Since 2018, the 1Magic channel on M-Net has graced our screen with the interesting, drama-filled reality TV show, The Real Housewives Of Johannesburg (RHOJ). The producers of the show have never failed when it comes to picking the right ladies for each season. All the ‘Housewives’ have always brought spice and drama to each episode, which leaves fans yearning for the next. Although many people think the ladies are just acting a script, most of the ladies have confirmed on several occasions that it is not scripted, and they are actually acting as who they are.
The drama generated by this show is far-reaching, with the several characters on the show seeking to form alliances, outwit a perceived rival, expose a faintly covered secret, and in fact, start-up controversy in any way possible. Some housewives are loved for the controversy they trigger on the show, and so they seek to remain the fans’ favorite by always going at other housewives. To learn more about the show and the characters involved, keep reading.
What We Know About Real House Of Johannesburg (RHOJ) Reality TV Show
In 2014, it was rumored that The Real Housewives of Johannesburg reality TV series was going to be produced by Tigere Media, but it did not work out as the company failed to get the right license to proceed with production. The following year, Bravoplex Media took up the production and was able to come with the Divas of Jozi, which was aired on SABC3 in 2016 and was widely criticized.
In 2018, M-Net announced they are were going to rebrand their VuzuAmp channel to 1Magic and that they had gotten the license to produce The Real Housewives franchise. And then, in July 2018, the casts of the first season were introduced, and in August that same year, the show was premiered on 1Magic.
The Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) is a reality TV show that focuses on the lives of classy, rich, and affluent women who live in Johannesburg. After the first successful season, which featured the likes of Evodia Mogase, Mercy Mogase, Brinnette Seopela, Christall Kay, and Naledi Willers, the second season premiered on October 18, 2019.
The popularity of the show spans across Africa to as far as Australia and Canada, where it is aired on Foxtel and Slice. You can also watch all episodes on Showmax and Netflix.
Meet The Cast Of Real Housewives Of Johannesburg (RHOJ)
1. Christall Kay
- Age: 33 years old
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 28
- Ex-Husband: Eddie Kay
- Duration of Marriage: 8 years
- Number of Children: 1
- Career Hat(s): Lawyer, Singer, TV personality
Christall Kay played a recurring role as herself in the Real Housewives of Johannesburg in both seasons of the reality series. In 2018, she was announced as one of the original participants of the first season. Her bold and confident character at any place and any time have endeared her to the heart of viewers. She has become one of the most talked-about stars on RHOJ, little wonder why she made it to the second season after the first.
However, her bold character has seen her make really shocking claims, like having landed a modeling gig with the Oscar award-winning actress Charlize Theron and also bragging that she was once in a relationship with the owner of Saxon Hotel. She has also implied that Naledi got the inspiration for her fashion show from her, and she even claimed she was 27 years old in one of the RHOJ episodes.
The fact that she does not fail to bring drama to the show and is never afraid of shading anyone may have landed her a place in the third season of the reality TV series, but sadly it did not go so well for her. According to Sunday World, while filming for season three of RHOJ, she got into a fight with two other housewives who beat her up before the fight was brought under control by the production team. This led to a stop In the production of RHOJ season three in April 2021.
Christall Kay was still married to her now ex-husband, Eddie Kay, before getting involved with the RHOJ project. But sadly, her eight years marriage with Eddie did not survive the show, as a year after she joined the cast of RHOJ for the first season, they ended their marriage. According to her, they had grown romantically apart and were better off as friends.
2. Evodia Mogase
- Age: November 17; year of birth is unknown
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 3
- Husband: N/A (was a businessman)
- Duration of Marriage: N/A (Her marriage ended in 2009)
- Number of Children: 2
- Career Hat(s): Producer, Entrepreneur, TV Personality, and Motivational Speaker
Evodia Mogase was a member of the first season of Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) in 2018. However, she did not return for the second season to venture into other business opportunities, notably, starting her own reality TV show with her daughter, Mercy Mogase.
