The Polygamist’s creator says women see themselves reflected in her Netflix hit

Sue Nyathi, the Zimbabwean author of the novel The Polygamist, says her debut work about a married man and the women he seduces defied publishers' predictions and became a hit. After 500 copies were sold, Nyathi found her own editor, typesetter, and artist to publish 500 more. The novel has since been adapted for Netflix, becoming a top 10 series in over 60 countries and number two in the United States. Actress Taraji P Henson praised the series for its gripping nature, watching all 22 episodes in one go.

However, Nyathi clarifies that her story is not a straightforward account of polygamy. In her family, polygamy was the norm for generations, with her grandfather having five wives and her great-grandfather having 11. Her grandmother, as the first wife, held the position of matriarch over a farm where all wives lived together. Nyathi's grandmother made sense of polygamy through practicality, stating, "There was no infighting, because everyone knew their place."

Nyathi noticed a modernized, deceptive form of polygamy during her time in Harare in 2001, where men appeared monogamous but had secret relationships and households. Her heroine, Joyce, discovers her husband, Jonasi, has married and set up homes with three other women without her knowledge. The novel explores the power dynamics within these relationships, with Jonasi making all decisions in the patriarchal society and the women's autonomy being compromised, especially in matters of health and consent.

The Netflix adaptation moves the story to South Africa and is narrated by the wives, allowing them to voice their perspectives. While the novel includes more wives and maintains cultural richness through Zulu language, the series has faced criticism. Kenyan civil servant Geoffrey Mosiria called for the series to be banned, arguing that it conflates polygamy with cheating, fraud, and abuse.

Nyathi responds by emphasizing that culture evolves and that her work reflects the current state of affairs, using affluent black Africans as protagonists to challenge stereotypes.