The Millionaire Preacher Reggie Yates's Extreme South Africa

This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

'South Africa, a country devoted to God.'

Literally, wherever you walk in the city, you can hear a church.

There's literally churches everywhere.

You can...almost pick one tailor-made for you.

'With more people living with HIV than any other country in the world

'and 70% of young people unemployed,

'this is a place in need of miracles.

'Luckily, there are dozens of evangelical pastors on hand

'promising healing...'

If I bless you today, you are blessed!

'..and extravagant riches to all who believe.'

'I've got a mixed history with this kind of faith.

'My mum took me to an African Pentecostal church as a kid.'

The minute it became my decision,

I've chosen not to follow any particular religion.

I think I'm one of the few West Africans who aren't scared

to say that church isn't really for them any more.

'I've come here to find out why one of these magical megachurches...'

He's your Father, he's your God, he's your shepherd.

'..is so popular with young South Africans...'

Do you like what I'm doing, or not?

'..and why its preacher...'

-Touch your breast.

-'..is as rich and famous as a rock star.'

I honestly think there is, like, no man like him.

You are special, you are precious. You are black and powerful.

'But will my lack of faith...'

Watching him spend money is actually making my hairs stand on end.

-'..see me ex-communicated?'

-I don't like arrogance, I don't like pride.

We have white people here but you're whiter than white people.

'Or could it land me in a whole heap more trouble?'

In one of these cars currently surrounded by men with

machine guns, there's a man coming to see me...

and he's pissed.

Johannesburg,

a city where over three million people call themselves Christians.

Worship here is on a mega scale.

'I've come to spend a week with one of the most controversial

'megachurches, called Incredible Happenings.'

Going to church is something that I haven't done in a long time. You know what?

In all honesty, I genuinely don't remember the last time

I went to church through choice.

Seriously.

'With a following in the tens of thousands,

'Incredible Happenings is unlike any church I've been to.

'It's led by a self-proclaimed prophet, called Mboro.'

HE HISSES

I release the blood of Jesus, the blood of Christ.

Touch the screen and receive your miracle.

Despite growing up in a poor slum, God has been good to him.

He's now a multimillionaire, owning several houses and 30 flash cars.

Jesus Christ! Jehovah is his name!

But he often hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons,

like allegedly waving a gun around in a radio station.

Bad criticism, bad publicity, I want to thank them for that

because they made me famous.

I'm really excited about meeting Mboro.

I'm desperate to know why so many young people follow him

and what he says resonates with them.

'It's Sunday, so I'm off to meet the church's parishioners

'and the prophet himself at the service.

'And with all the bad press,

'it seems the church takes security pretty seriously.'

This is it, this is the Church of Incredible Happenings.

That's a catchy name, isn't it?

Is that the man there, is that him? That's him! There you go. Mboro.

Nice suit.

And the prophet has a Facebook and a Twitter page, brilliant.

And just in case you didn't get it, their slogan is,

"It's incredible and it's happening."

That's the sort of thing that I would come up with and get laughed at.

'It's an hour before the main service but already there's lots

'of young people here in expectation of some incredible happenings.'

Are you literally just coming here to worship today?

-Or are you involved in any way at all?

-I'm an usher, I serve people.

I'm part of the usher team.

Part of the ushers who sing, entertain

-and bring the spirit down and wash them.

-Oh, so the choir?

-Yes, part of the choir.

-So you sing, right, OK.

A lot of people say that Mboro does miracles,

the prophet is someone who is capable of miracles. Have you ever seen any?

He does plenty of miracles.

-I couldn't walk, he healed me by his prayers.

-Yeah.

And then look at me now.

'It's not just prayer people are buying into.

'The church shop sells everything from holy salt and holy water,

'to fashion garments.'

You've got...Mboro T-shirts...

..and you've got refreshments with his face on it as well.

It's, erm...

It's almost more like a concert and there's, like, a merch stand.

-Hello, guys. How are you doing? What are you selling today?

-We have...

-That's Vaseline, right?

-It's a petroleum jelly.

-Yeah, OK.

-And is that...? Is that his face on it?

-Yes.

It's been anointed by the anointment of the prophet.

-So he's blessed this.

-He blesses this.

I used to go to church when I was younger in the UK,

and the church never had a sales department.

-OK.

-You know?

