TRADITION: Sisters Swati (left) and Zaziwe’s reality show skirts legacy of grandfather Nelson Mandela (inset). (
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Believe it or not, there’s actually a reality show about celebrity sisters with a clothing line who aren’t named Kardashian.
“Being Mandela,” airing Sunday nights at 9 on NBC’s Cozi TV cable channel, revolves around Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini, the thirtysomething granddaughters of former South African president Nelson Mandela and his ex-wife, Winnie Mandela.
The sisters run their own clothing line, Long Walk to Freedom — named after their famous grandfather’s autobiography — but the show’s catchy title is about all it shares with TV’s typical family-centric reality shows rife with scripted drama and requisite “character” types.
“They were very vocal about what they like and don’t like about reality TV,” says Jonathan Zager, one of the show’s executive producers.
“Some of American reality TV goes too far and people are cast to behave in a certain way. This show isn’t that. It’s a famous family giving you a window into their lives.”
Zager says the idea for “Being Mandela” was hatched when his associate, Rick Leed, was in South Africa and met Zaziwe and Swati.
“He called me and said, ‘They’re amazing and incredible, and we should develop a show with them,’ ” Zager says.
“They were receptive [to the idea], but they’re smart young women and really wanted to think about . . . what the show would be, what repercussions it might have and what their family would say.”
(The sisters’ mother, Zenani, is a daughter of Nelson and Winne Mandela; their father is Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini, a bona fide prince of Swaziland.)
“They just wanted to represent their real lives with real issues and situations that will keep you entertained,” Zager says.
Toward that end, an upcoming episode of “Being Mandela,” which was shot in South Africa, will feature the sisters traveling, for the first time, to Robben Island — where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years for opposing the apartheid regime as a leader of the then-banned African National Congress.
“They spent probably close to 18 minutes in his cell to remember the 18 years their grandfather spent in prison,” Zager says. “They fell apart and were very emotional.”
The sisters will also be seen shark-cage diving in the waters off Cape Town.
“They’re trying to show you their country, but you’ll also learn something emotional,” Zager says.
“You’re going to learn about Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment and how important it was for his country — and how much he did for his country and for the world.”
Both women, while out promoting “Being Mandela,” stressed that their grandparents are supportive of the series.
(Winnie is seen in the show with the women; Nelson, who was sick when filming began, isn’t seen but is shown with the sisters in family photographs.)
“Our grandparents have always said to us, this is our name, too, and we can do what we think is best fitting with the name, as long as we treat it with respect and integrity,” Swati told the Associated Press — adding that her grandfather, now 94, is a reality-TV fan. “You’ll be interested to know that he loves ‘Toddlers and Tiaras,’ ” she told the AP. “Because of the kids! He just loves children,” Zaziwe added.
Cozi TV VP Meredith McGinn says “Being Mandela” is an important show for the network, which launched Jan. 1 with a programming menu of classic TV shows like “The Bionic Woman” and original programming on weekends.
“We thought the legacy of the Mandela family offered a great inside look at the sort of challenge and burden that this legacy brings for these women,” she says.
“I don’t know if this [show] is make-or-break for us, but we feel great at the reaction we’ve gotten so far.”