The Real Housewives of Durban starts with fireworks – literally

Make-up? Check. Designer heels and attire? Check. Hair and nails done? Check. Bank balance looking healthy? Check. Overall fabulosity on point? Check. The Real Housewives of Durban has lifted off, only on Showmax.

Of course, “housewives” is used loosely here: while lavish lifestyles, high fashion and parenting challenges will certainly be on the show menu, the cast of RHOD are self-empowered women who run their own business empires.

Sorisha Naidoo’s Diwali dinner

Sorisha Naidoo, a former Miss India South Africa, imports beauty products through her company SSBO and is married to billionaire businessman Vivian Reddy. As a way to get to know the other women, and educate them about her culture, Sorisha decides to host a luxurious Diwali dinner party at her beautiful home in Umhlanga. And what better way to start off the season than by preparing a fabulous event while showing her support of a fellow cast member’s business?

In preparation for the party, Sorisha hires Kgomotso Ndungane’s events and floral business, Oak Celebrations. “My plan for Diwali is to have it at home,” says Sorisha. “I think my first point of call would be Kgomotso because she is an amazing event planner and she would be able to advise me further and tell me how we can manage the entire event.”

In the spirit of supporting each other, Kgomotso, who is married to former Springbok Odwa, continues the trend and hires fellow housewife Annie’s dance agency, LeopardPrint. “I am so honoured to be part of this cast of beautiful, smart and strong-minded women,” says Annie, who is planning her white wedding to Durban businessman Kgolo Mthembu, and also owns Durban’s luxury beauty salon Annaesthetic, as well as an events and marketing company. “Each woman has taught me so many things about business, growth, womanhood and how to be successful in your marriage.”

From the looks of things, all is aligned for a night of splendour and glamour – even if neither Kgomotso nor Annie have ever celebrated Diwali before, and some of the women are sceptical about vegetarian cuisine… 

Addressing the elephant in the room

Sorisha has invited her friend Ayanda Ncwane, the CEO of Ncwane Communications, president of The Africa Gospel Awards, and the widow of gospel legend Sfiso. 

While most of the “housewives” know each other, not everyone has met the surprise visitor who accompanies one of the guests. Who exactly is Nonku Williams, and why does she seem to know more about Ayanda than Ayanda knows about her? 

Get ready for more …

Find out more about Nonku, the founder of Ashes to Beauty Winery, who has business interests in construction, and her history with Ayanda in the first episode of The Real Housewives of Durban (RHOD), now streaming first and only on Showmax.

New episodes land every Friday, with the second landing on 5 February, the third on 12 February, and the fourth episode on 19 February, when we will meet the show’s sixth “housewife”, Nonkanyiso Conco, who owns beauty brand Laconco Naturals. 

RHOD is the 24th international – and second South African – instalment of The Real Housewives franchise, which is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal Studio Group. The new show is set to build on the popularity of The Real Housewives of Johannesburg, which was one of the 10 most streamed local series on Showmax in 2019. 

Valen’tino Mathibela (Lebo M – Coming Home, The Real Housewives of Johannesburg, Survivor SA, The Voice SA) is directing, with Let It Rain Films producing and Lee Doig creative directing. Doig won an Emmy for his cinematography on Survivor USA and has earned another nine nominations for his work across 34 seasons of the hit show. 

“Watching these women grow in pursuit of their dreams and into bigger people in situations they didn’t see coming has been such a joy,” says Valen’tino. “They have also been very generous with their personal stories, which gave us exactly what we were looking for with this show.”

RHOD will be available in more than 40 African countries, taking the sassiness, spice and saltiness of Durban to the continent.

Other Showmax Originals launching this year include I Am LAYCON, Showmax’s first Nigerian Original, a reality series about the most recent Big Brother Naija winner; the first Showmax Kenyan Original, crime procedural Crime & Justice; the long-awaited second season of SAFTA Best Comedy winner Tali’s Wedding Diary; the small-town psychological thriller DAM; and the neo-noir murder mystery Skemerdans.

Watch the first episode only on Showmax, and then stream new episodes every Friday.