'Some of the young devotees are even buying blessed sanitary towels.'

-Have you just bought those from in there?

-Yes, the pads.

-So he's blessing pads?

-Yes.

What sort of blessing are you expecting to get from something like that?

You can put them, like, probably if you have

-a pain or something, you can put them there...

-On that pain.

..on that pain and then it's going to go away.

-You don't literally have to, like...

-Use them.

..use them for menstruation, it's not...they're not all for that.

-Although you can.

-Although you can.

So would you say that guys buy them too?

-ALL: Yeah!

-You said that like I'm the crazy one for thinking that.

-Like, of course a guy buys pads, of course!

-Yeah.

OK, well, I feel like we're really late, can we go in?

I don't want to be any later.

Oh, my God, wow. This place is massive.

SHE SINGS

'Mboro hasn't arrived yet

'but already there are thousands of people in the church.

'They come from all parts of the country,

'some travelling for days to be blessed by the prophet.'

Hallelujah!

'Suddenly, the vibe changes.

'The moment everyone has been waiting for.

'Surrounded by armed guards and cheering fans,

'prophet Mboro has arrived.'

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

HE SINGS AND SHOUTS

MBORO CHANTS AND THE CROWD REPEATS

CHOIR SINGS

HE SHOUTS

Wow.

# And I will always love... #

HE SCREECHES: Yooooou!

Oh, my God.

Thank you, man. Thank you.

Praise God.

-CONGREGATION:

-Amen.

'The service might have started like a West End show

'but people don't attend just to be entertained.

'They also come here to be healed of their problems,

'be it physical, mental or spiritual.'

There are things that your education cannot solve.

LADY TRANSLATES HIM ON TANNOY

There are things that your money cannot buy.

LADY CONTINUES TO TRANSLATE

There are things that only God can.

My daughter, God is going to touch you.

People who are rejected,

people who are isolated,

to God they are loved and they're important.

I'm going to sing this song.

# Love lifted me... #

SHE SOBS

# You know love lifted me... #

SHE SCREAMS

# Oooh! Love lifted me. #

I believe in you, my God!

I need you to save me, my God!

Oh, my God!

'Mboro's congregation is deeply affected by his message

'and health is not the only issue he preaches about.

'15 million black South Africans live in poverty,

'so Mboro has dedicated a prayer for financial healing.'

-Say Jesus. CONGREGATION:

-Jesus.

'As a nonbeliever, and not wanting to pretend to pray,

'I find myself in an awkward position.'

-I receive hope. ALL:

-I receive hope.

-To go and look for a job.

-To go and look for a job.

To go and start a business To go and start a business.

-To stand up again.

-To stand up again.

-I will never fail.

-I will never fail.

-In Jesus' name.

-In Jesus'...

HE SHOUTS AND THEY REPEAT

'I can understand financial problems,

'but during the service there are things

'that I can't quite comprehend.'

She says her vagina is painful.

WOMAN HOWLS

There's a beast that came at night.

I just want to die.

-Just want to die?

-Yes.

-No, ma'am.

-I need you to pray with me and pray for me.

'This 22-year-old woman attempted to take her own life

'as she believes she was raped by an evil spirit.'

SHE SHRIEKS

'The prophet doesn't shy away from healing

'this follower's private parts. His word for the vagina is "biscuit".'

Oh, my God. He's stepping on her.

-This beast...

-This beast...

..on my biscuit.

Let it die.

Die!

SHE CRIES OUT

Die!

SHE SHRIEKS

Say "Jesus!"

-ALL:

-Jesus!

"Jesus!"

Jesus!

-"My vagina is clean."

-My vagina is clean.

'I may have gone to a Pentecostal church,

'but I've never seen anything like this.

'After a seven-hour show, hands in the air go to hands in the pockets.'

And now they are all pouring forward

to put their money in the baskets in the front.

'According to the prophet himself,

'these followers contribute over £1 million a year

'to him and his church through donations, events

'and buying merchandise.'

HE SHOUTS

HE SHOUTS

Hallelujah!

-WOMAN:

-Amen.

'With the service over,

'I've been granted a short audience with the prophet.'

Hello, I'm Reggie. Lovely to meet you.

The Reggie they have been speaking about.

Thank you so much for having us at your service today.

You are quite the entertainer.

It was incredible, it was almost like a concert, almost, you know.

