Privileged people also have struggles, says 'Real Housewives of Joburg' star

What sort of job requires owning a roomful of handbags and 1,000 pairs of shoes?

Starring in a reality show about housewives, it seems.

The Real Housewives of Johannesburg kicks off on Friday, August 3, with its six stars offering a glimpse of how some of the city's biggest divas spend their days.

In the bling brigade are former lawyer and aspiring pop star Christall Kay, whose Kyalami mansion - estimated to be worth more than R18-million - will feature prominently in the show.

"If you've got beautiful things you have to show them. At the end of the day some people will criticise and say there are so many starving children in South Africa and we are just bimbos, but we are showing that people who enjoy a lot of benefits also have struggles," said Kay, who says one of her most prized possessions is her R500,000 fox fur coat.

She told the Sunday Times the women on the show did not all get along. "I like some more than others. Viewers will see conflict and tension. But none of us are running for president, so it's not that serious. The show is real, not a single script was put in front of me."

The singer, who has a separate room to house her handbags, said she had a love-hate relationship with the camera when filming started in March.

She had wanted to be in a reality series since watching US model and designer Kimora Lee Simmons in the reality TV show Life in the Fab Lane.

"She is my role model. I read her book Fabulosity: What It Is & How to Get It, like it was my bible."

Also on The Real Housewives of Johannesburg is businesswoman Evodia Mogase, who works as a vegetation manager for Eskom after giving up teaching because it couldn't buy her the things in life she enjoys.

"I work very hard, so I deserve everything I have. That's why I'm not afraid to be on a reality show like this. My hard work is why I got the name Madame. Because I'm a madame and I'm very glamorous and I have the style they want," Mogase said.

"In life there will always be critics, it's not about what people say. It's not about me showing off the things I've worked for. It's about showing younger people that hard work pays."

The self-proclaimed shopaholic, whose Hartbeespoort home is her most prized possession, said if she didn't stop herself at times, her shopping habit would probably bankrupt her.

Hard-pressed to decide which of her many designer handbags was her favourite, Mogase at last narrowed it down to either her R58,000 black Prada handbag or her R48,000 limited-edition Versace bag.

She said the six women had never met before the show and she admitted she had not "clicked" with some.

"Meeting the ladies for the first time was quite awkward, some I couldn't click with easily. Some are nice and others are nasty. But my beautiful bubbly princess is the nicest," she said, referring to her daughter Mercy, who is also on the show.

Glamorous law student Naledi Willers is likely to bring a more toned-down vibe to the show. The former Miss Botswana second princess, who is married to Naked DJ Quinton Masina, says her most prized possession is her orchid collection.

"They're like my children. I have three. It's also a very spiritual thing for me.

"I do enjoy nice things but I can't refer to my handbags as things that give me joy," Willers said.

However, she admitted that her Givenchy handbag featured prominently in the show because it was her favourite and she enjoyed "abusing" it.

Despite being "an introvert at heart" Willers said, when the time came to entertain guests or to attend lavish parties she made sure to always look her best. This was even though she would often rather chill at home in her onesie.

The other stars on the show are Brinnette Seopela, a beauty entrepreneur who owns a spa, and Busisiwe Ter Mors, who is also known as Lendy. She is a golfer who was born in South Africa but raised in the UK.

• The Real Housewives of Johannesburg premieres on DStv's 1Magic (channel on August 3 at 7pm.