After 12 weeks of drama, fashion, events, and friendship ebb and flow, The Real Housewives of Nairobi's first season comes to a close with a reunion. Still, two critical questions among the show's followers remain unresolved.
Will the show get renewed for season 2?
How much money did the homemakers make working for such luxury, drama, and glitz?
The show's producer, Caroline Wambui Ngunjiri, suggested that the Universal-owned series might be resurrected in a recent interview with this author.
She said, "I can't say much right now, let's wait and see, anything is possible."
Did you read this?
However, given the program's success as measured by Showmax ratings, reviews, and excitement, season 2 of The Real Housewives appears to be more of a possibility than a certainty.
The six spouses were paid for the drama, but how much?
Since then, Nairobi News has learned that each homemaker received a payment of more than 500,000 shillings to participate in the reality show.
"I heard that each housewife received Sh750,000; nonetheless, this information is quite private. Was the deal favorable or unfavorable? According to a reliable source who spoke to Nairobi News, "I can't tell you since it depends on the individual, but I can assure you that the data are correct.
The cast and the play's production company all had non-disclosure agreements, making it impossible to confirm the number.
One of the housewives, Lisa Christoffersen, told the Business Daily in February that she didn't join the show to make money because the production couldn't afford the fees she asked.
The sole proprietor of Lifestyle Nairobi claimed that the producers made her a take-it-or-leave-it offer and refused to provide any money.
Lisa used the opportunity to promote her Lifestyle Nairobi business, a large botanical garden centre with restaurants, and a furniture and fashion studio, among other things.
"I wanted to make Lifestyle a household name, so I decided to appear on Real Housewives of Nairobi. It should be recognized as a commercial hub. The fact that they paid me so little did not persuade me. They were on a tight budget and didn't want to spend a penny. We could not bargain, the mother of two said to the Business Daily.
Lisa claimed that the cast deserved compensation more than what was provided.
Since we put in so much time and effort each month, it was one of the issues I wanted to address. For instance, the makeup artists would occasionally arrive at 6 am, and you would begin filming all the backstage material before shooting the actual sequences, which could result in a 12-hour day. She continued that it wasn't commensurate when you compare all that to the pay you received.
