Season 18 of the hit reconciliation show, “Khumbul’ekhaya”, is set to continue on its quest to reunite families and heal broken bonds on SABC1.
The new instalment sees host Andile Gaelesiwe being joined by media and radio personality, Samora Mangesi, as a field presenter.
The premise of the social reality show, which is produced by Urban Brew Studios, will see the duo tracking the journeys of South Africans who are looking to rehabilitate their relationships with lost or estranged family members.
They track long-lost relatives, find estranged family members and assist to heal long-standing feuds that have caused rifts and pain in families.
“In each show, two stories spark tears and laughter as viewers reflect on their family relationships and move to implement positive change in their own homes,” a statement explained.
Meanwhile, “Khumbul’ekhaya” also tackles pertinent socio-economic issues in South Africa, such as abuse, addiction, poverty and the breakdown of the family structure, which contribute to the continued estrangement of relatives.
“The series celebrates healing in South African families through forgiveness and reconciliation,” the statement added.
“Khumbul’ekhaya” is also educational as each episode consists of two stories which hope to get viewers reflecting on their own family relationships.
With a title which translates to “Remember at home”, a show of this nature is of much value in South Africa, where social ills and strained relations are prevalent.
According to a 2023 study titled “Statistics on Children Living in South Africa”, which was helmed by Katharine Hall, scores of youngsters in the country do not live consistently in the same household as their biological parents.
“This is an established feature of childhoods in South Africa and international studies have shown that the country is unique in the extent that parents are absent from children’s daily lives,” the research paper added.
Since the reality show premiered in November 2006, viewers have experienced a mix of emotions as the “Khumbul’ekhaya” team has helped people put the pieces of their family lives back together again.
Meanwhile, the SABC previously explained that the reason for creating the show was to, at the time, mark a decade of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which sought to uncover truths about severe human rights violations which took place during apartheid.
Also known as the Truth commission, many of the stories told there still entrench the values of forgiveness and reconciliation.
This includes migrant labourers who left their homes to work in the cities, family members who have been out of touch for many years, the quests for identity and families seeking closure from bereavement and death.
In addition, several of the themes in the show are often directly linked with the country’s dark past as well as the healing of the nation, addressing poverty and constructing sustainable, strong and functional families.
∎ Watch “Khumbul’ekhaya” on SABC 1 on Wednesday at 9pm.