You are almost like a rock star to some of these guys,

the way they are reacting to you on stage.

For me, I just want to have fun with my people, make them happy

while I minister to them.

Yeah.

So they can forget where they come from and look where they are

and enjoy God in a different way.

One of the things that I think

is definitely going to stick out in my mind

when I leave here today is casting the bad spirits out of that lady

that was lying on the floor.

Witchcraft is rife here in South Africa.

When I was young, I used to be troubled by those spirits,

talking cats.

I know you don't know that cats here, they talk. And...

Calling my name and things choking me at night.

When I received Jesus Christ,

the main purpose was to come out of those things.

In Africa we have faith. It's just that we have it in different things.

Yeah. Real education, coming here today. Thank you for having us.

Thank you very much. God bless you.

-I don't want to get in the way of your security guards.

-It's fine, they're cool.

-They're massive. See you later.

-Thanks.

-Bye-bye.

-OK.

'As Mboro leaves with his entourage in a fleet of flash cars,

'I was left bewildered.

'I can't work out why young people buy into all of this.'

In all honesty, it was just bizarre today.

I mean, the offering culture is something that we have in the UK,

but if you see a 20 quid in there, you are going to think,

"Wow...someone's gone for it."

But here, it's just envelopes. And then...

Buy water that has been blessed and buy salt that has been blessed

and buy Vaseline that has been blessed.

There's lots of things that I want to find out about because,

in all honesty, on face value,

it's really unsettling.

'Yesterday's Sunday service was out of this world.

'If I'm going to understand young people's beliefs here,

'then I need to know more about the man that they follow.

'So I've arranged to meet Mboro at his favourite suit shop.

'Unfortunately, there's no sign of him.

'So I wait.

'And I wait.

'And I wait.'

You sort of hear loads of things about "Africa time",

but you don't really get it until you experience it.

The word is that the longer you wait for someone,

the more important they are or the more important you deem them to be.

And...

he is two hours more important than he used to be to me now.

'I'm not one for waiting on people, so I'm getting started without him.'

-Hello. How are you doing? I'm Reggie.

-I'm Greg.

-Nice to meet you, Greg.

-You, too.

-Hello, boss. How are you doing?

I'm sorry that we are so late.

-I've been waiting for Mboro for the last few hours.

-No problem.

I figured I'd come and see the place myself. He's quite a flamboyant guy.

What sort of thing does he normally go for?

He actually goes for one of our...

Well, for our top brand, which is a top Italian brand.

-Well, that's the...

-Very out there.

-That's hardly going to have you

-slip into the background, isn't it?

-Correct.

Who else shops here?

Pastors, footballers, Bafana Bafana guys,

all the hip-hop stars.

Where I'm from, the footballers and rappers and entertainers,

-you kind of expect them to go to the same clubs and the same shops.

-Yeah, yeah.

But you wouldn't expect them to shop in the same place as the pastors.

-Are the pastors here like celebrities as well?

-They are.

The pastors actually are huge celebrities here.

How much is one of these suits going to set you back?

-They range between 25,000 and 40,000 rand.

-Wow.

'With suits costing up to £3,000,

'this is definitely a shop for the high-rollers.

'After three hours,

'the celebrity prophet finally arrives with his entourage.

'As ever, he's dressed to impress.'

You're looking pretty sharp for a quiet, normal Monday.

-I just dressed up to come and see you.

-Really?

-I have to put on a tie for you.

-Oh, really?

-You must be special.

I was going to say! You're making me feel special.

The way you wear, it speaks.

It tells who you are.

And I know you've got good stuff at home.

-I left the good stuff at home, is that what you are saying?

-I know.

Oh, right, I know what you're saying!

So, if I'm going to come back to your church this weekend,

I need to be dressed appropriately, right?

So, could you help me find something to wear?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You seem unsure. OK. What is going to be suitable?

I'm tempted by that crazy gold-and-black number.

Can I... I just want to see it on me. Go on, Tom. Get it on me, Tom.

Yeah, that's not happening. Those shoulders are not happening.

Look at that. Look at the monkey arms as well.

-It's a nice colour.

-It's a good colour.

-It looks very...

-You need it to...hm!

-Ah.

-Show the...hm!

-OK.

MBORO LAUGHS

-So what sort of thing would you go for, then?

