For most of his career, actor and entertainer, Dean John Smith has filled the shoes of other characters and voices on television. Born and raised in Malmesbury, the Stellenbosch University alumnus is now embarking on a new journey hosting the TV show, Show’Kie on kykNET & kie. He spoke to SMF News’ Zeta Soule.
Show’Kie host, Dean John Smith, on the set of Show’Kie at Atlantic Studios in Milnerton. The show sees television stars join as guests and then participate in a series of games and interviews. PHOTO: Zeta Soule
Growing up in Malmesbury, there was no one on television who looked like Dean John Smith or came from where he came from.
“I did not necessarily have the frame of reference to say what I want to do one day, because in my community, those kinds of people were not around,” Smith says, referring to his childhood dream of becoming an actor.
Seated on the couch where he now interviews many of South Africa’s television stars in Atlantic Studios in Milnerton, he leans forward slightly.
“It means more than just another gig, another job. It’s what it represents, what it symbolises,” he says. “How I can become someone that I needed when I was growing up.”
Smith, who graduated with a BA Hons degree in drama from Stellenbosch University in 2015, is best known for his role in Suidooster, as Wade Daniels. Now he is the host of Show’Kie which started airing on 5 July.
“[The show] is not asking the questions you can get on Google, not ‘Where did your acting career start’. Not that kind of questions,” he says. “It’s more like ‘Listen, I heard you are scared of something. We found out. Why do you have a phobia?’ That kind of thing.”
The show, he says, was built entirely on one thing – “a lekker feeling”.
Actor and television host Dean Smith in the studio of the new KykNet & Kie show, Show’Kie. PHOTO: Zeta Soule
From Malmesbury to the main stage
Smith did not grow up with a conventional path into entertainment. Raised in Malmesbury, the journey to television was one he had to work tirelessly to create for himself.
“When I said this is what I want to do, a lot of people would ask, ‘Okay yeah, but what are you going to do for real, for real?,” he says.
But within his own home, the foundation was laid firmly.
“I had family that was like, ‘If this is what you want to do, we are going to support you all the way’,” he says.
Long before he became a recognisable face on South African television, Smith was being shaped by something far closer to home.
“Before I became a brand for what I do for a living, I was back in the brand for my parents,” he says. “They would always say – when I leave the house, ‘Remember, you are not Dean. You are Helen and John’s child’.” He pauses. “Today I can reflect back on that.”
Dean Smith first appeared on Suidooster in early 2017. On the show, he is known as Wade Daniels. PHOTO: Zeta Soule
Hiding in plain sight
Long before Show’Kie, Smith was a constant presence on South African screens, just never as himself. Through his roles in Suidooster, he mastered the art of immersing himself into other people’s stories.
“Having to play characters, you know, and hiding behind characters and all those kinds of things; they have always been important to me,” he says.
But it was in the spaces between those characters where something else was developing.
“In between the characters that you play, you have to get to know people and get to network and connect with people,” he says. “That was kind of enough for [the producers] to be like, ‘Listen, let’s have a show as you and not a character’.”
While the actor Dean Smith will stay on in his role as Suidooster’s Wade Daniels, he also has the opportunity to showcase himself as the new host of the show Show’Kie. PHOTO: Zeta Soule
Yet, stepping forward did not come naturally. While audiences may see confidence, those closest to the production witnessed the pressure behind the scenes.
Jawaahier Petersen, a Suidooster actress, is the first guest to appear on Show’Kie.
“Dean is truly one of the hardest-working people in this industry,” she says. “Because he is so gifted in his talents, he makes it look effortless. But I could sense the nerves.”
Petersen says months of preparation led to the show’s debut, “He nailed it, like we all knew he would.”
Keeping unscripted moments on air
For Smith, Show’Kie was never just about entertainment. It was always about stepping into the spotlight as himself. Pedro Kruger, content producer of Show’Kie says the challenge of the format is that “you are not playing a character”.
“You are yourself, but a heightened version of yourself,” says Kruger.
What stood out to Kruger throughout production was not only Smith’s creativity and humour, but also his humanity. He describes Smith as “egoless, funny, warm and empathic”.
“Those qualities allow Smith to connect with guests and audiences alike,” says Kruger.
Even the smallest, most unscripted moments are sacred to Smith.
“If it’s fluff or something, don’t cut it, show it on TV,” he says. “That makes it human. It shows the realness. We are not robots.”
What he ultimately wants viewers to feel when they watch the show, he says, is simple, “I just want people to sit and watch with a smile.”
“It must feel like just having a conversation, but we’re watching them,” he says.
He leans back. For Smith, the measure of success is not ratings or recognition. It is about connection.
“People connect with realness. Not with a facade of vagueness,” he says. “Because then what are we going onto? What are we grabbing onto?”
“One can have fun while doing what you’re doing. People see it,” he says. “That is most important.”
End the weekend of a high
The 7pm timeslot on a Sunday evening on kykNET & kie was always going to mean something for Show’Kie. Smith knew exactly what kind of moment he was stepping into and exactly what he wanted to give South Africa in return.
“I think it’s kind of your kickoff for the week,” he says. “To get you in that kind of mood.”
“Let’s end the weekend on a high and get us ready for the week to come,” he says. “Expect me – on the next episode – to do this all again.”
Show’Kie first aired at the beginning of July 2026 on kykNET & kie, marking Dean Smith’s debut as a television host. It’s a new chapter in his career as he steps into conversation and entertainment. PHOTO: Zeta Soule
For Smith, the goal has always been straightforward. Not fame, not accolades, not the size of the audience, but simply humanity. He settles back into the interview chair. It is the same interviewing couch space where South Africa’s beloved television stars will sit across from him and smile.
“It still feels present here,” he says. “It’s present.”
He exhales. “You can feel the vibe,” he says. “It’s very lekker.”
“You realise how everything has its own time,” he says.