Vera Sidika Beats Popular Picks To Real Housewives Of Nairobi Cast

Kenyan socialite, Vera Sidika emerged as the surprise name selected among five women cast for the highly anticipated reality show, The Real Housewives of Nairobi (RHONairobi).

In a statement to newsrooms on Friday, February 3, streaming platform Showmax announced the cast for the Kenyan version of the popular Real Housewives reality television franchise, after it announced The Real Housewives of Abuja, which marks the second Nigerian instalment of the smash-hit franchise.

The popular show will premiere on Showmax on February 23, 2023, with new episodes to be released every Thursday.

Cast of the upcoming show Real Housewives of Nairobi. /SHOWMAX

First announced in September 2022, The Real Housewives of Nairobi will follow five influential and successful women as they navigate their lavish lifestyles, relationships and careers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Here are their profiles:

Susan Kaittany is a serial entrepreneur and owner of Posh Palace Hair Studio and Spa and Polished, the latter being a luxury fragrance and skincare shop. The mother of two left her law profession behind to pursue modelling and travelling before venturing into lifestyle and beauty entrepreneurship.

Vera Sidika is a media personality and entrepreneur. Married to singer Brown Mauzo, she is one of Kenya’s most talked about celebrities and alongside her entrepreneurial ventures into the Spa and Herbal Tea industries, Sidika has more recently expanded her talents to music. She has one daughter, with one more child on the way.

Sonal Maherali is a luxury influencer, fashion collector and entrepreneur. She established her niche through luxury vlogging in 2010 and the mother of four has since founded Simba Maharani, a luxury clothing and shoe line. Maherali is also an advocate for mental health awareness.

Minne Kariuki is an actress and entrepreneur, she is also married to Jaguar’s former manager and businessman Charles Muigai with whom they have two daughters. The youngest of the five housewives, Kariuki is sassy, bold and unapologetic about who she is. Currently, she is also starring in the Showmax Original drama series Single Kiasi. 

Lisa Christoffersen is an interior designer, author, business owner, rally driver and luxury safari curator. Christoffersen is the founder of Lioness Rally, the first women-only rally team in Kenya, and Lifestyle Nairobi, an artisanal space in Nairobi’s diplomatic hub of Gigiri, featuring an art gallery, restaurants, a spa, organic shops and fashion houses.

RHONairobi joins a library of other successful African adaptations such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, with the latter now into its third season; Lagos, which was among the top 10 most-watched shows of 2022 on Showmax in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa; and Abuja, which premieres on Showmax on February 17, 2023.

“Each of the ladies has a strong personality and sure identity of themselves. They are hardworking, affluent, influential and unapologetic women who are not ashamed to live large and live well because they have earned it. They're also a representation of the diverse communities we have in Kenya," Denise Mwende, Showmax Content Specialist in East Africa, spoke about why the women were selected and why they’re the embodiment of The Real Housewives of Nairobi

The Real Housewives of Nairobi is produced by Eugene Mbugua’s D&R Studios (formerly Young Rich Television) and is part of The Real Housewives franchise licensed as a format by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. 

Famous celebrity names such as Michelle Ntalami, Amber Ray, Amira, Wangari Thiongo, Jackie Matubia, Maureen Foley, Diana Marua and Nyashinki’s wife Zia Bett were nominated by Kenyans for the popular show in 2022.

The Real Housewives is an international franchise that currently consists of 11 American instalments, 20 international instalments, as well as 23 spin-offs. The shows focus on the personal and professional lives of a group of affluent women residing in a particular city.  

The international franchise began on March 4, 2011, with The Real Housewives of Athens (Greece). Of the franchise, the longest-running is The Real Housewives of Cheshire (United Kingdom), which has aired 14 series.

The franchise has collectively won one Critics' Choice Television Award and four National Reality Television Awards, and has been nominated for 24 total National Reality Television Awards, 18 People's Choice Awards, 12 MTV Movie & TV Awards, four AACTA Awards, three Critics' Choice Real TV Awards, two Dorian Awards, a Leo Award, a TCA Award, a Canadian Screen Award, and a TRIC Award.

Watch the trailer for the show: