Inside Bravo Africa's glamorous launch event with Mzansi stars

Oluthando Keteyi|Published

The cast members of Bravo's show "Dating #NoFilter" at the channel launch in Johannesburg.

Image: Supplied

TV channel Bravo is officially in Africa, and, of course, the moment called for a celebration - anything to pop up out of the champagne and get dressed up.

​The Four Seasons, The Westcliff, was the venue of choice, a very fitting one in line with the glamour and boujee reality shows on Bravo.

​MC for the event, Thulane Hadebe, kept the energy high, entertaining the room, even throwing in a Beyoncé “Single Ladies” choreography - which he clearly practises religiously.

​The venue was buzzing with some of South Africa’s favourite personalities, including Minnie Dlamini, Somizi, Thembisa Mdoda, Nia Brown, Candice Modiselle, Vourne Kgosinkwe, Mamello Makha, Buntu Petse, Taryn Louch, Kayise Ngqula, Lula Odiba, Jo Judnick-Wilson, Judie Kama, Kay Sibiya, Jason WIlliemse, Yaya Mavundla, Kuhle Adams, Ray Neo Buso, Diolan Govender, Margo Fargo, Danny Painter, Sachi Okada, Roxy Burger and Jason Goliath.

​Bravo Africa is home to the international “The Real Housewives" franchise, and guests at the launch were treated to watching an episode of the newest city on the roster, London.

​“The Real Housewives of London” is the 30th international instalment of the world-renowned franchise.

​Bravo Africa will broadcast the second season of the comedy dating show “Dating #NoFilter South Africa,” and at the event cast members split the tea on the experience during a QandA hosted by Hadebe.

​Jason Goliath, Kim Jayde, Carpo More, Nadia Nakai, Jo-Anne Reyneke, Tums The Narrator, Skyf Your Loss and Robby Collins did not hold back on the drama they saw on the dates the couples went on.

​Reyneke, in conversation with IOL, shared her experience on the show as a single woman.

​“I learned that everybody's got chapters to go through in their life and right now, the young ladies, young men, you're not exactly a man yet but you're no longer a kid anymore. I don't think it’s the time for you to settle down and find love, but it seems that the human urge is to fall in love and just have your own person.

​“I think as fine as that is, please don't settle down too early, ladies and gentlemen. Live your life, spend your money, make it, travel the world and then settle down. That's why it's called settling down.”

​From her personal journey through relationships, Reyneke has gained valuable insights. She shared her current dating priorities, acknowledging that these naturally evolve with age.

​“I've done a lot of work physically, emotionally, mentally, work-wise and often I just need someone who's at my level and not. Perfection is not what I'm chasing. I'd rather try and build that together, perfection if there is such a thing. I'm looking for someone who is available and can understand where I am and I'm in a very big building phase.”

​Content creator, TV host and entertainer Solomon “Carpo” More is one of the cast members on “Dating #NoFilter South Africa”, he had a blast of a time shooting the show.

​“I really had so much fun doing this ‘Dating No Filter’, it was really a great experience. I mean, I don't know how to compare the seasons, but yeah, the energy was there, everything was just amazing, man.”

​More admits the men who went on the show are in need of some serious help as compared to the women.

​Actress, presenter and TV producer Dlamini shared that she can’t wait to see how the international channel, which is NBCUniversal’s global home of unscripted entertainment, collaborates with local production to create content.

​“What kind of collaborations are they looking forward to in terms of meeting up with local producers and the type of content that we can produce for the platform here. That's what I'm really excited about, it's about seeing what Bravo looks like on the African continent.”

​The comedy dating show “Dating #No Filter South Africa”, premieres Saturday, October 11, at 6pm.

​“The Real Housewives of London”, premieres on Sunday, October 12 at 7pm.

​IOL

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