Showmax’s first telenovela, The Wife, premiered last week and it has won the hearts of many people. Proving that Mzansi is loving the show, it has has broken Uthando Lodumo’s record for the most first-day views of all-time on Showmax, as well as Devilsdorp’s record for the most hours watched within four days of launch.
The show has outperformed the launch of any film or series on Showmax ever, including the likes of Game of Thrones, The Real Housewives of Durban and The River.
Read More: The Wife Finally Premieres
The show has outperformed the launch of any film or series on Showmax ever, including the likes of Game of Thrones, The Real Housewives of Durban and The River.
Read More: The Wife Finally Premieres
Inspired by Dudu Busani-Dube’s bestseller Hlomu The Wife, the 40-episode first season tells the story of a journalist (Mbalenhle Mavimbela from Skeem Saam) who falls in love with a taxi driver, Mqhele (Bonko Khoza from Neckie Youth), not realising that when you marry a man, you marry his secrets.
Yesternight was great. Celebrating black women in storytelling. Having to learn to journey they’ve through is truly inspiring.
— kwenzo (@kwenzokuhlengco) November 14, 2021
Thanks to @ShowmaxOnline @TRACEAfrica_ and all the organizations behind this wonderful night💜. You rockstars👑.#TheWifeShowmax 💍@stainedglasstv_ pic.twitter.com/NiXYamNEFb
The Wife topped the Twitter trending charts on its launch, while early reviews are glowing The show is the eighth South African Showmax Original released in 2021, following on from record breakers like the true-crime phenomenon Devilsdorp and Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha's reality show, Uthando Lodumo, as well as critically acclaimed scripted series like DAM, Skemerdans and Tali’s Baby Diary and ever-popular reality series like Temptation Island South Africa S1 and Life With Kelly Khumalo S2.
Speaking about how the film is going to be different from the book the writer of the book Dudu Busani-Dube said "It's going to be very different. When somebody reads a book, it's going to be their imagination. But when it comes to something visual, it's actually not easy to adapt it as it is.
There are going to be new things and new people that are introduced by the film part of it and things that are going to be left out from the books. This is a telenovela that is inspired by the books, so it changes. It changes a lot.
The series stars the Zulu brothers: Kwenzo Ngcobo (Imbewu) as Qhawe; Sipho Ndlovu (Isibaya, The Queen) as Sambulo; SAFTA winner Abdul Khoza (Isibaya, Kings of Joburg) as Nqoba; Mondli Makhoba (Umkhokha, Generations, Imbewu) as Nkosana; SAFTA nominee Thulane Nkululeko Shange (Is’thunzi, iNumber Number) as Mqoqi; Ishmauel Songo (Rhythm City, Tsotsi) as Mpande; and Swelihle Luthuli (eHostela) as Ntsika.
The series stars the Zulu brothers: Kwenzo Ngcobo (Imbewu) as Qhawe; Sipho Ndlovu (Isibaya, The Queen) as Sambulo; SAFTA winner Abdul Khoza (Isibaya, Kings of Joburg) as Nqoba; Mondli Makhoba (Umkhokha, Generations, Imbewu) as Nkosana; SAFTA nominee Thulane Nkululeko Shange (Is’thunzi, iNumber Number) as Mqoqi; Ishmauel Songo (Rhythm City, Tsotsi) as Mpande; and Swelihle Luthuli (eHostela) as Ntsika.
The Wife is being produced by Stained Glass, who’ve created SAFTA-winning shows like eHostela and Ifalakhe as well as Uzalo, South Africa’s most-watched soap opera. Showmax has commissioned three seasons of 40 episodes each.
Image Cred: Twitter