Evodia is the full definition of who you can call a ‘boss lady.’ She played the role of ‘Madam,’ a no-nonsense woman in the show, and brought a lot of fun, glamour, and drama to it. After just one season, she was already one of the most favorite housewives for many viewers.
Her expensive and glamorous lifestyle earned her the title of the ‘Queen of Versace’ in the show, and viewers were fond of her for her regular catchy phrases like “What a joke ma darling” and “Life is what you make it.” According to Evodia, she joined RHOJ to inspire young girls.
Her exit from the show after the first season was so disheartening to many viewers who loved her for the role she played. When she announced that she would not be returning to the second season of RHOJ, fans did not take her so seriously, at least not until the trailer of the second season was out, and she was not a part of it.
Although she is currently divorced, her separation from her ex-husband happened before the show. Currently, she is said to have found love again. Also, after leaving RHOJ, she and her daughter leveraged the fame they had gotten from RHOJ to start up their own reality TV show – Madam & Mercy.
3. Mercy Mogase
- Age: N/A
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 3
- Husband: Not Married
- Number of Children: Nil
- Career Hat(s): Entrepreneur, Actress, Model, and TV personality
Mercy Mogase made her debut appearance in the entertainment industry in 2018 when she joined her mother to become a cast member of the first season of the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ). On the reality TV show, she played the role of Mercy, Madam’s daughter.
In the very first episode of season one, at Brinnette’s traditional wedding, Mercy Mogase shocked everyone when she requested vegan food at the wedding. This seemed so absurd. Who requests vegan food at an African wedding? Well, Mercy Mogase does.
Mercy and her mother, Evodia, probably got the worst shading of their stay in the show and probably their lives in episode three of season one. Christall Kay invited the ladies for a tea party at her mansion and then took advantage of their time at her mansion to insult mother and daughter who had hosted her earlier in the day at their house. According to Christall Kay, their home was full of bugs and untidy, and as expected, the jab caused a lot of controversy among the ladies.
But then, once again, that’s exactly what the producers wanted, the drama. Aside from the fact that being featured in RHOJ was a big one for Mercy Mogase’s career, she also contributed to the show’s success. She was also one of the favorites of many viewers who backlashed the producers for not having her back on the show when the second season premiered.
Although Evodia and Mercy claim that they left the show to focus on other business ventures, there are reports that they left because they did not like the terms of work the producers offered to them. Mercy Mogase was never married before the show, and to date, she is still not married.
4. Lendy Ter Mors
- Age: N/A
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 3
- Husband: Married (but his name is unavailable)
- Duration of Marriage: N/A
- Number of Children: 2
- Career Hat(s): TV personality
Of all the housewives, Lendy Ter Mors seemed to have a perfect life. Although she did not return to the house after season one, she made a long-lasting impression in the first season. She was born in England before returning to South Africa in her 20s to tie the knot. And unlike most of the other ladies in the house, she has a happy marriage. In general, Lendy had the most enviable life.
All the ladies in the show seemed to have had their fair share of trouble from Christall Kay, and Lendy was not exempted. At Brinnette’s traditional wedding, while Mercy Mogsse was in need of vegan food, Lendy was angry with Christall over issues regarding outfits. Lendy showed off so much wealth and glam in the show.
Although she was one of the ladies who left the show after the first season, viewers did not really seem to have a problem with her exit from the show, unlike the exit of Evodia Mogase and her daughter, Mercy Mogase.
5. Brinnette Seopela
- Age: 33 years old
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 28
- Ex-husband: Themba Gezane
- Duration of Marriage: 5 months
- Number of Children: Nil
- Career Hat(s): TV personality, Entrepreneur
It must be said that only Brinnette Seopela and Christall Kay made it to the second season of the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) reality TV series of all five original housewives who pioneered the show. In season one, we saw Brinnette’s extravagant wedding with her now ex-husband, Themba Gezane, who she had dated for just 100 days. At the start of season two, her marriage came to an end after just five months. According to her, her ex-husband was abusive; as such, we cannot really say it was due to the show.
