7de Laan - Shops, Businesses and Residences

Shops, Businesses and Residences

7de Laan is set in Hillside which is a fictional suburb in Johannesburg. Within the suburb, there are many businesses and shops where the characters work, live and hang around in. These are the current locations that are used:

• Hillside Heights

The Hillside Heights is the centre of Hillside. It is an old residential building that has small apartments where most of the characters live. The Hillside Heights building is owned by Gita McGregor and Oubaas van Zyl is the keeper of the building. Many a spookstorie made its appearance in the building's alleys, and so often somebody gets locked-up in the store room by accident.

• Oppikoffie

Charmaine Meintjies owns and runs Oppikoffie alongside with her waiters: Bernard, Kim and Pulani. Oppikoffie is a coffee shop located on the ground floor of the Heights and directly opposite Eclectic E.

• Eclectic E (Up-Market Boutique)

Eclectic E is the local boutique located opposite Oppikoffie. It is owned and run by Felicity Daniels (who is a famed and successful fashion designer with her own designer clothing label called "Felicity Fashions") along with Annelie (replacing Clara and Tessa). It is a popular meeting place for many of the female characters.

• The Hillside Deli

The Deli is owned and run by Vince Meintjies (one of Neville Meintjies' sons), with Hilda de Kock as the assistant chef and Pieter as PA. Jerome, Bart, Vanessa, Matrone and Lukas used to work there at different times.

• The Hillside Bookshop

The bookshop (as it is colloquially known) is owned by Ryno Lategan with the assistance of Matrone Netta Nortjè (who is also the matron of the Hillside Old Home) and Marcel (Ryno's partner). The bookshop has featured many real life book-releases on the show with the author guest-starring in the particular episode to sign autographs and to answer questions.

• Hillside Travel

Hillside Travel is a travel agency owned and run by Gita McGregor. Zinzi Kheswa and Asha used to work as PA there.

• Hillside Times

Hillside Times is the local newspaper owned by Neville Meintjies (who was also the editor) and Lilian Bala. The Times had Sanjay Ramdin (who left to pursue a job in New York) as their head journalist and food critic, Paula van der Lecq as the fashion, social, literature and more recently financial journalist and Aggie Ngwena as their PA. Errol Pieterse (adopted son of Charmaine and Neville Meintjies) was the delivery boy during his scholar years (he now works at Bruynwaves). After being taught the basics of reporting by former journalist "Mandla Khumalo", Errol had done a couple of freelance articles for the newspaper.

The staff of the newspaper have also started a new sister publication "The Balmoral Gazette" in a neighboring suburb, but Neville had to sell this paper off to recoup his losses due to the Hillside Times reporting a bogus tip-off which led to legal action taken against them.

• Bruynwaves

Bruynwaves is an events organising company which is owned by Altus de Bruyn (hence "Bruyn"-waves). Vanessa Meintjies and Diederik are Altus's co-organisers, with Errol as their assistant.

• Theron & Terreblanche (T&T)

T&T is the local sporting equipment shop, owned by Herman Croukamp. The Hillside Gym is located on the first floor of the building and is run by San-Mari (she also gives personal training classes there). Previously, Tiaan Terreblanche, Kabelo, Lukas and Willem worked in T&T as shop assistants. After Willem had left, San Mari was the only employee left at T&T.

• O'Malley's

O'Malley's is the pub where the young crowd likes to hang out. Lukas worked there at night (but left on 31 October 2011) He used to take turns with Bernard.

• Ryno's House

This is a real, old time mansion, owned by author Ryno Lategan. It turns out to be a popular venue for house parties, fashion shows, book launches as well as wedding receptions. A fictional character (never seen on screen) is Evelina, the residence's cook and famous for her dish Evelina se niertjies. She started working there when it was still Madel's house in early episodes.

• Hillside Club

The Hillside Club used to be managed by Alyce Morapedi (who has left the show) and is where the whole cast get together to party, have fun and once in a while see a popular South African band. The Hillside club has not been featured during episodes since Alyce left the show.

• Hillside Clinic

Whenever there is a medical emergency, this scene comes into play. "Patients" are kept in bed for a short while, visited by the other characters, and then discharged home.

Other places (some seldomly seen on screen):

1. Restaurant "Le Petit Paris"
2. Laura Lee Beauty Salon
3. Felicity Fashions' factory
4. Die slaghuis (butchery)
5. Die apteek (pharmacy)
6. Police station and magistrate's court
7. The Church (mostly for weddings)
8. Waenhuiskrans