South African telenovela The Polygamist is making history on Netflix, emerging as one of the streaming platform’s biggest non-English hits of 2026.
According to Netflix’s latest viewing report, the drama has amassed more than 23.1 million views since its June 12 premiere, with audiences spending 223.2 million hours watching the series through July 12.
The show’s remarkable performance saw it remain in Netflix’s Global Top 10 for non-English TV series for five consecutive weeks, peaking at No. 2 worldwide. It also entered the Top 10 rankings in 62 countries, including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.
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Outside South Africa, The Polygamist reached the No. 1 position in 21 countries, among them Nigeria, Kenya, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, highlighting its widespread international appeal.
Netflix’s report also spotlighted another South African success story. The film 180, starring Ntuthuzelo Grootboom, attracted an impressive 37 million views, reinforcing the growing global demand for African storytelling.
The streaming giant revealed that subscribers watched more than 97 billion hours of content during the first half of 2026. During that period, His & Hers led all shows with 104 million views, while Bridgerton Season 4 followed closely with 100 million.
The most-watched films from January to June were War Machine, The Rip and Swapped, underscoring Netflix’s strong global audience engagement.
