Reality TV rarely does diplomacy, but The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa might be the closest we’ll ever get to a United Nations of chaos. Launching 28 November on Showmax, this season takes some of the most iconic Housewives from across the continent — South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria — and drops them in Brazil. The result? Think high-gloss culture clash, spiritual awakening, and a masterclass in how not to share a villa.
After the success of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: South Africa, one of Showmax’s biggest hits in 2024, this new season looks like it’s upping the ante: more glam, more shade, and more confessional honesty disguised as “sisterhood.”
Representing Durban are Annie Mthembu, Angel Ndlela, and Jojo Robinson. Johannesburg sends Madam Evodia Mogase and Christall Kay, Kenya checks in with Dr Catherine Masitsa and Zena Nyambu, and Nigeria brings the fireworks via Princess Jecoco and Mariam Timmer.
It’s the first time we’re seeing Housewives from across Africa in one space, and the chemistry looks as unpredictable as Christall’s vocals — that’s not shade, that’s history.
Annie Mthembu’s Return: Peace, Prayer and Properly Laid Edges
Every ensemble needs a calm centre, and this time it’s Annie Mthembu, the OG from The Real Housewives of Durban, returning to reality TV after a two-year break.
I finally felt like me again, Refreshed, recharged, and ready to have fun with it.
She talks about the comeback like someone re-entering a spiritual practice — only this one comes with producers, lighting, and a confessional chair. Annie insists she’s not here for drama but also makes it clear she won’t be dimming her light. Translation: she’s evolved, but she’s not silent.
What’s refreshing about her return is the honesty. She speaks about journaling, prayer, and finding peace — all while packing her swimsuit for the most dramatic holiday of her career. It’s reality TV self-care, and honestly, I respect it.
New Friendships, Familiar Fire
Annie describes her castmates as “fun, bold and full of heart,” which sounds wholesome until you remember Housewives friendship is a limited-time offer. She formed real connections — apparently — but still names Mariam and Christall as joint Drama Queens of the Season.
It’s Housewives code: you can love someone deeply and still shade them professionally.
A Continental Crossover Worth Watching
At its best, Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa feels like a celebration — African women owning their narratives, their voices, and their cocktails. Beneath the couture and confessionals, there’s something quietly revolutionary about seeing women from Durban, Nairobi, Lagos and Joburg share screen space with equal weight.
Annie teases that we’ll see “a whole new me — lighter, happier, self-aware, but still spicy.” And that balance might be exactly what this franchise needs right now: less survival, more self-knowledge, with the drama still perfectly intact.
So yes, there will be tears, shade, laughter, and at least one unforgettable meltdown. But there’ll also be growth — the kind only reality TV can deliver when the champagne wears off and the mics are still on.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa premieres Friday, 28 November on Showmax.
