The Real Housewives franchise keeps on expanding internationally and apparently the newest destination is Africa. According to a new report, South Africa is getting their own Real Housewives installment.
M-Net confirmed via Channel 24 that they had picked up the format licensing rights for a local South African version of the hit reality franchise for its new 1Magic (currently DStv 103) channel.
For the past few years, M-Net has been airing The Real Housewives series, and the various spin-offs from on VUZU AMP (DStv 103) channel.
M-Net is now rebranding and relaunching VUZU AMP as 1Magic on January 29 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.
1Magic will be available to DStv Premium subscribers only, and although no broadcast date has been specified, the first South African version of The Real Housewives will make its debut in the future, reports Channel 24.
It's not unknown what exactly the show's title would be and where it would be set in.
"1Magic has recently acquired the rights to produce a version of The Real Housewives format. There's no link to the SABC productions from some time back," said Reneilwe Sema, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, in response to a media enquiry from Channel 24 following Tuesday's 1Magic media launch event held at Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg.
The Real Housewives is an NBCUniversal International format and is produced internationally in conjunction with NBCUniversal International Studios. An official, "real" South African version of The Real Housewives for the country would be a long way coming.
Back in 2014, The Real Housewives of Johannesburg was reportedly in the works and was produced by Tigere Media, became a hot topic/ Production started and footage filmed, however the show was abruptly canned after just 6 months – over format licensing issues.
As previously reported , Real Housewives of Johannesburg was struck by controversy when production suddenly stopped after filming for six months. The Sunday Times and Sowetan reported via TVSA that there were rights issues with the show and that the housewives involved wanted to sue the production after the footage ended up on the chopping room floor.
The noise died down after a different production company picked up the pieces. The series was produced by Bravoplex Media under a new title. It was reported that the new show was not associated or be part of the Real Housewives franchise. The reality show returned under Divas of Jozi.
It turns out that the reality show featured the exact same cast as the Real Housewives of Johannesburg, with one added extra cast member to the line up. In 2016 Divas of Jozi made its debut on SABC3. The reality series that was widely panned by viewers and TV critics alike didn't use The Real Housewives name but was a "refilm" of sorts of the 2014 project, with the exact same cast plus an additional woman, and was done by Bravoplex Media.
Last year, three international Real Housewives series made their official debut. The Real Housewives of Toronto (Canada), The Real Housewives of Sydney (Australia) and Feleségek Luxuskivitelben (The Real Housewives of Hungary).
In 2016, The Real Housewives of Bangkok was in the works. Thailand’s Kantana Group has commissioned the first Asian version of NBCUniversal's one-hour docu-drama format, “The Real Housewives of…”, reported Content Asia.
The 13-part “The Real Housewives of Bangkok” is one of two new NBCUniversal format rights deals announced out of London today. In the second, GMM ONE TV has commissioned a 13-episode local version of “Top Chef.”
A re you excited that South Africa is getting their own Real Housewives series? Sound off in the comments below!
Photo Credit: Bravo
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