Annelisa Weiland says goodbye to Hilda: What's next for the beloved actress?
Annelisa Weiland is a prolific South African film, television, and stage actress. After making a name for herself in classical theatre productions in the 1970s, she became a soap opera star portraying Hilda on 7de Laan for nearly two decades. Annelisa is fulfilled by her enduring career and the fact that she can still act in her 70s. She told Maroela Media in 2020:
I think the excitement for me is that I still have the luxury of being able to work. It gives me discipline and structure to my life. The fact that I can still remember my words also helps.
Source: UGC
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Key takeaways
- Annelisa Weiland left the long-running SABC2 series 7de Laan in 2019 after an iconic 19-year run as the beloved Hilda.
- Since 2019, Weiland has been portraying Kate Vosloo on kykNET's weekday soap opera Suidooster.
- She moved back to her home city of Cape Town in 2019 after living and working in Johannesburg for about 5 decades.
Annelisa Weiland's profile summary
Full name | Annelisa Dora Deborah Weiland |
Date of birth | February 15, 1949 |
Age | 77 (as of 2026) |
Place of birth | Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa |
Current residence | Bloubergstrand, Cape Town |
Nationality | South African |
Parents | Ewald Paul Weiland, Stienie Hoogenhout Goosen |
Siblings | Ewald Weiland Jr. |
Education | University of Cape Town (Theatre) Durbanville High School |
Profession | Actress, writer |
Social media |
Annelisa Weiland's biography
The 7de Laan star was born on February 15, 1949, in Sea Point, Cape Town, and was raised in Durbanville. Annelisa Weiland studied at Durbanville High School in the mid-1960s. She later enrolled at the University of Cape Town and graduated with a degree in theatre.
Annelisa Weiland's parents and siblings
The Suidooster actress was born to the late Ewald Paul Weiland and Stienie Hoogenhout Goosen. In her 2018 Foxwood TV interview, Annelisa described her mother as a vibrant person who always took care of the family. Stienie unfortunately passed away in 1996.
Annelisa's father, Ewald Sr., was born in Bielefeld, Germany, and came to South Africa at 22 to install textile machinery. Because of his background as a builder, he ensured Annelisa had a pool to swim in every summer. Annelisa lost her father in 2008 at the age of 98.
The 7de Laan actress has one brother named Ewald Jr., who is four years younger than her. Ewald Jr. is a construction professional and is married to Michelle. In her 2008 interview with Netwerk24, Annelisa said that she is "very attached" to her younger brother, who lives in Cape Town.
Source: Original
Who is Annelisa Weiland's husband?
The 7de Laan actress is not married and has never tied the knot. When asked if she envies her character Hilda's marriage to Oubaas on the SABC2 soap opera, Weiland told Netwerk24:
I don't envy married people, but such a close love is very beautiful to me. I believe in reincarnation and that one cannot fit everything into one lifetime. Sometimes I wonder why things that have happened to others don't happen to me... maybe in another lifetime?
Annelisa Weiland's most notable public romance was with director Ken Leach. The exes dated for about seven years in the 1970s. She described him as one of her "great loves" in her Netwerk24 interview but said they never married because it "was not meant to be".
Does Annelisa Weiland have children?
The Suidooster actress has no children but is a doting fur mom to her pet dogs, Zara, a Weimaraner, and Jasper, a poodle. Annelisa Weiland told Netwerk24 that she does not regret choosing not to become a mother.
When I look at how I work with my dog, I'm sure I would have been a good mother but a neurotic one. I would have been overprotective... I've never felt incomplete without a child.
Annelisa Weiland's illustrious acting career
Weiland started her professional acting career in 1969 as a UCT student when she joined August Strindberg's feature film The Father. As television broadcasting took off in South Africa in the 1970s, Annelisa became a notable screen actress with roles in major mini-series and TV-adapted plays like Die Kersietuin, Drie Susters, and Die Dame met die Kamelias.
Annelisa's performance in the 1978 TV movie Die Koster earned an Artes Award for Best Actress. In 2000, Weiland joined the newly launched SABC2 soap opera 7de Laan as Hilda de Kock (later Hilda van Zyl) alongside Pierre van Pletzen, who portrayed her husband Oubaas van Zyl.
Weiland became a household name on Mzansi television after playing Hilda for 19 years. In 2017, she won the Tempo Award for Soap Actress of the Year for the role.
The actress left 7de Laan in September 2019 to portray Katharina "Kate" Vosloo on the kykNET weekday soap opera Suidooster. Weiland also joined the cast of the kykNET comedy series Lui maar op, Belinda, as Annetjie Nel, appearing in all three seasons from 2019 to 2023.
Annelisa Weiland's extensive theatre work
Annelisa Weiland has an impressive theatre resume and built her stage legacy alongside iconic stage stars like Tobie Cronje. She started in the 1970s with roles in classical theatre productions of Shakespearean plays. Weiland portrayed Ophelia in the 1970 production of Hamlet.
In 1971, Weiland earned a Three Leaf Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for performing in Titus Andronicus. By the mid-1970s, the UCT theatre graduate was working with the prestigious Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal (PACT) Afrikaans company, TRUK. She has also worked with Pieter Toerien and The Market Theatre.
Weiland won the prestigious DALRO Award for Best Supporting Actress on the Afrikaans stage for her 1993 role in Mirakel. She built a reputation for being able to seamlessly transition from classical performances to musical theatre and risqué farces. Annelisa told Maroela Media in 2024 that the theatre is where she got the most satisfaction as an actress.
The stage tests you, and there's no room for error. That relationship with the audience is also priceless and recharges your battery as an actor. That interaction is the real magic of the theatre.
Annelisa Weiland's top 15 movies and TV shows
Movie/TV show | Year/Season | Role |
7de Laan | 2000-2019 | Hilda de Kock |
Die Vierde Kabinet | 1998 | Paddy van Heerden |
Elke Skewe Pot | 2018 | Cornelia |
Lui Maar Op, Belinda | 2019 | Annetjie Nel |
Suidooster | 2019-present | Katharina Vosloo |
Triptiek | 1997 | Priscilla de Haarhof |
Torings | 1994 | Rachel de Beer |
99 Caroline Street | 1979 | Cathy Boswel |
Susters | 2018 | Martie |
Meerkat Maantuig | 2017 | Skinder Tannie 4 |
'n Pawpaw Vir My Darling | 2015 | Mignon (voice) |
Skelms | 1980 | Gloria |
Plekkie in die son | 1979 | Bettie |
Daar Kom Tant Alie | 1976 | Mary-Jo |
Where is Annelisa Weiland today?
Annelisa lives in Bloubergstrand, a coastal suburb in her home city of Cape Town, where she is near her brother Ewald and her sister-in-law Michelle. She relocated to the Cape in 2019 after spending nearly five decades in Johannesburg, where she filmed her iconic Hilda role on 7de Laan. While discussing the changes in her life, Weiland told News24:
I'm tackling new challenges of which one was to change the cities. Though I loved Johannesburg, it is great to be back in Cape Town too, as I grew up here and I'm at least familiar with the surroundings.
Weiland continues to portray Kate Vosloo on the kykNET series Suidooster. In early April 2026, her storyline generated excitement when she reunited with her 7de Laan husband, Pierre van Pletzen, who joined the soap opera as Willie.
FAQs
- How old is Annelisa Weiland? The South African actress is 77 years old as of September 2026. She was born on February 15, 1949.
- How old was Hilda in 7de Laan? Hilda actress Annelisa Weiland was 51 years old when she started portraying the role in 2000. She was 70 years old when she filmed her final scene and left the SABC2 soapie in September 2019.
- Who is Hilda from 7de Laan? Hilda is a beloved character on 7de Laan known for being sweet, warm-hearted, a bit quirky, and a supportive friend in the fictional community of Hillside. Her fashion trademark is a signature collection of scarves. Hilda's storyline involved her love for cooking and her marriage to Septimus "Oubaas" van Zyl.
- Who played Hilda van Zyl? Veteran actress Annelisa Weiland portrayed Hilda van Zyl on 7de Laan from the show's inception in 2000 until she left the show in 2019.
- Is Hilda from 7de Laan still alive? Both the actress and the fictional character are still alive. Instead of killing off Hilda when Annelisa left 7de Laan, the writers made her leave the fictional neighbourhood of Hillside.
- What happened to Annelisa on 7de Laan? Annelisa voluntarily left the SABC2 soapie after portraying Hilda for 19 consecutive years.
Conclusion
At 77, Annelisa Weiland is not showing any signs of slowing down after being in show business for nearly six decades. Since saying goodbye to Hilda on 7de Laan, the veteran actress has taken Cape Town by storm with appearances on kykNET shows. Annelisa has remained close to her younger brother and her fur babies after losing both her parents.
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Source: Briefly News
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