Influence Profile
No genre data available
Genre information will appear here once available
Trending in Bennie Boekwurm’s World
Trending Globally
No trending songs available.
Story
Quick Facts
Born
1976
1976
From
South Africa
South Africa
Journey
Bennie Boekwurm ("Bennie Bookworm" in English) is one of South Africa's most iconic and beloved children's television puppet characters, a nostalgic staple of Afrikaans children's entertainment for generations. The character is a friendly, spectacled green bookworm with an insatiable love for reading and storytelling. He resides in a cozy, subterranean tunnel-house filled with shelves of storybooks located within the fictional "Wielie Walie Park." Bennie Boekwurm was created in 1976 by the late Verna Vels, who also provided his distinctive voice for the original run of the show.
Bennie Boekwurm made his debut in 1976 on the SABC children's variety programme Wielie Walie, a groundbreaking show as the first children's television production in South Africa. The character quickly became a sensation, known for his signature catchphrase "Storie-storie-storie!" and encouraging young audiences to read and explore their imaginations.
His career extends far beyond the television screen. Bennie Boekwurm has "authored" (in character) and been featured in numerous storybooks that became popular reading material for South African children. He has also released multiple albums and audio stories, such as Bennie Boekwurm Vertel Lekker Stories, showcasing musical segments and narratives. Bennie remains a cherished cultural figure, representing warmth, education, and childhood nostalgia for millions of South Africans who grew up with Wielie Walie.