-That's the thing.

-When I come here, I take...

-A trolley load, or two or three or four.

Yeah.

I spend over 100 grand just in one day.

And I come back again and I just...

Sometimes he can come two, three times in one week.

That's a lot of money on suits, though, isn't it? A lot of money on suits.

When I buy, I just... Yeah, this is nice.

'I was always taught that Christianity was about being

'humble and modest, not splashing £7,000 a visit on outfits.'

Watching him spend that money, like that, on that,

is actually making my hairs stand on end.

And I feel a bit sick.

'So I've decided not to buy a flash suit for Sunday best.'

Yeah, I don't think I will get one. Yeah, I think what I should do is...

-WOMAN: Smart-casual.

-No, be me.

And that's what I think I'm going... Is the best thing for me to do.

-But definitely you have to be different.

-Different? OK.

You are presenting something to another world.

-What is it you think I should be projecting, then?

-Your image.

Your image. You are Reggie, you understand what I'm saying?

You know, your presentation is not only for you. A lot of people are...

are still in the hole.

They want... When you say, "Come, let's go," they look at you first.

If I wear something awesome, they say, "Wow." They get excited.

It's about building somebody else.

This is my blazer.

It's clearly not as expensive.

It saves you a lot. You save a lot.

I think your blazer cost a bit more.

A bit of design went into yours.

-So she will come and sort you out.

-Perfect. Thanks, boss.

-As we normally do.

-Nice to see you again.

-Thank you.

'It sounds like Mboro wants to lead everyone by example.

'But personally, I'm starting to find him hard to follow.'

I can't help feeling like the ugly sister.

I should get a T-shirt that just says, "#awkward" on it,

and just wear that the entire trip, right?

'Welcome to Incredible Happenings...'

'Like many churches in South Africa,

'Mboro has his own daily TV and radio shows.

'He claims to heal and deliver miracles to millions over the airwaves.'

'Don't miss it for anything in the world. God bless you.'

'I've been invited to join him on one of his live broadcasts.

'But first I'm meeting up with his team to pick up some takeaway

'from the township where Mboro grew up.

'And his PA, Ntombi, is already tucking into hers.'

What are you eating?

-They call this...

-SHE SPEAKS ZULU

What the hell did you just do with your mouth?

What are you eating?

SHE SPEAKS ZULU

-"Aman..."

-REGGIE CLICKS TONGUE

HE LAUGHS

Is that Zulu?

Yes. M-A-Q-H-I.

So Q-H-I is...

HE CLICKS TONGUE

That is the best thing I've ever heard!

'Also stopping for food is Mboro's chief of security,

'a man who leads a team of eight armed bodyguards.

'So I take this opportunity to ask him about the prophet's need for protection.'

You're a pretty important man when it comes to the prophet, right?

Yes. I am!

-You used to be in the police, did you?

-Even now I am.

-You still are in the police?

-Yes.

-Right.

OK. What's your role in the police force?

I'm a commander.

Wow. So you're pretty high up in the police force.

How dangerous is it to be somebody as well known as him?

There's the people that they can take chances and opportunities

when they see that now...

So it's just protecting yourself? I see. OK.

Why do people look to the prophet so much?

Why do so many people love him?

It makes a difference to the other people's lives. You know.

And remember one thing.

There's something that people don't know about prophets.

The prophet they've got, they... How can I put it?

They've got a different world.

Sometimes you can think that he's so upset about you.

It's not. It's because they see something that you don't see.

'I don't know what I'm not seeing,

'but I wonder if the commander is trying to warn me

'that Mboro is upset that I didn't buy a suit for church.'

It's coming

close to hand.

'Today's call-in show is already under way.

'I'm not sure what I missed, but it sounds serious.'

We just received a caller explaining that the daughter's panty,

something bad, something very dark is coming out.

And the mother is experiencing... The tummy has...is growing.

Those are the evil spirits. I swear right now, touch the radio.

Touch the screen of your television. God will heal you.

On Sunday you can bring your underwear. I'm going to pray for it.

It's your point of contact.

I am going to release the power of God through it.

Touch wherever you have a problem.

Touch your biscuit, touch your vuvuzela.

Touch your breast.

Touch yourself. And receive your miracle.

I'm praying right now. Say, "Jesus,

"you are healing me now.

