JOHANNESBURG, South Africa—Netflix's The Polygamist, a Zulu-language telenovela, has become a national talking point in South Africa.But the scandal-filled saga has also emerged as a surprise global hit, with audiences from Romania to Hong Kong to the U.S.
bingeing the twists, betrayals and family drama.The story of a cheating husband's double life racked up more than 23 million views in its first month, reaching the top ten in 62 countries, including the US, and the number one spot in almost two dozen countries.The Polygamist, set in Johannesburg, centers on a wealthy Black family, the Gomoras, and follows the matriarch Joyce as she tries to keep up appearances as her businessman husband Jonasi sets up house with another woman.Over the course of the 22 episodes vicious catfights break out, homes are set alight, there's a lot of sex and swearing, and all the incredible twists and turns are enough to give the viewer whiplash.Even celebrities have been taking to social media to rave about the series, including former host of The View, Sherri Shepard."I'm about to go back and finish watching The Polygamist because I'm hooked now," she said on her Instagram account."Crazy rich Africans, I thought Crazy Rich Asians was something, but crazy rich Africans is a whole other level.Good grief! What?!" Shepard continued, referring to the hit 2018 romantic-comedy set among wealthy Singaporeans.Sue Nyathi, the Zimbabwean writer who wrote the book the show was based on, says she thinks this is exactly one of the reasons foreign viewers are amazed by the show."It also showcases a different kind of African lifestyle that viewers are not familiar with, you know, the rich African…because oftentimes in media, we have one lens in which Africans are viewed," she says.
"It's always the poor struggling Africans.And this is not to dismiss the poverty in Africa.
No, but it's also saying that there is also a society of Africans that are very, you know, affluent, well off." And it's...