“The Polygamist” is a trending series on Netflix that has quickly ascended the platform’s ranks and ignited global conversations about infidelity in relationships.
The show portrays the tragic disintegration of what seems to be a prosperous upper-class family, the Gomoras. Set in South Africa, it draws inspiration from the self-published novella of Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi.
The narrative kicks off at the funeral of Jonasi Gomora, a self-made, charismatic banking executive. Through flashbacks, we witness how his seemingly respectable and well-structured life unravels when his wife Joyce, a social influencer, uncovers his clandestine second wife, his mistress, and a plethora of other affairs.
At its essence, “The Polygamist” reveals how an unquenchable desire for power and pleasure decimates the aspirations of Black prosperity, which should encapsulate the triumphs of democracy, education, and social progress in post-apartheid South Africa since 1994.
I am a sociologist specializing in intimacy within Black communities. In a recent book I edited, I explored how themes mirrored in “The Polygamist”—such as money, social class, and intimacy—can incite conflicts between traditional values and modern concepts introduced by colonial systems.
The series adds crucial depth to discussions around polygamy, highlighting the lingering ramifications of colonialism and the ongoing struggles of Black South Africans with “multiple consciousness,” a term that describes conflicting identities and fragmented cultural realities in a new societal context.
In this article, I will examine four compelling themes that emerge from the series, illustrating why many African viewers are captivated by it and engaged in deeper dialogues surrounding it.
Read: Streaming TV booms in SA
1. Hidden Histories
“The Polygamist” skillfully reveals the concealed histories of polygamy. Numerous sub-Saharan African nations, including South Africa, have rich and complex histories pertaining to this practice.
ADVERTISEMENT
CONTINUE READING BELOW
This value system isn’t merely about heterosexual patriarchy (male dominance); it’s fundamentally about the protection and support of African families.
In precolonial contexts, men took multiple wives for economic, political, and social reasons, alongside the commitment to care for widows and orphans.
Starting in the 1800s, engagement with colonial European ideologies began to undermine polygamy as a respected practice, supplanting it with Christian values, Dutch laws, and urbanization.
Europeans championed monogamy (a relationship with one partner), viewing polygamy as detrimental and immoral, labeling it a practice of the uncivilized. As a result, traditional systems succumbed to issues like secrecy, power misuse, child displacement, and violence against women.
Although polygamy is legally acknowledged in South Africa, it has struggled to endure the pressures of capitalism and coloniality. In “The Polygamist,” this struggle is reflected in Jonasi’s relationship with his childhood sweetheart and second wife, Essie.
He marries her without the knowledge or consent of his first wife, clearly constituting an abuse of power. Traditional polygamy should be built on respect, communication, and accountability, and by omitting Joyce from this crucial decision, he usurps her power.
2. Conceding to Polygamy
After discovering the full extent of Jonasi’s association with a younger woman named Matipa, Joyce faces a choice: whether to accept polygamy to protect her marriage, the legacy she helped build, and her children’s inheritance.
Choosing to embrace polygamy is no simple task. Joyce is acutely aware of its contradictions, how it diminishes her status, and the potential for more wives to join the fold.
While this decision weighs heavily on Joyce’s psyche and public persona, it also opens up one of the traditional benefits of polygamy: ensuring the well-being of children.
Read: Netflix turns to telecoms tie-ups in challenging African markets
3. The Trap of Being ‘Civilised’
ADVERTISEMENT:
CONTINUE READING BELOW
Furthermore, the series depicts how Jonasi’s deceitful lifestyle might signify a personal battle with what South African sociologist Mosa Phadi describes as “multiple consciousness.”
The colonial mission to ‘civilize’ Africans through Western societal norms endures, pressuring Jonasi to uphold a guise of monogamy, even if it is merely for show. In his civilized front, he is recognized as a successful, university-educated CEO leading a prototypical nuclear family.
Jonasi and Joyce symbolize what achievement manifests in post-apartheid South Africa, characterized by connections, sophistication, suburban living, and power.
His story underscores the difficulties in navigating what Phadi refers to as the “contradictory aspects of blackness.” This pressure to conform repeatedly surfaces throughout the series.
Matipa’s mother comments on how un-Christian polygamy is, a double standard that Matipa acknowledges, challenging her mother on the selective application of culture and tradition.
Jonasi embodies this conflict when he tells Joyce and Matipa, “Let us talk like civilized people.”
While striving for this notion of ‘civilized’ success, Jonasi also attempts to honor his traditional responsibilities to Essie. He desires both the vibrancy of Soweto life and a fulfilling marriage.
He yearns for his children’s respect but fails to model how to earn it. He wants a stable family but falls drastically short of achieving it. As a result, Jonasi finds himself at odds with his sense of belonging.
Read: Netflix sees Africa spy drama as key to unlock continent growth
The series sheds light on these profound contradictions and reveals insights offered by the theory of multiple consciousness. His struggles with a fragmented identity ultimately undermine his achievements, demonstrating that money cannot remedy all his issues.
The show vividly illustrates how social structures influenced his life—his early hardships, emotional neglect, his father’s alcoholism, and his mother’s absence. However, it fails to address his agency.
ADVERTISEMENT:
CONTINUE READING BELOW
The series does not portray moments of contemplation or regret about his choices. Life didn’t merely happen to him; he was actively involved in shaping it.
4. Money Complicates Things
Lastly, the series highlights how money (within a capitalist framework) complicates personal relationships. Studies on finances and social interactions reveal that our spending habits and the recipients of our financial resources illustrate not only our values but also the power dynamics inherent in these relationships.
Wealth enables Jonasi to wield influence, gain recognition, and achieve success. Yet when it can no longer obscure his pain, his ability to confront the truths of his past, his failures as a spouse and parent, and his feelings of inadequacy begin to unravel him.
This revelation strips away his facade of authority. As his affluence fails to exert control over those around him, he falls back into inherited traumas from the past, which remain prevalent in today’s intimate relationships.
The chilling reality of being Black in a society filled with violence and self-hatred ultimately leads to his downfall. He risks alienating his children, potentially putting them on a similar trajectory of suffering, violence, secrecy, and shame, perpetuating the cycle.
It is this intricate complexity in the narrative that resonates deeply with African Netflix audiences. I found myself hooked, binge-watching the entire series over its launch weekend.
Grace Khunou, executive director of the Department of Leadership and Transformation, University of South Africa
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