"Devil, you go out."

ALL REPEAT WORDS

Out in the name of Jesus!

Power in the name of Jesus!

Touch the radio right now. God is healing you.

Tomorrow we are continuing, nine o'clock until ten o'clock,

This is Prophet PFP Motsoeneng, saying,

"It's incredible, it's happening."

God bless you.

'Incredible Happenings by Prophet PFP Motsoeneng

'on Kasie FM 97.1.'

-How many people would you get to listen to your show?

-This is...

-Over 200,000.

-200,000, yes.

Wow. Is this an extension of the church?

It's an outreach because here you also hear of the disasters

-that are happening in the communities.

-Right.

Problems that we didn't know about.

Touching stories. Then we get involved in that.

You find what is happening, you can go there to the people

and deal with their issues.

I'm going to ask you one more question before you go.

It sounded like you were asking people to bring their underwear

-to the church on Sunday because you wanted to bless that.

-That's right.

Now, for somebody from, I guess,

quite a traditional Christian church,

I can imagine them not really getting that.

If we have never experienced something, like you...

You have never experienced what we are talking about,

but we don't have to wait for you to understand

because you are not in this world, you know, in our world.

You are in another world.

Thanks, boss.

My host, my master. My boss!

'Mboro is right. I don't understand this form of Christianity.

'And it bothers me that a man of the cloth can be a self-made millionaire.'

I don't agree with what he's doing.

I've said it. I don't.

He believes that he is giving a service,

he's delivering a service, and therefore he should be paid for it.

If you are selling cars, yeah, maybe.

But you're not, you're selling hope...and faith.

After just a couple of days,

I've pretty much made up my mind about Mboro.

But here, young and intelligent people are devoted to his church.

So maybe I'm missing the point.

'I've come to meet 21-year-old Fifi and Kiki.'

Good to meet you, finally.

'After Mboro's call-out,

'they're shopping for underwear to be blessed at Sunday's service.

'And I'm determined to get to the bottom of this.'

Blessing underwear, what issues is that covering?

There are a lot of stories with...

things that happen under the... You know.

I remember where a lady had worms coming out of her...biscuit.

-So...

-I remember that story.

So they had to take raw liver, so that those worms couldn't eat her,

because the worms would eat her if she didn't have any kind of liver.

I'm trying to get it.

I'm trying to understand why this is normal in your world and,

genuinely, I'm still not... convinced. I'm still not getting it.

I'm black, so we obviously believe that you can be bewitched.

Yeah, but I'm black, too, and I don't believe it.

But you're not from here.

Until you go through a certain path and understand where

-other people are coming from, then you'll never understand.

-Yeah.

-OK.

All right. Shall we get your underwear, then?

We going to do this?

I'm sorry - this is just so surreal.

How do you decide what pants you're going to show in church?

Er, gorgeous ones!

This is just really surreal for me. I mean, first and foremost,

shopping for underwear with women makes me uncomfortable, anyway.

But shopping for underwear to show in church...

Bikinis.

It's just normal for them. They're just going for it.

She had to open them.

Of course. And it's the wrong thing...

-So a thong is out of the question, then?

-I don't like thongs.

-I'm not a big fan of that.

-Me too.

I think I've found the pants that I could buy.

-Shall I buy a multi-pack so he can bless me for a whole week?

-Whole week?

Do you guys have XXXL, anyone?

-Oh, my God.

-No? I'll go with large, then. I'll go with large.

'Sunday's undies might be sorted but I'm really none the wiser.

'I don't live in a world with evil spirits and demons.

'To help me understand how real witchcraft is here,

'the girls are taking me to a place they don't normally like to go.'

What is that?

'It's like a roadkill Hall of Fame over here.

'In downtown Johannesburg sits Faraday Market

'where they sell anything and everything

'a witch doctor may need for blessings or curses.'

What would something like that be used for?

It's like an animal with its guts hanging out just there.

What do you reckon?

That, for me, is freaking me out. I don't want to lie.

-Everything is just disturbing.

-Yeah.

-And...

-And they also use human body parts.

We believe, you know...

So you are saying that your church believes that

a lot of the bad things that are happening are down to

some of the workings of places like this? How does that happen, then?

It boils down to a sacrifice.

OK. You guys, you're young, you are very switched on,

and you're clearly quite against what happens here.

