Fashioning Modern Africanism

Bongekile “Babes Wodumo” Simelane and her husband, Mandla Maphumulo, popularly known as Mampintsha, have just dropped the trailer for Season 2 of their hit reality series  Uthando Lodumo . From 1 September 2022, the Showmax Original reality show will see the Gqom superstars take their fans behind the scenes of their rollercoaster lives.                              Watch the trailer:  In Season 1, which set a then record for first day views on Showmax, we saw the controversial couple concluding their lobola negotiations, celebrating their star-studded wedding and anticipating the birth of their first child, now affectionately known as "Sponge". Now the family of three returns to Showmax for another dramatic season that zooms into their lives. The new season will show what life has been like for the couple, drawing the curtain back to reveal the story behind the most contentious headlines of the past year while also showing how the couple’s careers are evolving.   In the exclu

The three-part Showmax Original reality series follows Bongekile Simelane and   Mandla Maphumulo, better known as gqom superstars Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha,   from a proposal live on Gagasi FM in October 2020 through marriage counselling, lobola negotiations, pregnancy and a surprise bridal shower all the way to their vibrant wedding in April 2021.  As  The Citizen ’s Kaunda Selisho says, “ Uthando Lodumo  offers a never-before-seen look into the dynamic between a couple that has dominated headlines from the minute they achieved mainstream popularity."   The king and queen of gqom Babes burst onto the gqom scene with  Wololo , featuring Mampintsha and Distruction Boyz, which racked up over 11m views on YouTube alone, and was nominated as Record of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards and the South African Music Awards, among other places. “Everyone knew  Wololo ,” says Babes in  Uthando Lodumo . “Even Beyoncé and Usher knew my song.”   While she admits in  Uthando Lodumo  tha