# Young, Famous & African
**Young, Famous & African** is a South African reality television series on Netflix that follows a group of young, affluent African media personalities as they work, socialize, and pursue relationships in [Johannesburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/johannesburg). It premiered on March 18, 2022 and is described by Netflix as a "glitzy reality series aka a real-life soap opera".[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81310218) The show was Netflix's first African reality series.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15302054)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premiere | March 18, 2022, on Netflix; the platform's first African reality series[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15302054) |
| Seasons | Season 1 (7 episodes, March 2022), Season 2 (9 episodes, May 19, 2023), Season 3 (8 episodes, January 17, 2025); 24 episodes total[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) |
| Creators | Peace Hyde and Martin Asare-Amankwa, who also serve as executive producers with Adelaide Joshua[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/young_famous_and_african/cast-and-crew) |
| Setting | Johannesburg, South Africa, largely in the Sandton financial district[5](https://amp.dw.com/en/opinion-netflixs-young-famous-african-fails-to-impress/a-61388247) |
| Lead cast | Khanyi Mbau, Diamond Platnumz, Naked DJ, Zari the Boss Lady, Swanky Jerry, Nadia Nakai, Annie Macaulay-Idibia, Kayleigh Schwark, Fantana, and Luis Munana[6](https://www.netflix.com/title/81310218) |
| Rating and runtime | TV-MA; episodes run about 43 to 45 minutes[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) |
| Reception | IMDb 4.8/10; Rotten Tomatoes average Tomatometer 45%[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) • [7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/young_famous_and_african) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and cast
The series brings together celebrities from South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, drawn from music, media, fashion, and social media. Netflix's synopsis describes an "aspirational who's who of music, media, fashion and Insta stars" who come together in Johannesburg on a quest to find love, rekindle old flames, and reboot struggling relationships.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81310218) The cast members are actors, musicians, business people, and Instagram celebrities who, in the words of Common Sense Media, are "very proud of being A-listers".[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/young-famous-african)
The original lineup included South African actress and socialite Khanyi Mbau, Tanzanian Bongo Flava star [Diamond Platnumz](https://www.edgepedia.org/diamond-platnumz) (born Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack), Ugandan businesswoman Zari Hassan ("Zari the Boss Lady"), Nigerian celebrity stylist Swanky Jerry, radio personality Andile Ncube, rapper Nadia Nakai of Zimbabwe, Nigerian actress Annie Macaulay-Idibia and her husband, the musician [2Baba](https://www.edgepedia.org/2baba) (Tu Face Idibia), South African DJs Naked DJ (Quinton Masina) and Kayleigh Schwark, and Ghanaian-American singer Fantana.[5](https://amp.dw.com/en/opinion-netflixs-young-famous-african-fails-to-impress/a-61388247) • [9](https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/magazines/chaos-and-drama-take-centre-stage-in-young-famous-african-4900350) Season 2 added media personality [Bonang Matheba](https://www.edgepedia.org/bonang-matheba), and later seasons added Fantana and Luis Munana to the credited cast.[10](https://global.ariseplay.com/amg/www.thisdaylive.com/uploads/TDSM_0521.pdf) • [6](https://www.netflix.com/title/81310218)
Cast members speak English while mixing in Swahili, Sesotho, Zulu, and [Nigerian Pidgin](https://www.edgepedia.org/nigerian-pidgin), which one commentary noted gives the narration a distinctively African flavor.[11](https://wewriteafrika.org/2026/02/28/young-african-and-famous-on-netflix-luxury-identity-and-a-new-african-narrative/)
### Seasons
**Season 1** premiered on March 18, 2022 with seven episodes, opening with an episode titled "Welcome to South Africa" in which Khanyi Mbau throws a ball for her friends.[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) • [15](https://www.roku.com/whats-on/tv-shows/young-famous--african?id=7ec9d51f0b06596194aa8941313c8672) **Season 2** arrived on May 19, 2023 with nine episodes, introducing Bonang Matheba among the new faces.[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) • [10](https://global.ariseplay.com/amg/www.thisdaylive.com/uploads/TDSM_0521.pdf) **Season 3** premiered on January 17, 2025 with eight episodes, closing with "Breakups and Makeups", in which Swanky hosts a lavish event at which words and drinks are thrown.[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) • [16](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/57942/young-famous-african) Season 3's most talked-about storyline involved Diamond Platnumz, including a kiss with Fantana that generated widespread online discussion.[9](https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/magazines/chaos-and-drama-take-centre-stage-in-young-famous-african-4900350)
A fourth season is in production. In January 2026, Netflix announced new cast members Kiddwaya, a Nigerian entrepreneur and reality TV personality, South African DJ and producer Prince Kaybee, and actress Khanya Mkangisa, while [Nadia Nakai](https://www.edgepedia.org/nadia-nakai) was not returning.[17](https://thenollywoodreporter.com/news/kiddwaya-prince-kaybee-join-young-famous-african/)
## Production and filming
The show is produced by Urban Brew Studios and Apop Media for Netflix.[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was filmed in South Africa, with featured locations including Johannesburg, the [Blue Train](https://www.edgepedia.org/blue-train-south-africa), and the Palace of the Lost City.[12](https://www.citizen.co.za/network-news/lnn/article/kzn-producers-new-series-hits-netflix/) Most pivotal sequences are lensed in and around Johannesburg, the most populous city in South Africa, with exterior scenes showing landmarks such as the Hillbrow Tower, the Carlton Centre, Ponte City Apartments, and the Johannesburg Art Gallery.[13](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-netflixs-young-famous-african-filmed/) Critics noted that almost the entire show is set in Sandton, Johannesburg's upscale financial district, which one reviewer called "Africa's richest square mile".[5](https://amp.dw.com/en/opinion-netflixs-young-famous-african-fails-to-impress/a-61388247) • [14](https://www.ewn.co.za/2022/03/24/young-famous-and-african-a-deep-dive-into-shallow-waters)
