The Makhenes premiered a few weeks ago and has quickly become one of South Africa’s most talked-about reality shows. Airing every Sunday on Mzansi Magic at 19:00, the series offers an intimate and unfiltered look into one of the country’s most recognisable families. Spanning five decades and three generations, The Makhenes explores a family legacy shaped by love, conflict, healing and growth.
Over the past few weeks, viewers have watched the family open up about deeply personal experiences, including love, betrayal, mental health and addiction. One of the standouts of the series has been the family’s willingness to be vulnerable and honest about the challenges they have faced both individually and as a collective.
The series has also introduced audiences to Nubia Mangezi, Letoya’s first-born child and only daughter. Throughout the season, viewers have seen Nubia navigate emotional conversations about her relationship with her mother, her personal experiences and some of the struggles they have faced as a family. Her openness and honesty have resonated with many viewers who have connected with her story.
We recently caught up with Nubia, who spoke to us about what it has been like filming the show, sharing such personal moments on camera, her relationship with her mom and what viewers can expect as the season continues.
How has the experience of being on a reality show been for you so far?
Life has pretty much continued as normal, but it is strange having people feel like they know my life and openly share their opinions about it. There has always been speculation, even before the show, but now that viewers have more insight, people feel more comfortable commenting on it.
A lot of viewers have praised the way you communicate with your elders and handle difficult conversations with maturity. Where do you think that level of self-awareness comes from?
I do believe it requires practice and patience, both of which I’m still learning daily. Lord knows I’ve had my fair share of fails before getting to this point and even now I still have more to learn. Plainly put, I do believe self-awareness is the constant understanding that we are flawed humans who are bound to make mistakes and bound to grow and change. We just need to be willing enough to acknowledge our flaws and want to do better.
What has been your favourite part about sharing your life on a reality show?
My favourite parts are the moments that showcase the love between us and more specifically between the youngins, from my siblings to my cousins. There’s such a profound love we share and when those moments are captured and seen, I feel a sense of joy.
What are some of the unexpected parts of being on television?
I don’t think I personally expected the elder viewers of the show to genuinely appreciate the honesty, I express towards my mom during high-tension conversations. I think I expected a lot more viewers, more particularly the older viewers, to view me as “disrespectful” regardless of my intentions, simply because we were taught, especially as Black kids, that your opinion does not matter. So witnessing so many older viewers understand it for what it is and not view it as “disrespect” was quite promising.
Your family name is already well known. How do you navigate building your own identity outside of that legacy?
I don’t think I’ve ever found it hard to build my own identity beyond my family and their name, maybe because I’ve never seen myself as just an extension of my family, but as my own being, writing my own story, building my own opinions, views, and interests and molding my life into what I want it to look like. To be fair, I don’t think that has been hard because I don’t believe I’m known to the point where people see me and just see my mom (unless the instances are isolated), so I often have the capacity to make a name for myself in any space I find myself, whether it be styling or featuring in Mxchael Blue’s music video or modeling for SORÉ SELÉSU and Salthiel, I’ve always had the capacity to take up space and not be compared to or expected to do anything like my family.
Do you ever feel pressure to live up to people’s expectations because of who your family is?
No, not necessarily. I think I’ve always lived by my own standard. I learnt very early on that people’s expectations are often rooted in their own self-interest. Should you live to please the masses, you’ll forever be unhappy.
Being in the public eye can make relationships complicated. Do you find it easy to make genuine friendships, or is trust something you struggle with?
I don’t struggle with trust and I don’t think I’ve ever struggled with having disingenuous relationships and for that I’ve always thanked God because, regardless of what was happening around me, the people I chose to have in my corner were always the realest, but to have the realest people around you, you cannot give your trust to everyone and that’s just my take.
How do you protect your peace while dealing with public opinions and social media commentary?
Honestly, my brother and I read comments and laugh at them from time to time because they are funny, beyond that, I don’t go out of my way to engage with social media content surrounding the show and I’ve personally never struggled with not listening to people’s opinions. I mean, you forget after two seconds and life goes on.
Have you and your family ever disagreed about what should or shouldn’t be shown on camera?
Not necessarily. I just make clear what I don’t intend on sharing and if anyone else doesn’t want anything shared, we respect that. But beyond that, everyone is free to express their feelings on what they wish and how they wish because it’s their feelings.
What have you learned about yourself through this experience?
I’ve learnt how much more I appreciate my privacy and how much I can change within such little time. I mean, it’s only been a few months since we filmed the season, but I feel somewhat different from the person I observe, not because I don’t share those feelings, but simply because I’ve outgrown them.
What is one thing viewers misunderstand about your family the most?
Apparently, people think we stay beefing or that we only get along on camera for the show, from what I’ve heard, but no, we’ve got so much love for one another.
Coming from a well-known family, do you feel people already have assumptions about you before getting to know you?
If people do know the family I’m from, then yes, at times I need to debunk assumptions, but it’s not an experience that summarises my experience meeting people. Oftentimes, people don’t know and it becomes a nice conversation.
What conversations do you hope the show sparks among viewers?
I hope the show sparks many conversations, conversations around addiction, abuse and unhealed trauma and maybe not just sparks these conversations, but inspires some people too. Let people see they aren’t alone or isolated and that they can get past whatever it is they’re dealing with.
If people could take away one thing about who you are after watching the show, what would you want it to be?
I would like for people to know that I am young and learning and never ill-willed, that if I make mistakes, I am always willing to own up to them. I am constantly learning.