Who is Sue Nyathi, the brain behind Netflix series ‘The Polygamist’
Sue Nyathi is a Zimbabwean author whose writing explores modern African life through themes of marriage, patriarchy, religion, class, and identity.
Her novel The Polygamist was adapted to the latest South African supernovela, The Polygamist, which has quickly become one of the platform’s most talked-about releases.
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The book reflects her interest in telling socially layered stories that are both deeply African and universally relatable.
Meet Sue Nyathi
Sue was born, Sukoluhle which is a Nguni name that means “Beautiful Day” on 23rd of June 1978 in the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
She started her primary schooling at Tennyson and later completed it at Carmel.
According to Sue it is while at Carmel school that her inclination towards writing began to show at the age of 10 when she says she would cut out pictures from magazines and write little excerpts about the men and women in the pictures.
In her Biography, Sue explains how schooling at a girls-only school shaped her writing style, and that is where she penned her first novel, Crazy Over You, at only 13 years of age.
“I did my secondary schooling at Girls College which is where my writing really took root. I was 13 when I penned my first novel titled “Crazy Over You” inspired by the Sweet Valley High series which is what I was reading at the time,” Sue states.
Sue further narrates that her interest in writing was further nurtured throughout high school, where she wrote a lot of poetry.
According to Sue, her passion was reflected in her participation in poetry competitions, for which she says she won several awards and accolades.
Career life
Sue Nyathi originally planned to study Journalism after completing her Cambridge A Levels, but at the time no Zimbabwean university offered the programme.
She instead pursued a degree in Finance at the National University of Science and Technology, later completing a Master’s in Finance and Investment at the same institution.
She built a professional career spanning over 10 years in finance and investments, along with more than five years in economic development consulting. Despite working in the financial sector, she continued writing in her free time as a creative outlet away from the demands of economic and financial work.
Nyathi also wrote as a freelance columnist for the Sunday Mail in Harare, contributing to the “Steaming Off” column, where she focused on love and relationships. Her work resonated with readers, many of whom reached out to her with personal stories and encouragement to publish a book. By then, she had already written several manuscripts, though none had been published.
Her novel A Family Affair originated from one of these early unpublished works and was eventually published in 2020.
She relocated to Johannesburg in 2008, a move that strengthened her ambition to pursue writing more seriously due to the city’s more vibrant publishing industry. Her debut novel, The Polygamist, was published in 2012, marking the official start of her journey as a published author.
The Polygamist
The Polygamist weaves a tale of four women whose lives become intertwined when they all fall for a wealthy banking magnate Jonasi Gomora. Seemingly indomitable, and oozing money, power and sex appeal, Jonasi is about to complicate all their lives forever.
Joyce is pampered wife number one who lives in the lap of luxury. She believes she has the perfect marriage until Matipa rears her coiffed head.
Matipa is the glamorous mistress every married woman hates. Her driving ambition is to usurp Joyce’s role as Jonasi’s lover and wife.
Essie is Jonasi’s best-kept secret, the second wife no one knows about. She cared for Jonasi long before he became the man he is, and plays the role of second fiddle, knowing he’ll always come back to her.
Lindani’s main goal in life is to upgrade from girlfriend to wife. When she meets Jonasi, she thinks all her problems have been answered, not knowing they have only just begun.
Take a journey with these four women and get caught up in the drama.
