SABC1 has set to take viewers on the journey behind the success and challenges faced by award-winning afro pop singer Zahara with the broadcast of her reality show Zahara – As I Rise, starting Saturday, 4 February 2023. The show will broadcast at 19:30.
Zahara first entered the industry with her album, Loliwe, which has generated massive success on all fronts. Many unanswered questions will arise, starting with the success of her album that launched in 2011 and the claim of unpaid funds with the link to the record label.
This reality show follows Zahara on a journey of restoration and healing from all she has encountered. She is trying to take in everything at her own pace, but in the same breath, the answers she seeks have now opened more questions that need answering.
The series promises to offer viewers an intimate view into her life, and they will see Zahara play unique roles in different lives and revive herself and her music career. Underneath the pouting persona with a glass of alcohol every day and the stress of losing everything she owns, there is a bruised woman with no make-up, fighting to do corrections of her life, a sister, and a woman searching for joy that she has not felt for years. Zahara has always been unapologetic about who she is, and she will let the viewers in on her life on many levels.
'My journey has not been easy. I have mourned my brother's death and suffered the betrayal, pressure and frustrations that have taken a toll on me, driving me to drink myself to death.' – Zahara.
This comes after City Press reported a couple of months ago that the singer, who is, had been given an ultimatum by the public broadcaster. According to the outlet, the channel may pull the plug on her reality show if she doesn't stop acting like a diva.
According to the publication's source, production was put on hold recently as Zahara and the production team were apparently not seeing eye to eye. It is also reported that the Loliwe hitmaker failed to pitch for shoots several times.
“They had to call a meeting with the SABC on Wednesday after she missed a shoot and asked the producers to come to her at a different location. She said she was visiting some guy in Katlehong and the film crew should follow her there if they wanted to film that day,” said the source.
According to another source, Zahara's diva tendencies are getting worse. “She missed a flight back to Johannesburg because she’d had a quarrel with a member of her management team at the East London airport after we’d gone to her home to film her with her family.”
“She did [behave herself] for the time being. She’s been filming properly and is expected to wrap everything up this week. The show depends on her cleaning her act up and it’s sad that she seems to understand her own brand and acts out of character. It isn’t good [for her image]” the source added.
We’re glad that the two parties eventually managed to work together.
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