The Real Housewives of Nairobi. Photo | Courtesy
The long-awaited television series The Real Housewives of Nairobi (RHONairobi) finally premiered on Showmax on February 23, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.
First announced in September 2022, RHONairobi is the 22nd international version of The Real Housewives format and the sixth to be adapted in Africa and will follow five influential and successful women (Susan Kaittany, Vera Sidika, Sonal Maherali, Minne Kariuki and Lisa Christoffersen) as they navigate their lavish lifestyles, relationships and careers in Nairobi, Kenya.
With new episodes releasing weekly, the housewives promise that there is more to expect as they reintroduce Nairobi to 50 countries across Africa on Showmax.
In the first episode, we were introduced to five housewives, as they let us into their worlds and the things they love the most, culminating in a dramatic dinner hosted by Susan.
“It has been a very tough couple of months…but we really did this. Nairobi, you are not ready,” Sidika said.
Vera expressed her excitement to explore new heights with the show: “I have been in the industry for 10 years so this is growth for me as well.”
She has also previously stated that fans are going to see a side of her that they have never seen before, away from the limelight and the fame.
“The Real Housewives of Nairobi is going to shake Africa,” Kariuki declared. “This is reality TV; nothing has been filtered or censored. Eugene Mbugua and your team, thank you for entertaining Africa and for making us so comfortable that we opened our doors to you.”
Kaittany is a serial entrepreneur and owner of Posh Palace Hair Studio and Spa and Polished, with the latter being a luxury fragrance and skin care shop. The mother of two left her law profession behind to pursue modelling and travelling before venturing into lifestyle and beauty entrepreneurship.
Sidika is a media personality and entrepreneur. Married to singer Brown Mauzo, she is one of Kenya’s most talked about celebrities and alongside her entrepreneurial ventures into the Spa and Herbal Tea industries, Sidika has more recently expanded her talents to music. She has one daughter, with one more child on the way.
Maherali is a luxury influencer, fashion collector and entrepreneur. She established her niche through luxury Vlogging in 2010 and the mother of four has since founded Simba Maharani, a luxury clothing and shoe line. Maherali is also an advocate for mental health awareness.
Kariuki is an actress and entrepreneur, she is also married to Jaguar’s former manager and businessman, Charles Muigai, with whom they have two daughters. The youngest of the five housewives, Kariuki is sassy, bold and unapologetic about who she is. Currently, she is also starring in the Showmax Original drama series Single Kiasi.
Christoffersen is an interior designer, author, business owner, rally driver and luxury safari curator. Christoffersen is the founder of Lioness Rally, the first women-only rally team in Kenya, and Lifestyle Nairobi, an artisanal space in Nairobi’s diplomatic hub of Gigiri, featuring an art gallery, restaurants, a spa, organic shops and fashion houses.
Speaking about why these women were selected and why they are the embodiment of RHONairobi, Denise Mwende, Showmax’s content specialist in East Africa said: “Each of the ladies has a strong personality and sure identity of themselves. They are hardworking, affluent, influential and unapologetic women who are not ashamed to live large and live well because they have earned it. They are also a representation of the diverse communities we have in Kenya.”
RHONairobi is produced by Eugene Mbugua’s D&R Studios (formerly Young Rich Television) and is part of The Real Housewives franchise licensed as a format by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
RHONairobi is the eighth Real Housewives franchise in Africa, joining other franchises such as Abuja (RHOAbuja), which launched on Showmax on February 17; Durban (RHODurban), whose third season premiered on February 1; and Lagos (RHOLagos), which was among the top 10 most-watched shows of 2022 on Showmax in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa; Johannesburg; and Cape Town.
mbamuturaki@ug.nationmedia.com
