Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Young, Famous & African’ On Netflix, A Reality Show That Follows The Lives Of Johannesburg’s Wealthy Young Stars

On Young, Famous & African, now streaming on Netflix, a group of affluent twenty-somethings all come together in Johannesburg in pursuit of their best lives. They’re looking for love, success, connections, and everything in between. They ride in luxury cars, pop expensive champagne, and wear the finest clothes. From actresses and models to businesspeople and influencers, these are some of the most glamorous individuals in the city – and we get to watch their lives (and all their drama!) unfold. 

YOUNG, FAMOUS & AFRICAN: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: “We have been together through and through,” says one of the group as they pop champagne and celebrate.

The Gist: Welcome to Johannesburg, where young people with money are living the “African Dream”. Some of them are looking for love, others for fame, and most of them, for the best things that money can buy. These people are music stars, media personalities, influencers, stylists, and couples. We soon meet the cast, including actress Khanyi Mbau, who talks about how she earned the name “gold digger”, stylist Jeremiah Ogbodo (AKA Swanky Jerry), “Naked DJ” Quinton Masina, rapper Nadia Nakai, actress and model Annie Macauley-Idibia, TV personality Adile Ncube, Zari the Boss Lady (real name Zari Hassan), and musician Innocent Idibia (AKA 2Baba). Each of these people struggle with their identities and personal drama, including very public cheating scandals and unlikely friendships.

“The world we live in is a place of dreams,” we’re told. And we’re quickly shown this is true; Khanyi throws a ball, and the cast attends wearing extravagant clothing, each ready to show up the last at this big-ticket social event. The women are powerhouses, owning their labels and refusing to get walked all over by the men in their lives. This first installment of the series sees bonds tested as the group navigates their relationships with one another and new potential romances form. Based on these first 45 minutes alone, it’s clear we’re about to watch a lot of drama go down.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Young, Famous & African falls into the same category as reality shows like Bling Empire, Selling Sunset, Shahs of Sunset, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, as well as Byron Baes.

Our Take: The world of Young, Famous & African is a glitzy, glamorous one, easy to get sucked into from its opening sequence. Much like Bling Empire showcased the lifestyles of the rich and stylish stateside, Young, Famous & African treats us to a look at how the affluent young people of Johannesburg live their lives (and spend their money). Africa has long been depicted in stereotypical images overseas, but Young, Famous & African seeks to undo this, instead presenting us with a community vibrant and thriving, full of the dazzling, beautiful rich people and the addictive reality drama that makes these kinds of series so popular. There’s something to be said for wealth porn like this; it’s fun to escape into these worlds, watching people drink champagne that costs more than my rent and engage in petty, occasionally high school-level drama. Young, Famous & African is sexy and silly and soapy, which are all the ingredients you really need to create an effective, entertaining reality show. It’s hard to ask for much more.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: “I mean, we’re all digging for diamonds, right?” says Nadia, with a laugh.

Sleeper Star: Nadia Nakai feels like she was made to be on reality TV, with that twinkle in her eye and the mischievous smile. It makes total sense that she’s been as successful as she is, because Nakai truly has that “it” factor that sets her apart from so manny other stars. She’s an essential ingredient to Young, Famous & African.

Most Pilot-y Line: Gotta hand that to “being rich and famous is not easy,” one of the lines dropped in the opening montage of the drama to come.

Our Call: STREAM IT. If you’re in the mood for addictive, soapy reality greatness that showcases the lives of ridiculously rich (and deliciously dramatic) young people, Young, Famous & African is just the thing.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.