
Anna-Mart won the Best Ensemble Cast Award at the Silwerskerm Festival along with the film crew. In 2020, she bagged the SAFTA Golden Horn for Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film. She portrayed Elsa Meyer in the investigative crime thriller Reyka.
She played Olivia in Twaalfde Nag, an Afrikaans adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at the Baxter. She has also appeared in King Lear and other theatre plays like The Seagull, Uit die Bloute, Generaal Mannetjies Mentz, Twaalfde Nag, and Begeerte.
Anna-Mart has also performed in God of Carnage, Macbeth-Slapeloos, People are Living There, Skuldeisers, The Mother, Fotostaatmasjien, Liewer, Moby Dick, and Die Vleiroos.
Personal life
Anna-Mart van der Merwe is married to Zimbabwean businessman George Ware. She is bilingual in Afrikaans and English.
Imanuweli Mzingeli joined Eyaziwa in 2026. He holds a degree in Political Science from a prestigious university. Outside of his storytelling work, he enjoys reading and video games.
