Date Released: Mon, 5 November 2012 10:58 +0200

For Rhodes University PhD student Bongo Zuma being a dad to little Sinoh, 3, is the easiest thing in the world. And now he is spreading his joy on a new reality television show, Daddy 24/7, which airs on SABC1 next week. The show aims to break new ground and cancel all the stereotypes about a typical father's role in raising children.

Instead, it intends to introduce the public to a hip and dedicated 21st century dad. Zuma, 30, who lives in Grahamstown, was the only father from the Eastern Cape to be selected from hundreds of contestants for a role on the show.

After an audition process and extensive interviews, the entries were narrowed down to just four.

The show follows these four first-time dads who are told to pack their bags and take their toddlers to live in the Daddy 24/7 complex for 30 days.

The contestants have to take care of their toddlers without any help from moms or nannies.

Viewers are then urged to vote for their favourite toddler-dad team via SMS or online.

The winning pair, to be announced in February next year, will walk away with a 100 000 cash prize.

Zuma said yesterday he and his daughter thoroughly enjoyed the filming process and that he had learnt a lot in the 30-day period.

"It was great. Sinoh and I were able to interact with the other dads and toddlers living in the complex and ... this way we were able to learn from each other.

"We also grew closer together," he said.

And Sinoh is definitely daddy's little girl.

Zuma was raised by his grandparents and said he, therefore, knew and understood the importance of a birth parent's role in a child's upbringing.

"I helped create a life, which was the best thing I ever did, and now it is my responsibility to help raise my little one to the best of my ability.

“I missed out on having a dad around, and don't want my daughter to ever feel like I am not there for her."

And despite being a PhD biotechnology student with a string of degrees behind his name, Zuma is adamant that his daughter has taught him the most about life.

 "We have so much fun playing together. You can learn a lot from a child."

The idea for the show comes off the back of a South African Institute of Race Relations survey which found that nine million children were growing up without their fathers.

Although some of these fathers were still alive, things such as crime also resulted in children not having anyone to look up to, the study found.

Zuma said the experience also taught him to appreciate everything his wife, Zanele, did for him and their daughter. The show airs on SABC1 next Tuesday at 6.30pm.

Written by: Kathryn Kimberley

Picture credit: The Herald

• This article was published on The Herald.