Oti and Richard's South African Odyssey
2026– · More4 · 60 min · 1 season
S01E04 · Episode 4
Wed, 12 Aug, 6:00 am
Oti and Richard's journey concludes in the Eastern Cape where they try zip wiring and sky hanging before a nail-biting encounter with a herd of elephants. Oti and Richard explore the region's unique plant kingdom and delve into the fascinating history of Britain's 1820 settlers, and throw themselves into Xhosa culture.
About
This is a series about coming home - but also seeing home with new eyes. Oti Mabuse left South Africa at 21 to pursue a life in dance. Now, she's heading back – older, bolder, and full of questions.
What's changed? What's stayed the same? And how well do you really know the place you were born once you've lived most of your life away from it? But she's not doing it alone. Joining her is her brilliantly unexpected bestie: Reverend Richard Coles – priest, pop star, philosopher, and unapologetic fan of a scenic train journey and a well-brewed tea. He's never been to South Africa, and he's wildly curious. Also slightly sun sensitive.
Together, they set off across four wildly different provinces in search of stories, landscapes, laughter, and layered truths. Yes, they go deep. But they also dance, swim, laugh until their sides hurt, and eat their body weight in bunny chow. This isn't a history lecture – it's a moving, musical, sometimes messy, very human road trip through a country that refuses to be boxed in.
Episodes
- E01
Episode 1
Wed, 22 July· 60 minOti Mabuse takes Richard Coles on a tour of her home country. They begin their journey in Oti's home province of Gauteng, where they meet fashion designer Sebo and make outfits celebrating African-patterned textiles. In Soweto, they have a go at the famously fast pantsula dancing, and Richard visits the rose garden of the botanical gardens. They head to the inspirational Drakensburg mountains for an unforgettable helicopter ride.
- E02
Episode 2
Wed, 29 July· 60 minOti and Richard explore the province of KwaZulu-Natal and the beach city of Durban. At the famous Victoria Street Market, they taste Durban's signature dish: bunny chow. In Pietermaritzburg, they learn about the life of young Mahatma Gandhi and meet his granddaughter Ela. Along the Dolphin Coast, they explore Zulu culture, and meet a healer who says they have a message from Oti's late grandmother.
- E03
Episode 3
Wed, 5 Aug· 60 minIn the Western Cape, Oti and Richard take on one of the world's most dramatic roads and meet a community of African penguins. Richard gets a taste of Cape Malay culture, while on the dusty roads of the Weskus, there's a display of the Khoisan people's dance traditions. Finally, in the beach town of Paternoster, they sample some freshly caught crayfish.
- E04
Episode 4
Wed, 12 Aug· 60 minOti and Richard's journey concludes in the Eastern Cape where they try zip wiring and sky hanging before a nail-biting encounter with a herd of elephants. Oti and Richard explore the region's unique plant kingdom and delve into the fascinating history of Britain's 1820 settlers, and throw themselves into Xhosa culture.
Cast
Oti Mabuse
Presenter
Richard Coles
Presenter