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 "title": "Drag Race South Africa",
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 "excerpt": "Drag Race South Africa (RuPaul's Drag Race South Africa) is an upcoming South African reality drag competition, the first African Drag Race edition, greenlit October 20, 2024 by World of Wonder for exclusive streaming on WOW Presents Plus, with casting set for 2025 and no premiere date announced.",
 "snippet": "Drag Race South Africa (RuPaul's Drag Race South Africa) is an upcoming South African reality drag competition, the first African Drag Race edition, greenlit October 20, 2024 by World of Wonder for exclusive streaming on WOW Presents Plus, with casting set for 2025 and no premiere date announced.",
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 "markdown": "# Drag Race South Africa\n\n**Drag Race South Africa** is an upcoming South African reality competition series in the *Drag Race* franchise, adapted from *RuPaul's Drag Race*. It was greenlit by the production company World of Wonder on October 20, 2024, as the first version of the format from Africa, and it will premiere exclusively on the streaming service WOW Presents Plus worldwide.<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Greenlight | Announced October 20, 2024 by World of Wonder; the first African version of the *Drag Race* format<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup> |\n| Network | WOW Presents Plus, exclusive worldwide<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup> |\n| Production | World of Wonder Productions; casting in South Africa set to begin in 2025<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/drag-race-south-africa)</sup> |\n| Franchise position | South Africa is the 15th international edition of the franchise; Antarctica remains the only continent without a version<sup>[3](https://www.news24.com/citypress/trending/sa-bags-africas-first-franchise-of-rupauls-drag-race-a-few-days-ahead-of-pride-20241021)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://gcn.ie/drag-race-first-african-spin-off/)</sup> |\n| WOW Presents Plus original | The third version greenlit as a WOW Presents Plus global original, after *Drag Race Mexico*<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup> |\n| Status | In development; no premiere date, host, judges, or cast announced as of 2026<sup>[5](https://popheist.com/rupauls-drag-race-franchise-schedule-premiere-dates-2026)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/80282/drag-race-south-africa)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nThe series had not premiered as of the information available, and World of Wonder had released no details about its cast, format tweaks, judges, or episode count. What is known is the shape the announcement gives it.\n\nThe story begins in Los Angeles and Cannes in October 2024, where World of Wonder, the production company behind the entire Drag Race empire, declared that the franchise's next frontier is South Africa. The company announced the series at Mipcom Cannes on October 21, 2024 and followed with a press release on October 22, confirming that WOW Presents Plus had greenlit the show as one of its global originals.<sup>[13](https://rupaulsdragrace.fandom.com/wiki/Drag_Race_South_Africa_(Season_1))</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[14](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup> Casting was scheduled to open across South Africa in 2025, meaning the search for the country's first competing queens was underway before a single runway look had been filmed.<sup>[14](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup>\n\nIf the series follows the Drag Race template, as every international version has, viewers can expect a field of South African drag artists living together, facing weekly maxi challenges that test comedy, fashion, performance, and charisma, walking themed runways, and sending the two weakest performers of each week into a lip sync for their lives until one queen claims the inaugural crown. Which of South Africa's established performers will answer that call is exactly the question the casting call was designed to answer.\n\n### Characters\n\nNo cast had been announced. The one name attached to the story so far is Manila von Teez, a South African drag performer with fourteen years in the art form and a runner-up finish on SA's Got Talent, who reacted enthusiastically to the greenlight and offered encouragement to queens unsure about entering.<sup>[9](https://iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/local/2024-10-23-manila-von-teez-excited-as-drag-race-south-africa-green-light-with-casting-set-for-2025/)</sup> Whether she competes, hosts, or judges remains to be seen.\n\n### Sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations\n\nDrag Race South Africa is itself an adaptation of [RuPaul's Drag Race](https://www.edgepedia.org/rupauls-drag-race), the American format created by World of Wonder, and joins an international family that includes versions in Canada, the United Kingdom, Thailand, the Philippines, Mexico, and more.<sup>[15](https://www.meer.com/en/84575-drag-race-revolution-south-africa-leads-lgbtqia-plus-progress)</sup> It is the third international version greenlit as a WOW Presents Plus global original, after Drag Race Mexico.<sup>[14](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup>\n\n## Announcement\n\nWorld of Wonder, the company behind the *Drag Race* franchise, announced the greenlight on October 20, 2024 through its social media accounts and a press release timed to the MIPCOM market in Cannes.<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/drag-race-south-africa)</sup> The announcement stated that the series would feature a brand-new cast of queens bringing their own style, talent, and culture to the mainstage, and that casting in South Africa would begin in 2025.<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup>\n\nFenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, the co-founders of World of Wonder, framed the edition as part of a stated aim to bring the format to every continent and country.<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup> The news landed a few days before the Johannesburg Pride parade, and South African social media users responded by tagging local drag artists on the producers' posts.