The second Afrikaans language edition of NBCUniversal Formats’ The Real Housewives franchise will be launching on 20 April 2023. Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande will introduce viewers to the fabulous lives of six exceptional women set to the backdrop of the incredible winelands in South Africa.
The cast is full of strong independent women who are not afraid to speak their minds and include former beauty queens, strong entrepreneurs, a fitness model and an aesthethic doctor that will keep everyone frown free.
From 20 April, Amy Kleinhans-Curd, Mariska Thorpe, Karen Schwendtke, Candice Bester, Michelle van Zyl and Anita Lloyd will open the doors of their luxurious houses, their hearts, and their lives to viewers.
Tune in to see how these six unique, fascinating, and dynamic housewives start businesses, dress for success, zip around in style, follow strict beauty routines and balance it all with their demanding personal lives. They also share their stumbling blocks, disappointments, and victories in between all the fun and hilarious moments.
Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande was filmed in and around Franschhoek, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Somerset West and produced by Red Pepper Productions.
Here are a few interesting facts about the six real new housewives to pique your curiosity:
The former Miss South Africa Amy Kleinhans-Curd is married to New Zealand businessman Leighton Curd. Amy is a mother of four, lives in Franschhoek and is the director of various companies, including the homework hotline, Dial-A-Teacher, which was founded in 2000 in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Fund. Their farms in Franschhoek, Swellendam and in the Cradle of Humankind are but a few of the things that keep Amy very busy indeed. She will soon launch her own Cap Classique sparkling wine as well as a skincare range called Amelia (her birthname). She is a committed mom and organises a swimming festival, among other things, for the school her children attend.
Mariska Thorpe, who worked as wealth manager for many years, lives with her husband, Quintus, and their daughter, Ocean, in the same estate in Franschhoek as Amy and her family. Mariska does not like to sit still. She and Quintus are stock traders, but she also runs a business that upcycles second-hand clothes. Mariska and her husband are avid trail runners, and she is a perfectionist in everything she does.
Karen Schwendtke lives in the Val de Vie Estate between Paarl and Franschhoek. She is a successful businesswoman who holds a degree in BCom Accounting from UP, an MBL from Unisa and a degree in Visual Basic Programming from Harvard in America. Despite long working hours, she always makes time for charity projects. In times of national need, she helped with the supply of water and cattle feed. Children are dear to her heart, and she is involved with fundraising for CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation SA). She is the proud mother of two daughters, Saskia and Arabella
Candice Bester lives in the Aan de Weber Estate in Stellenbosch. She is the mother of Emma and is married to Werner. Candice is an experienced professional singer, but she left the stage for the corporate world where she made her mark as marketing manager of Quench which was acquired by the TFG group. Candice, however, still dreams of a future as a songbird. She likes to play golf, has a big collection of whiskies, and facilitates a monthly quiz night. Candice and Werner are in the process of opening a restaurant.
Michelle van Zyl is a medical doctor. She specialised in trauma and later had a successful general medical practice. Nowadays, she is an aesthetic doctor who focuses on treatments like Botox. She and her husband, Dr. André Olivier, live in the Boskloof Eco Estate in Somerset West. They are the parents of Hanno and Heidi. André also has two sons from a previous marriage who live in Namibia. Michelle enjoys hosting and dreams of having her own TV talk show.
Anita Lloyd lives outside Paarl in a beautiful valley. She and her husband, Boyce, are high school sweethearts, and she gave up her profession as teacher to support him in his career. For ten years, they lived across the world for Boyce’s work before finally returning to South Africa. Boyce has been the chief executive of KWV since 2016. Anita has a master’s degree in linguistics, and she loves the study of languages. Besides her husband and her cats, Anita’s biggest priorities are her house, art and travel.
The Real Housewives franchise started in March 2006 with The Real Housewives of Orange County. Since then, eleven different series have been made in the US and NBCUniversal Formats have introduced 22 international versions, including recent adaptations in Durban, Johannesburg, Gqeberha and Cape Town. Die Real Housewives van Pretoria, which started in October 2022 on kykNET, was the first Afrikaans series.
Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande starts 20 April 2023 at 20:00 on kykNET (DStv Channel 144).
