Fashioning Modern Africanism

South African audiences can’t get enough of reality TV, with POP24’s  The Mommy Club  and  This Body Works For Me  topping the charts on Showmax currently, not to mention  Love Island UK ,  Love Island USA ,  Themba: My Inked World  and  Nganele  all in the top 20.  With  The Real Housewives of Gqeberha  now streaming, and  The Real Housewives of Lagos  S2 coming at the end of the month, here’s a round-up of the Showmax hits everyone is talking about:  JUST LAUNCHED:  The Real Housewives of Gqeberha S1   | Binge now Get ready to see a side of Gqeberha you’ve never seen before in  1Magic’s  The Real Housewives of Gqeberha . Meet stylish events planner, mother and wife Norma Nicol (who married into Ghanaian royalty); sought-after MC and award-winning businesswoman Buli G Ngomane; dedicated mom, former construction project manager and recent widow Liz Prins; successful salon owner and the wife of the city’s former mayor, Unathi Faku; and Ashleigh Mather, a wife and mom who works in the fa

While The Black Door takes a short break, to be replaced by INHLAWULO – Damages, hosted by Siyabonga Mkhize. The Black Door will return 9 January 2023 at 9:30PM. The break means viewers won’t miss a beat of Mandla N’s late-night show this festive season, as we make way for a reality-based show in its slot. Recently, The Black Door finished a story line on mob justice and crime. This is where viewers saw young talent, Kwanda Manyathi, explore the best version of himself through the tale of a troubled young teenager. On the show’s return in January, viewers can expect more surprises and shocking moments- will Nolitha return? Is Sabelo ready to make a move on Nandi? During the break, INHLAWULO - Damages will continue the journey following families as they engage in the process of paying damages or compensation for a child. The series explores the ways different cultures in South Africa navigate this tradition. And, it gets really complex as the more time individuals take to pay damages, t

Fans of the hugely popular and award-winning NBCUniversal Format franchise The Real Housewives can look forward to the opulence, drama and new faces when the hotly awaited latest addition to the local series, The Real Housewives of Cape Town (RHOCT) premieres on Mzansi Magic on 10 July 2022. The Real Housewives of Cape Town marks the 17th international version of the franchise, and the 4th to be adapted in Africa. The franchise is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. “We look forward to premiering this exciting new addition on Mzansi Magic, which will no doubt keep our audience hooked and will undoubtedly be of the premium quality our viewers have grown accustomed to,” says Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net. She continues: “This may be a global franchise, but our spin on it is very much South African. The storylines explored on the show and the cast’s

The first episode starts with Somizi listening, for the first time, to the leaked audio of Mohale’s abuse allegations. This is followed by a frank video call with Vusi Nova, where they discuss how Somizi feels and some of Mohale’s claims about Somizi’s sex life. This sets the tone for an explosive episode, which also features  Lockdown  star Lorcia Cooper asking Somgaga directly, “Did you hit him?”.  “ Living The Dream With Somizi S4  won the 2020 SAFTA, while  Somizi & Mohale: The Union  broke Showmax’s then-record for first day views when it launched,” says Candice Fangueiro, Showmax’s head of content. “So having shown fans the build-up to the wedding, and the ceremonies themselves, for balance, we wanted to also explore everything that followed.”    Watch the trailer:  The season starts in the second half of 2021, with Somgaga’s career at a crossroads: he is taking time off from  Idols a nd Metro FM, and has replaced his management team with himself. “If I thought iCovid was the

Already serving an impressive lineup of reality shows, Mzansi Magic will be premiering their latest addition to the fan favorite genre in April.  Twice as Bold  is a 13-part show following Olwethu and Owami Siko – twin sisters who are so inseparable they share one soul and one baby Daddy. While twins are known to enjoy an even closer bond than the average siblings, Olwethu and Owami have taken things to the extreme, at least according to their loved ones, who want them to start living their lives as individuals rather than as a unit. Born in Vosloorus, the 31-year-old sisters’ tough childhood brought them even closer than expected- so close that they were married the same man for nine years. Now divorced and with daughters born two months apart fathered by the ex-husband, the twins are on a journey to accept their spiritual calling as prophets – and to find a new husband. “Shows centered around family trial and tribulations never get old and are always fascinating to observe – more so