<sup>[3](https://www.news24.com/citypress/trending/sa-bags-africas-first-franchise-of-rupauls-drag-race-a-few-days-ahead-of-pride-20241021)</sup>\n\n## Place in the franchise\n\n*Drag Race South Africa* is the fifteenth international edition of the franchise, joining versions from Thailand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and other countries.<sup>[3](https://www.news24.com/citypress/trending/sa-bags-africas-first-franchise-of-rupauls-drag-race-a-few-days-ahead-of-pride-20241021)</sup> With South Africa added, [Antarctica](https://www.edgepedia.org/antarctica) became the only continent without its own version.<sup>[4](https://gcn.ie/drag-race-first-african-spin-off/)</sup> It is also the third version commissioned directly as a WOW Presents Plus global original, following *Drag Race Mexico*, whose second season drew a 40% increase in viewership over its first and was renewed for a third.<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup>\n\nThe platform hosting the series had subscribers in 190 territories, a 31% year-over-year increase in watch time, and a 38% increase in subscribers since the start of 2024 at the time of the announcement.<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup>\n\n## Fan context and the South African drag scene\n\nThe greenlight followed years of calls from fans for an African version, a campaign that dates back to [BeBe Zahara Benet](https://www.edgepedia.org/bebe-zahara-benet), who made her African heritage a center point of her drag persona while winning the first season of *RuPaul's Drag Race* in 2009.<sup>[1](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://iol.co.za/the-star/news/2024-10-22-drag-race-south-africa-set-to-premiere-in-2025/)</sup>\n\nSouth Africa has a large established drag community. The Showmax Original reality series *Beaulah: Queens van die Kaap*, which debuted in 2024, spotlighted [Cape Town](https://www.edgepedia.org/cape-town)'s drag industry, and Cape Town drag queen Manila von Teez, a runner-up on *SA's Got Talent* who has performed in drag for 14 years, publicly welcomed the news.<sup>[9](https://iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/local/2024-10-23-manila-von-teez-excited-as-drag-race-south-africa-green-light-with-casting-set-for-2025/)</sup> Local reaction was not uniformly enthusiastic: some South African commentators publicly opposed any role for television personality Somizi Mhlongo, citing his history, and others questioned whether the production would reflect local talent well.<sup>[10](https://www.bona.co.za/entertainment/keep-somizi-far-away-from-this-mzansi-reacts-to-drag-race-coming-to-sa/)</sup>\n\n## Production status\n\nThe series remains in development. Database listings record it as upcoming or in development on WOW Presents Plus, with no episodes aired.<sup>[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/drag-race-south-africa)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/80282/drag-race-south-africa)</sup> As of 2026, no premiere date, host, judging panel, or cast had been confirmed, and one franchise tracker noted that no updates had followed the original October 2024 announcement.<sup>[5](https://popheist.com/rupauls-drag-race-franchise-schedule-premiere-dates-2026)</sup> Unofficial reports and fan speculation have variously pointed to a 2025 or 2026 premiere and to filming outside South Africa, but none of these details has been officially confirmed.<sup>[11](https://us.sursangram.com/drag-race-south-africa-2026-audition-casting/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzqsoyT58vU)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [\"Drag Race South Africa\" Greenlit by WOW Presents Plus, PR Newswire (World of Wonder), October 21, 2024](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)\n2. [Drag Race South Africa, TheTVDB](https://thetvdb.com/series/drag-race-south-africa)\n3. [SA bags Africa's first franchise of RuPaul's Drag Race a few days ahead of Pride, News24/City Press, October 21, 2024](https://www.news24.com/citypress/trending/sa-bags-africas-first-franchise-of-rupauls-drag-race-a-few-days-ahead-of-pride-20241021)\n4. [Start your engines, Drag Race's first African spin-off gets green light, GCN, October 22, 2024](https://gcn.ie/drag-race-first-african-spin-off/)\n5. [Every 'Drag Race' Series Entering the Werk Room In 2026, Pop Heist](https://popheist.com/rupauls-drag-race-franchise-schedule-premiere-dates-2026)\n6. [Drag Race South Africa, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/80282/drag-race-south-africa)\n7. [Drag Race South Africa - streaming tv show online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/drag-race-south-africa)\n8. ['Drag Race South Africa' set to premiere in 2025, IOL/The Star, October 22, 2024](https://iol.co.za/the-star/news/2024-10-22-drag-race-south-africa-set-to-premiere-in-2025/)\n9. [Manila von Teez excited as 'Drag Race South Africa' green light with casting set for 2025, IOL, October 23, 2024](https://iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/local/2024-10-23-manila-von-teez-excited-as-drag-race-south-africa-green-light-with-casting-set-for-2025/)\n10. ['Keep Somizi far away from this!' Mzansi reacts to Drag Race coming to SA, Bona Magazine](https://www.bona.co.za/entertainment/keep-somizi-far-away-from-this-mzansi-reacts-to-drag-race-coming-to-sa/)\n11. [Drag Race South Africa 2026: Audition, Casting, Host & Release, Sursangram](https://us.sursangram.com/drag-race-south-africa-2026-audition-casting/)\n12. [Drag Race South Africa: Everything we know about the first season, Sr. Bla Bla Blá, YouTube, October 22, 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzqsoyT58vU)\n13. [https://rupaulsdragrace.fandom.com/wiki/Drag_Race_South_Africa_(Season_1)](https://rupaulsdragrace.fandom.com/wiki/Drag_Race_South_Africa_(Season_1))\n14. [https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/drag-race-south-africa-greenlit-by-wow-presents-plus-302280877.html)\n15. [https://www.meer.com/en/84575-drag-race-revolution-south-africa-leads-lgbtqia-plus-progress](https://www.meer.com/en/84575-drag-race-revolution-south-africa-leads-lgbtqia-plus-progress)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Reality and competition franchise editions › Reality and competition franchises — overview and format history*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "speakable": "Drag Race South Africa is an upcoming South African reality drag competition, the first African Drag Race edition, greenlit October 20, 2024 by World of Wonder for exclusive streaming on WOW Presents Plus, with casting set for 2025 and no premiere date announced."
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