After two successful seasons, the much-loved reality series Real Housewives of Durban is back, with fresh faces.

Businesswoman Wendy “Sli” Ndlovu is the new addition to the popular franchise as familiar faces of Nonkanyiso Conco, Thobile Mseleku, and Londiwe Zulu are not returning to the show due to their own personal reasons.

Speaking to Nounouche, Wendy who is a property manager and an interior designer by profession, said she was very excited when the opportunity to be part of the show presented itself.

“Opportunities such as these come once in a lifetime that is why I accepted the offer without any hesitation when I was approached,” she said.

“But above it all, being part of the show is definitely a stepping stone, otherwise I wouldn’t be a part of it, I saw this as an opportunity to be able to rebrand myself and be known outside of my relationships, as most people have experienced me with that particular space, not as an individual.”

According to Wendy, although drama is unavoidable, the experience of being part of the show has been an eye-opener for her.

“I have met incredible women that have strong personalities, I have learned a lot from them and about myself as well.”

However, she revealed that being new in a space where people have known each other for some time can be challenging and she is taking it one step at a time trying to figure out who is who.

“To be honest at this stage everyone is curious, they want to find out more and why you are here and why you in particular. So getting acquainted with everyone within the group was a bit of a challenge and also because you don’t want to overshare and expose too much of yourself to people that you have just met,” she said

Although she has decided to take a step back and get to learn everyone better before she spills her deep and dark secrets, Wendy shares that her friendship with Sorisha is the one that is most promising out of all the ladies.

“I feel like she and I have more in common in terms of our personalities and where I want to be as a businesswoman, I feel like she understands me and she is a good person to learn from.”

Wendy who came into the show with an open mind that not everyone would warm up to her also added that when she looks at the relationships holistically there are still a lot of people to learn and get to know and she is not going to shut anyone out.

The businesswoman says that people are going to experience a different side of her, which includes her kindness and vulnerability.

“I opened up the best way I can in terms of sharing my past experiences but I was careful enough not to build my whole storyline around the past and ensured that the present is all about me,” she said.

Wendy was in a six-year relationship with a prominent businessman, but it ended abruptly after her then-partner decided to leave her, she opened up to us that after the union ended she felt robbed as she has invested so much of herself in growing their love.

Opening up your whole life for the whole of Mzansi is never an easy process. Wendy revealed to Nounouche that nothing could have ever prepared her for such an experience, but she is mentally ready for what is about to come after the reality show premieres as she knows that people can be brutal.

“But as a human being it is important to understand that not everyone is going to love you, so it is very crucial to keep an open mind and take everything as it comes, but considering what I have been through in life, I can definitely handle people whom I barely know as they don’t define me, the issue for me is to focus on the goal and where I am headed as an individual as that is what drives me,” she said.

Wendy also added that before she started shooting the show she spoke to a therapist that the production company provided them with who took her through the expectations and how to best handle public scrutiny and the negativity that might come once the show is live on the streaming platform.

The Real Housewives franchise is distributed internationally by NBC Universal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Start streaming The Real Housewives of Durban Season 3 first and only on Showmax from 1 February 2023, with new episodes landing every Friday thereafter.