## Reception
The show became a viral hit, trending on Twitter and covered widely by media outlets, and it appeared among the most viewed African titles on Netflix in 2023.[18](https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2022-04-11-we-want-more-young-famous-and-african) • [19](https://shockng.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NETFLIX-AFRICA-TITLES-PERFOMANCE-REPORT.pdf) Reception was divided. Supporters argued that the series shows an Africa of opportunity and success rather than poverty, and that its cast presents complex, self-determined characters rather than monolithic archetypes.[18](https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2022-04-11-we-want-more-young-famous-and-african) *Le Monde* cited the series as an example of African soft power, noting its staging of celebrities, extravagant wardrobes, and romantic drama in an upscale Johannesburg neighborhood.[20](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2025/06/06/the-promise-of-african-soft-power_6742091_30.html)
Criticism focused on storytelling and authenticity. Tobore Ovuorie, a Nigerian investigative journalist and the 2021 Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award recipient, wrote that the show lacks a consistent arc and masks weak storytelling with "unnecessary and very fake dramatic scenes".[5](https://amp.dw.com/en/opinion-netflixs-young-famous-african-fails-to-impress/a-61388247) Reviewer Devon Thomas wrote in *Eyewitness News* that the show "feels like it started in the middle of a season and ended feeling undercooked", with sloppily set-up arcs that go nowhere.[14](https://www.ewn.co.za/2022/03/24/young-famous-and-african-a-deep-dive-into-shallow-waters) Viewers also questioned how scripted the show appears, and American viewers drew attention to the cast's wigs, a topic that trended alongside the show itself.[21](https://www.mpasho.co.ke/entertainment/2022-03-28-why-young-famous-and-african-looks-scripted) • [22](https://www.citizen.co.za/lifestyle/entertainment/young-famous-african-cast-dragged-for-bad-wigs/) On aggregate ratings, the series holds 4.8/10 on IMDb and a 45% average Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218) • [7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/young_famous_and_african)
## References
1. [Young, Famous & African, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81310218)
2. [Young, Famous & African (TV Series 2022– ), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15302054)
3. [Young, Famous & African on Netflix USA, New On Netflix](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81310218)
4. [Young, Famous & African: Cast and Crew, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/young_famous_and_african/cast-and-crew)
5. [Netflix's African reality series fails to impress, Deutsche Welle (2022)](https://amp.dw.com/en/opinion-netflixs-young-famous-african-fails-to-impress/a-61388247)
6. [Watch Young, Famous & African, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/title/81310218)
7. [Young, Famous & African, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/young_famous_and_african)
8. [Young, Famous, & African: Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/young-famous-african)
9. [Chaos and drama take centre stage in Young, Famous & African, The Citizen (2025)](https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/magazines/chaos-and-drama-take-centre-stage-in-young-famous-african-4900350)
10. [Style Sunday, May 21, 2023, ThisDay Style](https://global.ariseplay.com/amg/www.thisdaylive.com/uploads/TDSM_0521.pdf)
11. [Young, African and Famous on Netflix: Luxury, Identity and a New African Narrative, We Write Afrika](https://wewriteafrika.org/2026/02/28/young-african-and-famous-on-netflix-luxury-identity-and-a-new-african-narrative/)
12. [KZN producer's new series hits Netflix, Network News](https://www.citizen.co.za/network-news/lnn/article/kzn-producers-new-series-hits-netflix/)
13. [All Shooting Locations of the Show, The Cinemaholic](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-netflixs-young-famous-african-filmed/)
14. ['Young, Famous and African': A deep dive into shallow waters, Eyewitness News (2022)](https://www.ewn.co.za/2022/03/24/young-famous-and-african-a-deep-dive-into-shallow-waters)
15. [How to watch and stream Young, Famous & African, Roku](https://www.roku.com/whats-on/tv-shows/young-famous--african?id=7ec9d51f0b06596194aa8941313c8672)
16. [Young, Famous & African, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/57942/young-famous-african)
17. [Kiddwaya, Prince Kaybee Join Netflix's "Young, Famous & African", Nollywood Reporter (2026)](https://thenollywoodreporter.com/news/kiddwaya-prince-kaybee-join-young-famous-african/)
18. [We want more 'Young, Famous and African', The Star (2022)](https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2022-04-11-we-want-more-young-famous-and-african)
19. [Most viewed African titles on Netflix 2023, Netflix Africa Titles Performance Report](https://shockng.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NETFLIX-AFRICA-TITLES-PERFOMANCE-REPORT.pdf)
20. [The promise of African soft power, Le Monde (2025)](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2025/06/06/the-promise-of-african-soft-power_6742091_30.html)
21. [Why Young, Famous and African looks scripted, Mpasho (2022)](https://www.mpasho.co.ke/entertainment/2022-03-28-why-young-famous-and-african-looks-scripted)
22. ['Young, Famous and African' cast dragged for poor quality wigs, The Citizen (2022)](https://www.citizen.co.za/lifestyle/entertainment/young-famous-african-cast-dragged-for-bad-wigs/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Celebrity, family, lifestyle, and court reality series › Lifestyle, dating, and docusoaps › Celebrity and family docusoaps › Premiered 2019 to 2026*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license