Zola 7 is a South African reality television series prouced by Ochre Media in which kwaito star Zola 7 (real name Bonginkosi Dlamini) helps people who write to him with problems they can't solve on their own.
The series premiered on SABC1 on Monday 1 July 2002, at 18h30. Episodes are half an hour long.
Synopsis
Poet, kwaito musician and actor Zola 7's show is dedicated to listening to people's dreams and making them come true.
Each weekly episode sees Zola responding to someone's plea for assistance with something in their lives - they write to him, he gets involved, magic things happen and by the end of it something they've wished for comes true.
The extent to which he's helped people and situations since the show's premiere in 2002 is unparalled and over time has included:
- Assisting people facing various setbacks with getting the job they want.
- Creating exciting opportunities for people who display particular talents.
- Providing food and resources for communities and centres.
- Getting equipment for teachers who can't teach without it.
- Solving crises in familes where relationships are suffering.
- Encouraging people to embrace who they are and proudly share with it the world - standing up to prejudice and intolerance in instances whey're facing it.
In each instance Zola wheels and deals, acessing an honesty in everyone he meets as he mediates and makes sure that each person involved comes out of the situation feeling that they've won something.
The success he's achieved through the show has earned him the nickname of the Ghetto Dream Maker as well as a reputation through the whole of Africa.
At the beginning of 2006, to respond to the huge number of requests from other African countries, Zola extended his reach to include Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, Tanzania, Lesotho and Namibia in the show Zola 7 In Africa.
While he's out of South Africa working his own special brand of wow, his friends make sure that the dreams of South Africans don't get forgotten as they guest host the show, continuing to make things happen while he's away.