by Thinus Ferreira
South Africa's format localisation of The Real Housewives reality franchise is expanding with M-Net that is adding The Real Housewives of Durban to 1Magic (Dstv 103) from Friday 19 January at 19:00 with 6 feisty women.
The Real Housewives of Durban is produced by Let It Rain Films and the first season will have 14 episodes, including the reunion.
The main cast of the KwaZulu/Natal-set series showing off their conspicuous consumption, lavish lifestyles and who will have fighting words for each other are Nonkanyiso Conco ( a so-called "baby mama" of former president Jacob Zuma and owner of Laconco Naturals); and businesswoman Ann-Toni Ludick (who runs her own events and marketing company as well as dance agency, and owns a salon called Annastethic).
Also included is the socialite Sorisha Naidoo (former Miss India South Africa pageant winner, former actress, DJ and wife to the billionaire businessman Vivian Reddy) who previously appeared in a similar type show, Divas of Jozi in 2016 on SABC3 and who is famed for her invitation-only Umhlanga dinner events at her Izinga Ridge home.
Also part of the main cast is Ayanda Ncwane (CEO of Ncwane Communications and Sfiso Ncwane Productions and the widow of the late gospel star Sfiso Ncwane); and Kgomotso Ndungane (the wife of the former Sharks and Springbok winger Odwa Ndungane who has her own events planning company, Oak Celebrations and recently launched her own luxury personal care brand, LeLaPa).
Rounding out The Real Housewives of Durban cast is Nonku Williams (a mother of three who is the founder of Ashes to Beauty Winery).
The Real Housewives is an NBCUniversal International format and is produced internationally in conjunction with NBCUniversal Formats, with The Real Housewives of Johannesburg that started in August 2018 and ran for two seasons.
The Real Housewives of Durban with the new cast is now moving to the KZN coast to show viewers "the lavish lifestyle of the Durban wives" according to 1Magic.
"Reality TV has become our most followed genre, not only because it gives viewers authenticity and entertainment, but resonates with their lived experiences as it gives them a glance into a world in which they aspire to live one day," says Nomsa Philiso, director of local entertainment channels at M-Net, speaking about the new Real Housewives addition.
