Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughters Have the Reality Television Bug ” We are not the black Kardashians”

“We’re Not The African Kardashians”

Three of Nelson Mandela’s granddaughters who will star in their own reality show next year.  They will start trying to sell their niche in to the U.S. networks starting Monday. It will be internationally titled Being Mandela. The show will mainlt focus on the 3 granddaughters. Dorothy Adjoa Amuah, 27; her first cousin, Swati Diamini, 32; and Swati’s older sister, 34-year-old Zaziwe Diamini-Manaway (or “Z” for short).

Source: Deadline (Edited for content by DBP)

No, Mr. Mandela will not be participating in the show. The show is scheduled to start taping  in December and will debut early 2012.  So far TLC, USA, A&E, Lifetime, Oxygen, E!, TNT, TBS and Bravo are all interested.   The have a number of meetings scheduled in LA next week.  The show has been well received in Africa.

The series is described as being a docu-soap and a blend of “real life and lightheartedness,”   The show will tell the story of  the three women trying to break away from the Mandela legacy to find their own futures.  Being Mandela will aim higher than Keeping Up With The Kardashians and won’t detract from the dignity carried by the Mandela name. 

But is that a show? It obviously makes sense that a series bearing the Mandela name would be an easy sell on Nelson’s native continent. But do enough people in the U.S. care about the extended family of Nelson Mandela to justify a weekly hour chronicling their exploits in Johannesburg, the U.S. and other parts of the world? “Yes,” Leed naturally believes. “Kids know about Nelson from history class, and he tops almost every poll in America as the most-admired living person.” What is the motivation for Dorothy, Swati and Zaziwe in doing the show if not simply for the money? All three are highly philanthropic and believe that the exposure they’ll gain from Being Mandela will help foster their AIDS prevention and African education work through the Nelson Mandela Foundation. ”They also want to show that women can be a little bit classier than most of the ones you see on reality TV.  “They’re motivated by the opportunity to show that there are other role models beyond Kim and Snooki.  Additionally, they want to show people that women of color can be more on television than just music stars.

Source: Deadline