Soli Philander

Soli Philander (2061-2026) was a South African actor, director, comedian, playwright and columnist.

Biography

Born Silamour Philander on January 19, 1961, son of Frederick and Shahieda at Somerset Hospital. As a young boy he attended the Reformed Old Apostolic Church, in Balvenie Avenue, Elsie's River, where he sang in the choir.

He matriculated from John Ramsay Secondary School in Bishop Lavis in 1979. A year at UWC confirmed that he was an actor. He was given his first professional role when the lead actor in a play fell ill and he stepped into the breach. He was an instant hit. Initially he used his full name in the late 1970s and early 1980s, then assumed the better known "Solly Philander" or "Sollie Philander" and finally settled with "Soli Philander", especially for his stand-up comedy, radio and TV work. He also created the popular stage persona called "Rosie September" for his cabaret work.

He was married to Toni Philander for 30 years (from 1985 till their divorce in 2015).

He passed away of complications of cancer on March 4, 2026, leaving behind sons Caleb and Ethan, daughters Danya and Kyla, and a foster daughter, Lauren, whom he and Toni had helped during her final year of school.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

At 23 years of age Philander had already had considerable experience in the theatre and cabaret. His career first started The Space Theatre in Cape Town in plays such as Political Joke, The Car Cemetery, The Final Sting of the Dying Wasp and Telling Tales amongst others. He was also involved in children's educational theatre for a while; then followed the Baxter Theatre's production of Waiting for Godot which toured South Africa, and had seasons in London and America. Back home, Silamour devised, wrote, directed and eventually played a cabaret character called "Rosie September". He wowed Johannesburg audiences for six months at No. 58, and for an additional season at the Oxford Hotel. (Programme of The Wrong Time of Year 1984).

Worked for Group 44 and The Space performing in Elke Ou Storie by Peter Snyders and Group 44, (at The Space, 197*), The Final Sting of the Dying Wasp (The Space, 197*, directed by Mavis Taylor), Waiting for Godot (Baxter, 1980), The Comedy of Errors (Maynardville, 1987), Jean Genet’s The Blacks (PACT, 1989), Romeo and Juliet at the (State Theatre and the Alexander Theatre, 1992), The Boabab Tree (Market Theatre 199*), .

A prolific writer and director, he wrote and starred in a number of one-man shows, such as Take Two, at the Laager in 1991.

He was a popular presenter for Mnet and Kyknet's very popular celebrity show Liriekeraai, and hosts the game-show Vat A Kans. On the SABC screens he has appeared in a number of roles, including starring in Off the Record, a series satirising election politics and in the multi-lingual drama series Reflections. He did a two-year, daily stint for 567 Capetalk Radio presenting his talkshow Airborne, which followed a very successful start with Punt Geselsradio on his Afrikaans show Gorrelpunt.

A social activist, supporter of educatinal theatre and a philanthropist for much of his life, he was inter alia also the founder of the Soli Philander Foundation[1].