HARARE, Jun. 28 (NewsDay Live) – Zimbabwe’s first home-grown Big Brother-style reality television show, Brother In House Zimbabwe, officially premiered in Harare on Sunday night, with 35 contestants entering a purpose-built house to compete for a US$50,000 grand prize.
The three-month reality show, hosted by veteran broadcaster Oscar Pambuka, is expected to stream live on YouTube and TikTok while giving viewers the power to influence the competition through real-time voting.
Organisers said nearly 5,000 people auditioned for the inaugural season before the final 35 housemates were selected.
Project creator Sifelani, popularly known as Ninja 22, said the show was created to showcase Zimbabwean talent while creating opportunities in the country’s creative industry.
“We are launching Brother In House Zimbabwe because Zimbabwe has talent, culture and voices, but no home-grown reality format that owns primetime. We are filling that gap with a show by us, for us, that can export our culture while creating jobs across production, music, fashion and digital,” he said.
He said the programme blends entertainment with Zimbabwean culture by incorporating local languages, traditional games, food and music into the competition.
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Organisers said the show will feature weekly talent showcases for musicians, chefs and fashion designers, alongside interactive audience voting and digital engagement.
Renowned medical practitioner, Professor Johannes Marisa will provide emergency health services.
Strict house rules will apply throughout the competition, with physical violence attracting immediate eviction. Psychologists and a full-time welfare officer will also be available to support contestants.
Sifelani said the production has the potential to create more than 120 direct jobs while providing a platform to showcase Zimbabwean culture to regional and international audiences.
The launch marks Zimbabwe’s latest attempt to establish a commercially viable reality television format capable of competing with successful regional productions such as Big Brother Mzansi and Big Brother Naija.
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