Poena is Koning was released in South Africa on 21 September 2007, in both Afrikaans and English-subtitled versions. Between its first and second weekend of release, the film's attendance increased by 5.7% and box office earnings per site increased by 12%. In a 2008 interview, Esterhuizen described
Poena is Koning as "a humorous ethnic minority film that appealed to the movie-going ethnic minority it was meant for." The South African news website
Independent Online awarded the film one star and described it as "what seems to be an attempt to make an Afrikaans
American Pie". The film is considered one of the most representative films in Esterhuizen's body of work, having been "elevated to public property in Afrikaans circles that devour his film contributions with gusto, due to its crude and hearty humour." According to academic Chris Broodryk,
Poena is Koning draws on American influences such as
Porky’s (1981) and
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) but nevertheless follows a common theme in the director's body of work, by equating the quest for sexual intercourse with
post-apartheid white masculinity. == Spinoffs and sequels ==