"My fans have helped me heal" - Bev Steyn

Five weeks in and The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip - South Africa is still one of the most streamed shows on Showmax, and since it launched, it has trended on X for days on end. The Showmax Original takes eight of South Africa’s most iconic Housewives to Jamaica where they get the opportunity to get to know one another more and address things that happened on the respective franchises by breaking the fourth wall and taking viewers behind some of the most talked about moments in Housewives history. 

The cast includes Beverley Steyn (The Real Housewives of Cape Town S1); Christall Kay (The Real Housewives of Johannesburg S1-2); LaConco (The Real Housewives of Durban S1-2); Lethabo Lejoy Mathatho (The Real Housewives of Johannesburg S2-3); Liz Prins (The Real Housewives of Gqeberha S1); Londie London (The Real Housewives of Durban S2); Melany Viljoen (The Real Housewives of Pretoria S1); and Nonku Williams (The Real Housewives of Durban S1-4,).

Since wrapping up the first season of The Real Housewives of Cape Town, Bev made her return to reality TV and she has a lot to share. 

Your time on The Real Housewives of Cape Town ended dramatically, why did you return to the franchise?

I came back because my side of the story needs to be told and I feel like my story can help other women who have been through similar situations because it is something that is unspoken. You do not hear a lot of people speak about it but it is something that a lot of people have gone through. 

Do you feel like you told your story on Ultimate Girls Trip?

I would not say I told it fully in the way that I would have wanted to, but there have been instances where I told it. 

As a two-season Housewife, what is the biggest lesson you have learned from being on the show? 

There are so many things that I have learned from the show, but the biggest is that it has helped me to embrace different cultures and different personalities. It has also taught me to be more empathetic and to see things from people’s pain because we have all gone through pain and that has elevated me as a woman. 

How does putting yourself out there impact your life?

Yoh! The show has allowed me to come out and be myself. It has helped me open myself up and embrace myself and my life the way it is. 

The love that I also get from being a Housewife has been incredible, it has helped me heal so much. My fans have helped me heal by giving me love, and they make me laugh and enjoy life and not be so serious. 

What were you hoping to achieve on Ultimate Girls Trip?

I wanted the viewers to see who Bev really is. In The Real Housewives of Cape Town, I did not get the chance to show myself fully, I was going through a lot behind the scenes. At the time, I went on the show because I was running away. I wanted to run away from my reality into another reality, but on Ultimate Girls Trip, I feel like I am more like myself.

How do you handle tough conversations on the show?

It is never easy because every time you talk about it, it is like reliving those moments. It gets easier but it's such a slow process. Even when I talk to you now, I get a lump in my throat, but it is important to speak up because I have a story, I have a voice and my voice might help someone else. 

I have put my life out there and I feel like the people who follow me deserve to know my side of the story, and in time, I will share the full story. 

Did you make any friends on the show?

Yes, I have made very good friends, Nonku and I started our friendship on a spiritual journey, we both love God, and Lethabo too, she is very level-headed, she is one of the girls who can tell me things as they are. Liz is a fun crazy friend and we always have a good time, and LaC and I have a bond that we are forming. I feel like I have built a strong sisterhood with the ladies and I feel like I can pick up the phone and speak to them about anything at any time. 

Going into the show, you and Christall were friends. Why did the relationship end?

Christall and I were not good friends, we were acquaintances and I contacted her after I was asked to do Housewives. She did not get me on Housewives - that is a false statement. She and I spent a little time together, and I didn't get her - our personalities are very different. And with what happened on the show, I don't think she and I can have a friendship.  

Why should people watch The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip - South Africa? 

It's real, the drama is real, everything you see is real. It is a crazy show with an incredible cast, and everything is organic … well, for most of us. There were so many twists and turns, one minute we got along and the next we didn’t. It is a really fun show - nothing was made up or instigated. 

About The Real Housewives 

The Real Housewives is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. 

Other Showmax Originals include editions in Durban, Abuja, Lagos and Nairobi. Showmax is also the streaming home of the Johannesburg, Pretoria and Wynlande franchises. 

hayu, NBCUniversal’s all-reality SVOD streaming service, is streaming Season 4 of The Real Housewives of Durban across 45 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. S1 of The Real Housewives of Durban is also available on Bravo, the original home of the franchise.