Sisters’ long walk to reality TV

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Nelson Mandela is a name recognised the world over. Now his granddaughters Swati Dlamini and Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway are paying homage to his legacy, while also providing insight into the family, and sharing cherished memories of our country in their Fox reality series, Being Mandela. Debashine Thangevelo had an audience with the sisters and found out more about this unprecedented departure into TV.

 

THE TV industry is slowly being swallowed by the reality phenomenon. Every conceivable reality show you can think of – even those you never imagine to be remotely feasible – has or is being made. And they cover everything that falls under the celebrity, music, game show, fashion or food umbrella.

Being Mandela is a reality TV series that has sparked a great deal of interest. That’s largely because of Swati Dlamini and Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway, the granddaughters of former president Nelson Mandela and his then wife Winnie, being the stars.

Although it isn’t unexpected of actors, up-and-coming stars or wannabes to go this route, it is rather unconventional for anyone from South Africa’s celebrated political family to do so. I imagine there is lots of legal red tape to negotiate as well. But these two 30-something sisters have been given the green light.

And the 13-part series – plus a special episode – introduces viewers to the sisters as they deal with motherhood, sibling disputes and being businesswoman. They also reflect on their childhood, memories of their beloved grandfather and how South Africa has transformed over the past two decades.

While an über glam Swati is outspoken, Zaziwe has a more patient and reserved disposition. Polar opposite personalities aside, they have an unmistakably amazing rapport which attests to their close bond.

So how did the reality series come about?

Zaziwe says: “This was Swati’s and my idea three years ago. So we met two producers last year and they thought it would be a good idea. You know, we thought long and hard about it. It wasn’t an easy decision for us to make. We consulted our family and just thought it would be a good platform to give viewers insight into our family and our beautiful country – South Africa.”

On having to adhere to any legal protocol, Swati says: “Well, this is very much our show and we are very much a part of the production process. Obviously, we are very careful about many things that have to do with the name, the legacy. We have to treat it with a certain amount of respect. So, yes, there were many processes that we had to get through to get us to where we are now.”

Even though some shows fall under the reality genus, they aren’t completely off-the-cuff. But both sisters reassure that it isn’t the case with Being Mandela.

Zaziwe maintains: “We weren’t going to script it and pretend to do a show – what is the point of doing that?”

“You get to see us as mothers, you get to see us working as businesswomen. We recently launched a clothing label, Long Walk To Freedom, so you get to see us working on that,” says Swati.

“You get to see us going to Swaziland, which is where our dad’s side of the family is from. We hadn’t done that in a long time.

“There is a lot of traditional stuff on the show. You get to see us in Cape Town, shark diving for the first time. There were many firsts on the show – including us going to Robben Island for the first time since our grandfather had been released from prison.”

With Robben Island cropping up frequently during our tête-à-tête, I asked them how it felt to finally visit the historical spot.

Swati says: “I didn’t know what to expect and how to feel. We missed the boat the first time and I felt a bit of relief, like maybe we were not meant to go there. And then we caught the next ferry out and met Christo Brand (Mandela’s former prison guard). He actually smuggled my sister in to see my grandfather for the first time when she was eight months old. Just to be in the prison cell and how he endured that… My grandfather is quite tall and the length of the bed he slept in made it impossible to stretch his legs. It was a fascinating and important journey for us.

“We had our children with us (Swati has a little girl and Zaziwe has two girls and a teenage son) and we thought it would be an important part of their history to go back and see what their great grandfather had done. The series follows our day-to-day life and reveals what it’s like to be a young black woman in a democratic South Africa. What challenges that sort of presents for us and how we overcome them and strive to work hard for everything we have.”

Now no reality show is complete without a bit of drama rearing its head. Both of them chuckle.

Zaziwe nods: “Well, we are family. There are times when we don’t see eye to eye. But Swati is always picking the fights. Well, disagreements, really.”

So who wins?

“I win, obviously,” laughs Zaziwe. “I’m the bigger sister so I’m always right.”

Swati smiles: “Yeah, I always concede at the end.”

Being Mandela is tagged as a family show – and the sisters believe that’s the anchor.

Swati offers: “We have put together something that not many people have seen before. A South African-produced reality show that depicts South Africa on a different scale. So much of what you see in the papers every day is about murder and brutality. Just so much negativity. People will get to see, we hope, a more positive side. In the States, some people don’t even know what Robben Island is so we were asked to explain what it means historically in the series.”

While in talks for a possible second season, the sisters say there is much more for them to showcase and explore.

Swati offers: “Some people still envision people swinging from tree to tree, us being uncivilised and poverty-stricken. As we evolve as woman, mothers and business-woman, we want to explore that growth. There is still so much to see and explore of the African continent.”

And if you ever had that “what’s in a name” curiosity, especially where the Mandelas are concerned, this show should shed some light on the illustrious family. But don’t expect anything akin to the salacious melodrama of the other famous TV family – The Kardashians. The Mandela granddaughters prefer to keep it real, homely and uncontroversial.

 

• Being Mandela airs on Fox (DStv channel 125 and TopTV channel 180), April 17 at 8.15pm.

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