Season 5 of Big Brother Mzansi promised us Umlilo, and honestly, it delivered that and a whole bonfire of chaos, kisses, and kettle-worthy moments. From the minute Smash Afrika hit the stage as the new host, draped in swag and oozing energy like it was sponsored, we knew we were in for a spicy ride. 🔥
Twenty housemates, one bold twist
The game began with 20 housemates bouncing onto the stage and into Biggie’s house, but plot twist! They weren’t the only ones playing. Just hours into the show, they had to choose four housemates from a mystery six-pack (not the gym kind, sorry), sending two hopefuls back home before they could even unpack. Brutal? Yes. Game-changing? Absolutely. 👏
And that first-night twist? It served us drama immediately when Kay B, wrapped in her Sesotho blanket like a warrior queen, clashed with Nsuku and let her know exactly how she got into that house. Shots were fired, the game was on, and Mzansi was hooked.
Watch Nsuku reflect ont the fight:
The men’s conference vs the real tea
Conflict is basically the Biggie brand, and this season delivered. The ladies? Throwing jabs, throwing shade, sometimes even throwing friendships out the window. The gents? They tried to keep the peace with a full-on Men’s Conference (yes, really), but even that couldn’t stop some from feeling left out. Shout-out to Abobo and Uyanda who were side-eyed by the main clique but found solace in each other. Bromance? Activated.
Watch the men's conference:
This season was friendship roulette. One minute you’re bonding over brooms and beans, next minute you’re in a full-blown shouting match. Ash-ley Ogle and Mshini had a switch up of note, and Mata vs Nsuku? Eish. Let’s just say one gent was caught in the middle, and no, it wasn’t worth it. 🤣
Romance? Kind of. Kisses? Aplenty.
Let’s not lie – romance wasn’t exactly the plot this season. It tried to be, but most of the housemates were just doing vibes. Mshini and Nsuku both eyed Beekay, but Beekay was busy being … well, Beekay – floating, wandering, and somehow ending up emotionally entangled with Nate (though not romantically, let’s be clear before the shippers get wild).
Nate, meanwhile, was Mzansi’s resident kisser. She kissed (almost) everyone. Ezra also had his smooch moment – all in one night, in that infamous jacuzzi. We’ll call that the "Jacuzzi Jubilee." 💋
Watch the pool party kiss fest:
But if you’re looking for the ship of the seaosn, it has to be Ash-ley Ogle and Sweet Guluva. The brown couch became their unofficial headquarters of love, laughter and one or two cuddles. So imagine our heartbreak when Swiss, as HoH, had to evict either Ash-ley Ogle or Nsuku and picked Ash-ley Ogle. Just like that, our love story hit the rocks. Shippers were hopeful that Kay B and Savage could be the couple to keep their eyes on this season, but when Savage said "noted" to Kay B when she professed her love, we knew that they ship had sunk. 🛳
Watch Ash-ley Ogle's eviction:
When things got spicy-spicy
If you thought that was it – ha! Biggie came with even more twists. The Boiler Room made everyone sweat (not just from anxiety, but also literal labour). Housemates ran around hunting envelopes only to discover that inside? Not immunity or snacks – but treats that would cost the house thousands of rands. Cue a mass workout challenge with 100,000 steps and a jacuzzi full of cups. Madness. The house even went on an involuntary vegetarian diet as the envelope finders were tasked with hiding ALL the meat in the Boiler Room. Was the mission accomplished? Nsuku would have an informed answer on that consdering her anger when she busted Beekay and Swiss stealing the meat. Little did she know that Beekay had been munching on Nate's stolen biltong that she passionately denided stealing all season long.
Watch the Boiler Room explosion:
Strikes, goodbyes and Biggie’s wrath
This season didn’t play when it came to discipline. Ash-ley Ogle, Bonnie Bee and Uyanda each walked away with strikes, but it was Kay B who made the history books as the season’s only disqualified housemate. Even with a strike, Uyanda powered through to become part of the final two – a plot twist in itself. 🥨
Watch Kay B's disqualification:
And Nsuku? From being chosen by housemates on night one to being the last woman standing, she proved just how far resilience and strategy could take you. And yes, after her situationship with Muzi-TheMbuzi, we do believe her when she says they weren’t a couple. (No shade, just facts.)
Watch Nsuku clarify her situationship:
Sweet Guluva: The million-rand man
In the end, the man of the moment was Sweet Guluva. He gave us a soft love story, talent, competitiveness, and the rarest thing in the house: good vibes with almost everyone. He kept it classy (except for that one tiff with Mshini), played the game, and walked away with the millions. 💰
The Verdict? One for the books.
This season? Wild. Unpredictable. Hilarious. Messy. And unforgettable. From alliances forming like group chats to ships crashing harder than Wi-Fi in a thunderstorm, Season 5 of Big Brother Mzansi gave us everything and then some.
And just like that, we have a new Mzansi millionaire, unforgettable moments, and housemates we’ll be talking about for months. Umlilo was promised, and let’s just say, the fire deinitely burned.
To join the conversation on social media platforms, use the hashtag #BBMzansi and connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.