The unit specializes in the investigation of serial murders and is led by Van der Bijl, a former murder and robbery detective who gained fame for his handling of several high-profile cases. Each episode focuses on a serial killer. The main character, Colonel Piet van der Bijl, also known as Die Byl, is loosely modeled on the famous ex-detective Piet Byleveld.

Suidooster is a South African television soap opera produced by Suidooster Films which revolves around a matriarch, her family, friends and the people of Suidooster, a small shopping and business centre in the fictional Cape Town suburb of Ruiterbosch.