Must-watch trailer: The Mommy Club

In the City of Gold, there are levels to everything. Being a mom is no different … 

The Mommy Club is a reality show that sees five glamorous Jozi momfluencers navigating the challenges of parenting - and the cutthroat world of “it moms.” 

The first episode kicks off with a R250 000 first birthday party, where some of the cast meet each other for the first time. They are The Real Housewives of Johannesburg’s former breakout star Mpumi Mops; Msmanche, a businesswoman and one of South Africa’s first influencers; and Her Majesty, author and motivational speaker, who each have three kids, as well as new mom Nunurai, an event planner and florist to the stars, and beauty and health entrepreneur, and beauty pageant owner Ratile Mabitsela, who has five children. 

Watch the trailer for The Mommy Club

“We chose these mommies because they are all fabulous, hard-working black women who have it all,” says Zinzi Velelo Alake, executive producer at POP24, who also produced the hit reality series This Body Works For Me and the true-crime anthology Imibuzo for Showmax. 

The idea for the show came from Zinzi’s own experiences of motherhood. “After I had my child, I saw mommies who also just had children but they seemed to have it all together, better than I ever did, so that sparked my interest and I wondered if they were in some sort of ‘Mommy Club’.”

She says she hopes The Mommy Club will “show women that being a mom does not have to stop your life. You can still be glamorous, loving, young, ambitious and all things fabulous. Kids are an addition to your life; there is you before kids and there will be you after kids, so it is very important not to neglect yourself and your dreams.” 

Of course, these “it moms” don’t do it alone. Between the five ladies, they have 15 children - and 13 nannies. Shopping at the Diamond Walk, having a social life and drinking the most expensive champagne wouldn’t be possible otherwise.  

“My nanny is everything to me and my kids,” says Mpumi Mops. “She is very loyal, loves children and takes care of them like her own. She is a great person and a second mother to my children.” 

“My job is to look after the kids and it has been amazing,” says Manche Thema, Mpumi’s nanny. “They are very polite and they listen to instructions. Even though they are privileged, they have humanity. Looking after them and seeing them grow brings me so much joy. I am fortunate to work with such a good family because I know other nannies and their situations are not as pleasant as mine …”

Balanced between the mommies, the nannies and the lives of their children, The Mommy Club will stream exclusively on Showmax from 27 June 2023, with new episodes every Tuesday. Can The Mommy Club remain the “it moms”, meeting their children’s needs while also keeping their social life, work and social currency at an all-time high - and their marriages strong?