Five things about Sue Nyathi, author behind Netflix hit ‘The Polygamist’

Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi is enjoying renewed attention after the Netflix adaptation of her bestselling novel The Polygamist shot to the top of SA’s streaming charts.

The gripping 22-episode supernovela, produced by Stained Glass Productions, premiered on June 12 and quickly captured audiences nationwide.

Within hours of its release, The Polygamist climbed to the number one spot on Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows in SA while the hashtag #ThePolygamist dominated social media conversations.

Characters including Jonasi, Joyce, Matipa and Essie trended on X as viewers reacted to the show’s dramatic twists, betrayals and emotional storylines.

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At the heart of the story is Jonasi Gomora, a man whose relationships with four women unravel in spectacular fashion.

“The Polygamist is about these four women, their thoughts, feelings, lives and the impact this one man has on them. At first individually, but with time (and as the secrets and lies unfold) their lives all intertwine and they are affected collectively, even Jonasi. As for Jonasi, in his own weird, twisted and warped way, he loved them all, but there was nothing to like about Jonasi Gomora,” said Nyathi.

While the Netflix adaptation of The Polygamist has hit the mark with audiences, who is the woman behind the bestselling novel that inspired the series?

Here are five things to know about Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi:

1. She started writing at just 10 years old

Nyathi’s love for storytelling began during her primary school years.

“I started my primary schooling at Tennyson, which I completed at Carmel. It is here that my inclination towards writing began to show at the age of 10 when I would cut out pictures from magazines and write little excerpts about the men and women in the pictures,” she said.

Her passion grew even stronger at Girls College, where she wrote her first novel at the age of 13.

“I was 13 when I penned my first novel titled Crazy Over You, inspired by the Sweet Valley High series, which is what I was reading at the time,” she said.

2. She studied finance instead of journalism

Although Nyathi dreamed of becoming a journalist, circumstances led her down a different academic path.

“On completing my Cambridge A Levels it was my intention to study journalism, but at that time there was no such degree on offer in any Zimbabwean institution of higher learning. So ironically, I found myself reading towards a degree in finance at the National University of Science and Technology,” she said.

She later completed a master’s degree in finance and investment at the same institution.

3. She built a successful career in finance

Before becoming a household name in literary circles, Nyathi spent more than a decade working in finance and investments and over five years in economic development consulting.

“My career in finance never stifled my creativity as I continued to write after hours to escape the drudgery of economic shop talk and financial markets,” she said.

4. ‘The Polygamist’ was inspired by her family history

Nyathi has revealed that the inspiration for her breakthrough novel came from growing up around polygamous relationships.

According to an interview with Southern Eye, she said polygamy had existed in her family for generations.

“What has changed is that the kind of polygamy practised nowadays is no longer open and transparent. It’s mired in deceit and deception, and it’s what I call ‘underground’ or ‘undercover’ polygamy. Men purport to be monogamous, but the reality is they are polygamous. This is what gave birth to this book,” she said.

5. She has written seven books

The Polygamist was Nyathi’s first published novel in 2012, but it was far from her last.

Her published works include: