According to Variety, NBCUniversal is strengthening its efforts and working with leading African entertainment company Multichoice to expand the Housewives series in creating more African versions. It will start with a version set in Nairobi and Pretoria while working on other versions in the future. “We are so proud to build on the continued success of ‘The Real Housewives’ franchises across Africa,” said Ana Langenberg, senior VP, format sales and productions, NBCUniversal Formats. “The way each version faithfully embodies the spirit of the city, people and rich cultures it showcases connects with audiences across the region and the diaspora.

It was such a magical moment to bring our production partners together with Multichoice for our summit in Cape Town to connect, collaborate and map out more versions we can add to the family.” Nomsa Philiso, executive head of content, Mnet Channels, chimed in, saying “As a platform that provides content on both linear and OTT, ‘The Real Housewives’ franchise is proving to be very popular with our diverse audiences.” “This has allowed us to continuously expand and increase to different territories as we operate across Africa. This may be a global franchise, but our spin is authentically African, as a broadcaster keeping up with our viewers’ tastes and preferences is important, and ‘The Real Housewives’ franchise meets our audience’s needs.”

NBCUniversal Formats recently held The Real Housewives of Africa Summit in Cape Town for its production partners across the continent with local producers sharing their experiences and learned how to create a successful franchise and connected with other global partners behind “The Real Housewives” series, including Matchbox Pictures and U.S. network Bravo. At this time, there are several different versions of the Housewives franchise airing through Multichoice channels including Lagos, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.