BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
ZTV reality show, Date My Friend executive producer Pascal Kwaramba has revealed that hundreds of men and women searching for potential spouses send WhatsApp messages every week to the programme’s co-directors Manuel Matsinye and Tsitsi Chikunya hoping for an opportunity to end their singleness.
Kwaramba told NewsDay Life & Style that most of the people who contact them are in Harare simply because the programme which screens every Saturday during prime time would only focus on Harare and surrounding areas.
“The response to the show is overwhelming..We’ve put numbers to allow interested people to send messages on co-directors’ WhatsApp numbers. Most of our calls are coming from people here in Harare, but we have received from as far as Kariba and Karoi. We receive messages from between 200 and 400 people every week,” he said.
“We intend to go countrywide and our next season we will focus on the southern region. At the moment we are not able to go to very far away places because we are trying to do quality control. Those interested in participating can confirm their interest via mobile numbers or on our Facebook Page. They should tell who they are, where they stay, what they do in life and their preparedness to host us. Only those aged 18 to 40 are eligible to participate.”
In response to criticism from fellow independent producers that Date My Friend was a reproduction of South African’s Date My Family, but could not match the programme, Kwaramba expressed that it was difficult to reinvent the wheel.
“TV productions have to come from somewhere. You can’t reinvent the wheel. For your own information Date My Family was inspired by a programme from Europe. Just like Starbrite, there is America Got a Talent. Criticism from producers is welcomed because it helps us to improve. The programme is what ZBC needs and there will be twists and turns as time goes on,” he said.
Date My Friend is co-presented by comedienne Tyra ‘Madam Boss’ Chikoko and radio personality Jefferson “Classic Man” Musarera.
