Online Reporter
Nandipha Mlombi, better known as Queen Nandi, is ready to open her life to South Africa in a way she says has never been done before. Together with her husband, Reverend Mawuzole “Rev Zole” Mlombi, she’s bringing viewers into her home, her marriage, and her faith journey in their brand-new reality series, Nandi and The Rev.
The show premieres on Mzansi Magic on Sunday, 24 August 2025, and Queen Nandi says it will be nothing like the glossy, filtered versions of reality people often see.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday World, she explained: “People are sold perfection. Then when their own marriage doesn’t look like Rose and Jack on Titanic, they think it’s a scam. But marriage is commitment, not a feeling. This show will show the real, not just the pretty.”
Queen Nandi, who first rose to fame on Pastors’ Wives, says this new series will allow viewers to see the truth behind the headlines. It will follow her juggling roles as a mom, actress, entrepreneur, and outspoken woman of faith — while also dealing with the challenges of being married to a pastor.
“Being cheated on, as a pastor’s wife, is humiliating,” she admitted. “But this is part of our story. I had to decide if I would walk away or stay and rebuild. My husband chose to fight for us, and that fight is something viewers will see up close.”
The couple’s journey isn’t just about marriage – it’s about culture, too. Nandi opens up in the series about adjusting to Xhosa traditions after being raised in a strict Christian home.
“From lobola to ukunyuka nengalo, I was clueless,” she laughed. “But the iziyalo zobufazi, the wisdom from married women, shaped me.”
Nandi and The Rev will also touch on their most difficult year, when Rev Zole faced an unfair dismissal and the family went through an illegal eviction.
“We kept the cameras rolling because life doesn’t stop when it gets hard,” she said. “We want people to see that pastors’ families are human too.”
She praises Milagro Concepts for producing the show with sensitivity and Mzansi Magic for giving them what she calls “a ministry on screen.”
But for Queen Nandi, the series is more than entertainment – it’s a mission. “We’re not here to act perfect. We’re here to show the fights, the forgiveness, the faith. We let each other be, even when it’s uncomfortable. That’s what marriage is: raw and refining.”
Looking ahead, she’s planning to return to acting, learn to DJ. “I’m going back to acting, I want to learn to DJ – yes, DJ Mamfundisi!” she laughs. “And I’m growing the Mlombi Foundation, which supports families and promotes healthy homes,” she said.
“God qualifies the unqualified,” she said. “My life is my sermon, and in this show, the whole country gets a front-row seat.” – OK
