Hit South African show gets the world talking about polygamy and cheating

One of Netflix's hottest and sassiest new dramas has not only South Africa but the world talking about marriage, betrayal, revenge and the contentious issue of polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.

The Polygamist, a 22-episode Zulu-language series, is about the tangled love life of wealthy Johannesburg businessman Jonasi Gomora.

It begins at the fictional tycoon's funeral where we learn that his widow Joyce, a social media influencer wearing a striking white outfit, is not his only partner. In fact, he has two other wives and a mistress - who are all there dressed in black.

Emotions explode as secrets are laid bare - and in a dramatic rollercoaster, the plot spirals back over five years to explain their relationships and toxic family dynamics.

Released by the streaming giant on 12 June, the show topped trend lists within hours and social media has been lit up since with reactions to the controversial plot twists - some people sharing memes and their own experiences about polygamy and faithless marriages.

Some minibus "matatu" taxis in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, have been redecorated with Jonasi's face or name such is the show's popularity there and the debate around his behaviour.

Even Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido tweeted: "Yo JONASI is WILD" - and Hollywood celebrities have chipped in too.

"I thought Crazy Rich Asians was something, but crazy rich Africans is a whole 'nother level," Emmy-award winning talk-show host and actress Sherri Shepherd said on Instagram.

In reply to the post, Taraji P Henson - star of hits including Hidden Figures and Empire - said the show had had her in a "chokehold" and she had binged it in one day.

Based on the 2012 novel by Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi, The Polygamist has been adapted for the screen by Netflix in collaboration with South African production company Stained Glass TV.

The executive producers include two daughters of Jacob Zuma - South Africa's former president and a proud polygamist who is greatly respected by his supporters for upholding his cultural and traditional Zulu beliefs. The 84-year-old currently has four wives, has been married six times and is estimated to have 20 children.

A lot of the scenes that you see in the show are taken directly out of our lives. I famously come from a very polygamist family … [so] I brought that in"Gugu Zuma-Ncube........

© BBC