The Wife: A wild ride through taxi drama and love

At the heart of The Wife is a love story, but the Zulu brothers’ relationship often takes centre stage. The first episodes of Showmax’s first Original telenovela The Wife, inspired by Dudu Busani-Dube’s bestselling novel Hlomu The Wife, add a new dimension to a black family, black business and black love. 

Update: Want to know more? Watch the behind-the-scenes special The Wife: Behind the Veil. Plus, binge all of Season 1 and 2 of The Wife on Showmax.

The streaming service has already commissioned three seasons, inspired by Busani-Dube’s series of books Hlomu the Wife, Zandile the Resolute, and Naledi His Love. They all chronicle the lives, love and crimes of the eight Zulu brothers. The telenovela tells their story through the eyes of the brothers’ wives, the first one being Hlomu portrayed by Mbalenhle Mavimbela), the journalist who falls in love with a taxi driver, Mqhele (portrayed by Bonko Khoza).

The rest of the Zulu brothers are played by Kwenzo Ngcobo (Qhawe), Sipho Ndlovu (Sambulo); SAFTA winner Abdul Khoza (Nqoba); Mondli Makhoba (Nkosana); SAFTA nominee Thulane Shange (Mqoqi); Swelihle Luthuli (Ntsika) and Ishmauel Songo (Mpande)

It’s love at first sight for both brothers, but which Zulu brother wins Hlomu’s heart? 

While on her way to work, Hlomu bumps her car into Qhawe’s taxi. When she comes out to apologise, the Zulu brother is immediately lovestruck, noticing how beautiful she is. Hlomu hands him her business card and arranges to pay for the damage caused, but Qhawe tells her not to worry about it. 

In the afternoon of the same day, she decides to take a taxi because her car is damaged after the collision with Qhawe. Mqhele sees her coming and has a love-at-first-sight moment. Overcome with emotion, Mqhele grabs the keys from Qhawe’s hand and drives off with Hlomu in the car. Qhawe is the one who first fell in love with her, but he failed to put a plan into action until his brother beat him to it. 

Much to the passengers’ disappointment, Mqhele stops the taxi and goes out of his way to steal Hlomu’s heart by buying her an ice cream. What follows after is daily taxi rides to and from work, the charming taxi driver continuing to sweep Hlomu off her feet, while she is having relationship problems with her doctor boyfriend, Sandile (played by Kay Sibiya).

What Hlomu does not know is the type of business that Mqhele and his brothers are into, or the struggles she will have to face in future if she allows Mqhele to sweep her off her feet. Will their love survive bitter feuds and the demons that surround them?

A wild taxi ride: wars and bloodshed

From the very first episode, it’s clear that the Zulu brothers share an inseparable bond. Each brother is assigned a role to contribute to the family business and the family dynamic.

As the eldest brother, Nkosana raised his brothers following their parents’ death years ago. Now, he ensures that they stay out of trouble at the taxi rank. He is the pulse of all the brothers Mqhele, Qhawe and Sambulo, who seem to be working together well.

Mqoqi, Mpande and Ntsika would rather galavant at the taxi rank and gamble than be at varsity, which gets on Nkosana’s nerves. Then there’s Nqoba, who tends to get into trouble because he thinks with his fists. 

An empire in danger

The Zulu brothers are trying to protect their deceased mob- and taxi-boss father’s legacy. They are trying to run the business like a well-oiled machine but there’s a threat. A rival taxi-running family, the Majolas, are out to destroy them. It’s more about ego than anything and the rivalry will see both families go to war.

The feud between the two powerful families is caused by fighting over territory at the rank. The Majolas head up the association, and they have money because they have been in the business for a while, whereas the Zulus have built their empire brick by brick and are finding their feet in the business. 

The telenovela is already being hailed as a hit with Mzansi viewers

With just three episodes streaming exclusively on Showmax, it’s safe to say the show is owning the throne. With an already captivating story, strong performances and edge-of-seat drama, this telenovela was definitely worth the wait!

Twitter viewers are already gushing with positive reactions after watching the show, just hours after the first episodes were launched. 

I’m one of the people that have read the book and I must say I’m really enjoying it thus far. I love the fact that you gave us fresh talent too. I can’t wait for episode 4😍🥰. @ShowmaxOnline #TheWifeShowmax pic.twitter.com/8ZYvaGacOe

— XoLi Ndaba🚩🍷 (@xoli_s) November 11, 2021

I’m only 15min into #TheWifeShowmax and I’m all sorts of emotions. I’m so happy for SA content and content creators !!

— Mandisa Blanco Ramushu (@Mandisa_Rams) November 11, 2021

😭😭😭I'm watching the #TheWifeShowmax and I literally have the largest smile on my face 😁😁😁I'm not so mad at the cast anymore

— Langeni🩷 (@la_ngazane) November 11, 2021

The Wife is produced by Stained Glass TV. They are known for SAFTA-winning shows like eHostela and Ifalakhe as well as Uzalo, South Africa’s most-watched soap opera. 

Watch The Wife now streaming exclusively on Showmax. Season 3 landing on 10 November 2022.