In the second season of the show, things were not really smooth for Brinnette and Mrs. Mops, and the former tried to understand why the latter always gave her an attitude. At reunion part two of the season, both housewives clashed when Brinnette confronted Mops with rumors of her infidelity.
As though the clash on Reunion part two was not enough, she came prepared once again for Mrs. Mops, but this time with cheating allegations. Christall Kay was also a part of Brinnette’s plan, as she also set the records straight with her.
With all the drama Brinnette had with other ladies in seasons one and two, you certainly should have expected her to return to the show in season three, as she adds the spice the producers need to make the show as lively as it is. She returned anyway, alongside Christall Kay. However, their fight on the set of the shoot for the third season of the RHOJ TV series brought about the halt of the show.
6. Naledi Willers
- Age: N/A
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 14
- Ex-husband: Quinton Masina
- Duration of Marriage: 2 years
- Number of Children: Nil
- Career Hat(s): TV personality, Model
Before joining the cast of Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) for the first season, Naledi Willers was famous for being an Instagram model and coming in as the first runner-up in the Miss Botswana beauty pageant. On her mother’s 50th birthday, she invited other ladies to the party in Botswana.
The ladies planned to show off their class and lavish lifestyle in Botswana, but things turned out the exact opposite due to Christall’s concerns about the other housewives misunderstanding her.
After the first season, Naledi did not make it to the next season, and neither did her marriage, as her two-year-old marriage with Quinton Masina, also know as DJ Naked, came to an end in November 2019 as she took to Instagram to announce their divorce. Also, in 2019, Naledi was diagnosed with stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer. Thankfully, after undergoing treatments, she is now a cancer survivor.
Rumors have it that Naledi Willers was fired from the RHOJ show due to her excessive demands and lack of commitment to the show. Reports have it that she always came late for filming and would sometimes request money for petrol before coming to shoot and at other times, would not come at all. Her attitude towards the TV show production was not good for business, and as such, producers had to let her go.
7. Lebo JoJo Gunguluza
- Age: Born in 1992
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 14
- Ex-Husband: Lebo Gunguluza
- Duration of Marriage: 4 years
- Number of Children: 1
- Career Hat(s): Entrepreneur, TV personality
Lebo Jojo Gunguluza was one of the new ladies who replaced the ones who could not make it to the second season of the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) TV show. In an interview with DSTV, she said she joined RHOJ to inspire young girls. Before joining the show, Lebo was also uncomfortable about her curves and felt that people would not like it. But she really appreciated the way viewers loved them, and it made her embrace it.
Like most other ladies, Lebo has also had her fair share of troubles with Christall Kay. In an episode of the show, she shaded Christall for the shape of her eyes. At the reunion, when she was asked what her worst moment in the show was, she referred to her insulting Kay and gave the excuse of being from a home where such insults were normal. Christall Kay was not the only one Lebo Jojo had issues with on the show – Brinnnette Seopela, Mpumi Mophatlane, and Tarina Patel also got on her toes.
Lebo and Lethabo seemed to really have been building a relationship, but at the reunion, when Lebo was asked about their friendship, she just watered everything down by saying no friendship exists between her and Lethabo.
Considering the issues she had with Christall Kay, how close she seemed to be getting with Lethabo, you would have thought her nominee for the lady who she wanted to return in the next season would be Lethabo. Still, she chose Christall Kay because of her “no dull moment” vibe.
Before joining the show, Lebo got married to Lebo Gunguluz. Their traditional wedding took place in 2017, and then in 2018, they flew to Mauritius for an extravagant white wedding that was attended by just 100 guests from South Africa, including top celebrities.
