Daantjie Badenhorst
Encyclopedia
Daniel Streicher Badenhorst (born 6 December 1967) (better known as Daantjie Badenhorst, nicknamed Daantjie Dinamiet (Daantjie Dynamite
) is a South Africa
n quiz show champion, journalist and author. He won Series 24 of South Africa's long-running Afrikaans language television
musical quiz show, Noot vir Noot
. He later also won the 2005 edition of "Flinkdink", a televised Afrikaans language general knowledge quiz show.
Badenhorst has Asperger syndrome
and campaigns for public awareness of the condition.
Badenhorst was born in Pietermaritzburg
, one of four children. He completed high school
at Hoërskool Waterkloof
, Pretoria
, in 1985. He subsequently went to work for the South African Government Printing Works.
In 2004 he entered Noot vir Noot and immediately made history during the first round when he surpassed the scoreboard's maximum of ZAR
10,000 before the end of the show. This was the first time it happened in the show's history. His total winnings for the evening was ZAR 26,075. Badenhorst's performance on the show, and his autism spectrum disorder
, drew wide interest and articles about him appeared in many newspaper
s and magazine
s, including Huisgenoot
and YOU
. His total winnings in the series was ZAR 77,200 - an all-time record. He was subsequently offered, and accepted, a sub-editor
position at Beeld
, South Africa's largest Afrikaans language newspaper. Since then, he has become a content editor of the internet edition of the newspaper, beeld.com.
As a result of his performance in Noot vir Noot, he was invited to take part in the 2005 edition of the Flinkdink quiz show, which he also won. Due to his increasing fame, Badenhorst also starred in the South African commercial for the Chevrolet Aveo
.
Subsequent to that, he was invited back to Noot vir Noot for a champions of champions programme which he lost to Zelda Meyer.
Badenhorst's native language is Afrikaans
, but he also speaks English
, French
and German
fluently. His first novel, "Net een wenner" (Only One Winner) was published in 2005. Badenhorst is married and has two children, Dirk (born 12 July 2004) and Suzanne (born 28 May 2007).
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
) is a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n quiz show champion, journalist and author. He won Series 24 of South Africa's long-running Afrikaans language television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
musical quiz show, Noot vir Noot
Noot vir Noot
Noot vir Noot is an Afrikaans language musical quiz shown on South African television. It is the longest continually running television game show in the country, having reached episode 500 after 20 years during series 35...
. He later also won the 2005 edition of "Flinkdink", a televised Afrikaans language general knowledge quiz show.
Badenhorst has Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
and campaigns for public awareness of the condition.
Badenhorst was born in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, one of four children. He completed high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at Hoërskool Waterkloof
Hoërskool waterkloof
Hoërskool Waterkloof is an Afrikaans high school situated in the wealthy eastern suburbs of Pretoria, South Africa. It had grown to become the largest Afrikaans school in the world by 2004, with 2,200 pupils and 140 teachers. It is also one of the top schools in Pretoria and has been...
, Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, in 1985. He subsequently went to work for the South African Government Printing Works.
In 2004 he entered Noot vir Noot and immediately made history during the first round when he surpassed the scoreboard's maximum of ZAR
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
10,000 before the end of the show. This was the first time it happened in the show's history. His total winnings for the evening was ZAR 26,075. Badenhorst's performance on the show, and his autism spectrum disorder
Autism spectrum
The term "autism spectrum" is often used to describe disorders that are currently classified as pervasive developmental disorders. Pervasive developmental disorders include autism, Asperger syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise...
, drew wide interest and articles about him appeared in many newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s and magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s, including Huisgenoot
Huisgenoot
Huisgenoot is a weekly Afrikaans-language general interest family magazine. It has the highest circulation figures of any South African magazine and is followed by sister magazine YOU, its English language version. A third magazine, Drum, is directed at the black market...
and YOU
YOU
YOU is a South African magazine which is the English version of the Afrikaans family magazine Huisgenoot. It is published in Cape Town by Media24, the print division of Naspers....
. His total winnings in the series was ZAR 77,200 - an all-time record. He was subsequently offered, and accepted, a sub-editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
position at Beeld
Beeld
Beeld is an Afrikaans language daily newspaper that was launched on 16 September 1974. Beeld is distributed in five provinces of South Africa: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal. Die Beeld was an Afrikaans language Sunday newspaper in the late 1960s...
, South Africa's largest Afrikaans language newspaper. Since then, he has become a content editor of the internet edition of the newspaper, beeld.com.
As a result of his performance in Noot vir Noot, he was invited to take part in the 2005 edition of the Flinkdink quiz show, which he also won. Due to his increasing fame, Badenhorst also starred in the South African commercial for the Chevrolet Aveo
Chevrolet Aveo
The Chevrolet Aveo is a subcompact automobile manufactured since 2002, originally by the South Korean General Motors subsidiary, GM Daewoo—and later by other GM-affiliated entities...
.
Subsequent to that, he was invited back to Noot vir Noot for a champions of champions programme which he lost to Zelda Meyer.
Badenhorst's native language is Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, but he also speaks English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
fluently. His first novel, "Net een wenner" (Only One Winner) was published in 2005. Badenhorst is married and has two children, Dirk (born 12 July 2004) and Suzanne (born 28 May 2007).