It’s Buli G’s world and the rest of The Real Housewives of Gqeberha (RHOGQ) cast just happen to live in it. That’s the biggest takeaway you should expect when tuning into 1Magic tonight for the first episode of the international format given a shameless, ratchet, messy, yet uniquely hilarious GQ take. 

Hate-watching is the new guilty pleasure and the best way to devour reality show. Once you are hooked, it’s hard to tune out. In that sense, RHOGQ ticks all the boxes. Buli G captures the spirit of the new local spin-off, she’s outrageous. She’s not about world peace, she’s here for a cheque and it just cleared. She will do whatever it takes for “likes” and as we learn in the first episode, she has been waiting for this moment all her life (20 years to be concise).

At age 47, Buli G is your fave small town vixen; desperate for fame, throws the best soirées for likeminded folks to connect and she is the plug – although it’s not exactly clear how her network operates so she can send signal to the elite. The other women keep vouching for her power, apparently sis doesn’t miss. 

She’s your typical cool auntie at family gatherings, has never been married, with no kids and perhaps doesn’t look a day over 40. But it's hard to believe that she's wealthy, although the show dedicates a lot of time trying to sell the viewer this façade that she’s a rich and fab auntie – it fails miserably. While Buli G annoys you with her attention-seeking tendencies, you can’t help but fall for her charm, feel sorry for her desperation for nationwide recognition and root for her. Quite frankly, no one on this show needs the fame more (and maybe fortune). She’s a self-proclaimed man-eater, perhaps when Canadian singer Nelly Furtado penned her female empowerment song of the same name in 2006 she foreshadowed Buli G’s fate: “Maneater, make you work hard. Make you spend hard, make you want all of her love.”

One of her fellow castmates sums it up perfectly: “I think Buli likes flirting to climb up the corporate ladder.” She’s the soul of the show and this is her moment to shine. 

She claims in the first episode to have 20 years in the entertainment industry and first entered as as supposed contestant on Idols SA. But as her nemesis Liz (apparently their long-standing rival includes dating the same guy) observes while rolling her eyes in a pivotal scene: “Where was pictures of her being in the entertainment industry last month.”

Even the youngest and feisty member of the cast Ash, fails to outshine sparkly Buli G. But make no mistake about it, Ash tries by all means to upstage her and it’s cringey in some parts. But for the most part she makes you hold-your-belly with laughter, thanks to her silly attics including a drunkard speech at a party. You can’t help but feel that she’s trying a little too hard though. She comes off as fake and pretentious. Dear Liz is onto her and dissects her piece by piece – television gold. 

Widowed Liz, aka the “hurricane” is probably the most quotable on the show – notice I’ve already done that more than once.  “B*tch a** business woman,” she calls herself . She is the actual wealthy one on the show – call her the Sorisha Naidoo of the show. She thinks she is better than all the other women on the show combined – she’s convincing at it. 

Norma (married to Ghanaian royalty) and Unathi (married to former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Nceba Faku) are super boring and guarded – rather watch paint dry than follow their story arc. 

The show doesn't break any new ground. While the show scores a point for unearthing to the rest of Mzansi how hip and happening Gqeberha is, contrary to belief, like all the others in the franchise the show continues to support a problematic stereotype about women. They are competitive, catty, dramatic, trivial and can’t get along.

While this is what you signed up for, you wish that these women (with the exception of Buli G) are less portrayed as devoted mothers and wives, but as nuanced women. Guess the evil misogynistic genius of the show is reducing women to two-dimensional beings.

This is why Buli G is a refreshing addition, she’s layered and not holier-than-thou. Although you judge her, you know this woman – again she’s your cool auntie, annoying neighbour, free-spirited pal and messy colleague. As she satisfyingly puts it, she approaches life with humour.

And so she is not derivative, she leaves a lasting impression and I will tune in to the next episode (and the one after) to diss her more because she’s human and I’m guaranteed that she is not afraid to screw up on camera.

She makes me feel better about my misfits and so she becomes the face of The Real Housewives of Gqeberha.