Sadly, her marriage ceremony that looked beautiful did not survive the show, as fans started to notice that she was no longer wearing her wedding ring. Her husband would later confirm that they have been separated for one year and were finalizing their divorce. In the interview with DSTV, Lebo Jojo said she wanted to return in season three because she loved being among the top, classy women, and luckily for her, she did. We hope to see more of her when the show is premiered.
8. Lethabo Mathatho
- Age: 38 years old
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 28
- Husband: Not Married
- Number of Children: Nil
- Career Hat(s): Media communication professional, Journalist, Radio and TV personality
Lethabo Mathatho also joined the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) TV show in the second season, and according to her, she does not relate with people who are insensitive and do not care about the feelings of others. And the first person who falls into that category of people on her list is Christall Kay. One of the clashes she had with Christall happened when the latter openly called children born through artificial insemination ‘fake children’ because they were not born the conventional way.
According to Lethabo, that was not a good thing to say on TV as she believes that being on TV is beyond entertaining people, but also about teaching and passing the right values and messages. In the eighth episode of the second season, Christall Kay hosted a Blond Billionaires party and invited the girls. At the party, Lethabo’s love life was the topic of discussion which resulted in another clash between the two ladies.
However, Christall is not the only person who has come out on the wrong part with Lethabo. Brinnette Seopela has also had her share of fights with Lethabo, but they settled their differences. Be that as it may, Lethabo Mathatho did not only make enemies on the show, as she and Mpumi (Mrs. Mops) became really close friends and gossip mates as well.
Lethabo is currently unmarried but in a long-term relationship with Pär Thoren, a Swedish engineer, who she always travels abroad to visit.
9. Mpho Merriweather
- Age: N/A
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 14
- Husband: Married (but his name is unavailable)
- Duration of Marriage: N/A
- Number of Children: Has children, but the exact number is unavailable
- Career Hat(s): Actress, Jeweller
Mpho Merriweather is Botswana’s first female jewelry designer for De Beer. She is a party lover and loves champagne so much that she attributes the fact that she is 40 and fabulous to drinking a lot of champagne. In an interview with DSTV, she revealed that she enjoyed the show because it allowed her to meet new people.
When asked what part of the show she regrets the most, she said it was the episode where she called Christall Kay “a Chihuahua,” which is the smallest breed of dogs. She took back her words but insisted that Christall Kay was really acting like a chihuahua. And her favorite part of the show was her 40th birthday party. She said the girls made her feel special.
10. Mpumi Mophatlane
- Age: 37 years old
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 14
- Husband: Lenamile Isaac Mophatlane
- Duration of Marriage: 12 years
- Number of Children: 3
- Career Hat(s): TV personality, Actress
Mpumi Mopthalane was Mrs. Mops on the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) reality TV series. She showed that she had a sharp tongue, always threw shades at others, and is never afraid of calling a spade a spade. This made fans dislike her so much, but Mpumi never really cared. According to Mrs. Mops, before filming started for the show, she sat back and tried to figure out how she could add spice and drama to the show. She came up with the alter-ego personality ‘Mrs. Mops.’
Fans were not the only ones who did not like Mrs. Mops’ personality. Some of the other housewives on the show did not like her as well, but according to her, she only created the act, and she is a different person. She says in reality, she is not as rude as she appeared to be on the show.
Well, her aim for creating the character of Mrs. Mops worked out just fine as she did add spice to the show, and her clash with Brinnette Seopela looked like what the producers really loved. Brinnette accused Mpumi of being a gossip, and in the show, she gossiped about Brinnette’s love life with her friend Lethabo Mathatho.
Although most fans did not like Mrs. Mops, some did. They loved her glamour, style, and elegance and the fact that she was bold enough to face just anybody – just like she did with Brinnette. Brinnette also accused Mpumi of being a cheat. This was a way of getting back to her, but from the looks of things, her plan did not work out as Mpumi is still married to her rich husband, who is a business mogul. The accusation never affected their marriage in any known way.
