Netflix is set to reignite public fascination with one of South Africa’s most shocking scandals when it drops Beauty And The Bester, a three-part true crime docuseries premiering on September 12.
The series delves into the captivating tale of Dr Nandipha Magudumana and her connection to the convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, a narrative that continues to captivate the nation.
Magudumana, once celebrated as a successful doctor, businesswoman, and influencer, enjoyed a glamorous lifestyle that concealed a far darker reality.
The Netflix series chronicles her swift decline from prominence, triggered by revelations about her involvement in Bester’s audacious 2022 escape from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison.
The scandal exploded in 2023 when the pair was spotted shopping at Sandton City, sparking outrage and a nationwide manhunt that ended with their dramatic arrest in Tanzania and extradition to South Africa.
Beauty And The Bester promises to go beyond the headlines.
Featuring exclusive courtroom footage, unreleased investigative material, and emotional interviews with friends and family, the series examines how a woman with status and ambition became entangled in one of the country’s most infamous criminal controversies.
Betrayal that shaped Magudumana’s fall
It probes the murky dynamics of her relationship with Bester, raising chilling questions about manipulation, loyalty, and complicity.
The upcoming release follows on the heels of Showmax’s hit 2023 documentary Tracking Thabo Bester, which offered viewers a gripping first look at the scandal as it unfolded.
That series, released just months after Bester and Magudumana’s arrest, focused on his shocking prison break and the manhunt that followed.
While Showmax’s take gave audiences a raw, journalistic unpacking of events, Netflix’s version promises a more expansive and dramatic exploration, peeling back personal layers and the psychological complexities at the heart of the story.
The rivalry between the two streaming giants reflects just how much public interest the Bester saga continues to command.
Showmax initially set the stage by capturing the immediate aftermath, while Netflix now takes the lead by delving deeper into the glamour, betrayal, and corruption that shaped Magudumana’s downfall.