According to Mpumi, all that happened at the reunion only opened her eyes never to trust anyone again and always be on guard. As sharp-tongued as she was on the show, she still believes that she was too nice, especially to Brinnette, who turned out to be a nightmare. In an interview with Drums, she said she hoped to return in the next season to give Brinnette Seopela exactly what she deserved.
11. Tarina Patel
- Age: Unconfirmed but likely in her 30s
- Cast Type: Main
- Number of Episodes: 14
- Husband: Iqbal Sharma
- Duration of Marriage: 12
- Number of Children: N/A
- Career Hat(s): Film Producer, Actress, Model
Tarina Patel happens to be the richest, classiest, and most elegant lady in the show. She is very straight with her words, which sometimes makes it look like she is a snub who likes underrating the other ladies. However, she is totally unapologetic for that.
One of her most famous controversial statements on the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) was when she said she had nothing to do with ‘9-5 jobs’. So in an interview with Showmax, she was asked what she meant by that, and she said as a child, she always hated getting up early for school, so she made up her mind not to have a job that requires that. She added that she looks as beautiful and fabulous as she does because she gets enough sleep.
Tarina Patel also believes that season two is more popular than season one because the producers have learned from some of the mistakes of the first season. Being someone who does not fail to give value and applause to herself, she also added that the second season is more successful than the first because of the set of women in it, and her presence makes a lot of difference.
12. Lerika Kleinhans
- Age: N/A
- Cast Type: Friend and Guest
- Number of Episodes: 2
- Husband: Not Married
- Number of Children: 1
- Career Hat(s): Entrepreneur
Lerika Kleinhans was featured on the first season of the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) reality show as a friend of Naledi Willers at Christall Kay’s tea party. She was also featured again as a guest in the second season of the show. Her second coming to the RHOJ show did not end so well, as she took to Twitter to slam Christall Kay for talking at her back.
She called Christall a ‘bitch,’ and after admitting to the fact that Christall is the star of the show, she goes on to add that she always seeks validation from people, and she did not come to the show to see Christall but rather to see other ladies.
13. Olwethu Leshabane
- Age: 33 Years Old
- Cast Type: Friend
- Number of Episodes: 1
- Husband: Neo De Jenero
- Duration of Marriage: N/A
- Number of Children: 2
- Career Hat(s): Entrepreneur
In the seventh episode of the second season of the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ), Olwethu Leshabane was featured on the show as Brinnette’s friend. Before coming on the show, she was known for being a mompreneur and one-time Mrs. South Africa First Princess, but after the show, she got more famous for her act in that episode.
In the episode, she insisted that the housewives must sanitize their hands before touching her child. According to her, she was misunderstood by the housewives and viewers. She said requesting that they sanitize their hands has nothing to do with carrying the baby but rather protecting the baby from germs. In an interview with Sunday Times, she said after the show, so many women reached out to her with stories of how their children contracted diseases due to kisses from strangers.
Olwethu Leshabane was only a guest on the show, but she had already caused a lot of drama to make the producers consider her to be a part of the next season. In 2020, she took to Twitter to narrate how people still slam her in public for her sanitizer saga.
14. Bridgette Sutter
- Age: N/A
- Cast Type: Friend
- Number of Episodes: 1
- Husband: N/A
- Duration of Marriage: N/A
- Number of Children: N/A
- Career Hat(s): Entrepreneur, Businesswoman, TV personality
It took Bridgette Sutter just one episode of the Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ) TV show to become enemies with Christall Kay. She was first featured on the show in episode 9 of season two on Mpho’s 40th birthday celebration, and at the party, she had a clash with Christall Kay. In the following episode at the divorce party, both women kept giving each other cold shoulders. They made efforts to straighten things out. However, it did not end well because Christall Kay got very mad at the end of the day.