Is that more to do with your religion

or is that more to do with you just not believing that any of this works

and it's just strange?

We don't...

It's not that it doesn't work, it does work.

Hence why we are fighting against it.

So do you see yourself as protected by the church

and by what happens there?

I see myself protected by God, firstly,

and then the prayers at church.

'I can see that in Fifi and Kiki's world,

'they need a guardian angel, and Mboro provides that in his church.

'But as I'm not part of his fold, I'm not protected.'

I'm on my way to go and meet Mboro's legal representation...

..because I have been called in to have a conversation about the filming.

Mboro doesn't want to speak to me at the moment

and he's got his legal representation to explain exactly why.

So I feel kind of in trouble.

In fact, you know like when you were a kid, and you get in trouble

for something you haven't done, that's what I feel like right now.

How's it going? Good to see you. What's going on?

What is going on? Yes.

Basically, we've been sent by the prophet Mboro

to come and speak to you about a number of things

that he feels very strongly about.

For an example, he says, if he says to people they must stand up

and say,

um, leading them with prayers in church,

he noted that you were seated

and your face just said, "OK, this is the part where I don't fit in."

-Do you know what I mean?

-OK.

Even to him as a leader, it sends negative connotations to say,

you know, "We respect our Father, we respect our prophet,

"and here comes of this man who just wants to do as he pleases."

In terms of me taking part in a prayer, as I'm not religious,

it would be more of a disrespect on my part for me

to pretend to pray than for me to not pray at all.

At some stage, you will have to bend your principles in order to,

you know, obtain your goal.

Let him tell you how to do things in his church

and respect him the way his people respect him.

Respect him for being the prophet of God that he's anointed to be,

and that's it, really.

I will convey the message to him and hope that...

-..he at least gives you time. Just some time.

-OK.

We'll stay in touch, I guess. Thank you. Nice to meet you.

Lovely to meet you.

It feels as if the real issue is

that he feels like I'm not respecting him enough

and that he isn't a priority for me, he is not...

I am not looking at him through the same eyes as everyone else.

That is what it really feels like the issue is. You know.

I can understand a religious leader having a problem with someone

being in their church and not praying.

I get that. But the trouble with this conversation is

that that feeling of disrespect extends to everywhere -

extends outside, extends to the way I am talking to him,

the things that I am asking of him and...

I think I've just...revoked my fan-club membership

Hang on a second. Is this him? Maybe he's changed his mind.

Maybe he's decided to come and see me.

If that is the case, I'd be very surprised. He has his security.

I have no idea what's going on right now.

What I do know is that there's a man...

in one of these cars, part of this fleet of Mercedes,

currently surrounded by men with machine guns,

coming to see me...and he's pissed.

HE LAUGHS

So...

Makes me a little uneasy.

I could be going crazy,

but he was bloody driving one of those Mercs, wasn't he?

Just here and then he's gone.

It's... This is ridiculous.

Oh, dear.

I think there's a very good chance

that Mboro might just say, "Do you know what, I've had enough."

He is so important to so many people out here

and from where he stands, I think

he thinks I don't see that.

Or, even more importantly,

I know that he doesn't get the vibe that I'm looking up to him.

I'm looking at him square in the eye

and I think that that isn't something that happens a lot to him.

'The following morning, it's back on.

'To my surprise, I'm being invited to take a drive into a township

'with the prophet and his team.

'But after yesterday, I'm taking a new approach.'

Hence the shaved face and the pressed white shirt.

I just hope it's up to scratch and up to his expectations.

-Hello, guys. Hello, Prophet.

-Hi, how are you?

-How are you doing?

Thank you for giving us another day with you. I appreciate it.

I'm going to jump in my little car.

It's not as fast as yours, so it might not keep up, so go slowly, please.

-No, it's cool.

-All right.

-Ha!

He seemed happy to see me.

It was a bit weird, really.

I'm eating and running right now,

because I'm officially part of the prophet's convoy.

He's got three Mercedes and a big, shiny Chrysler,

all heading to this township,

and they've all got their hazard lights on.

It's almost like royalty or an important politician

is moving from one part of the city to the next.

'We're off to a township called Barcelona.

'Here in South Africa, 12 million people still live in shacks.

'According to Mboro,

'every year, his church spends over £600,000

'helping communities like this one.

'All of a sudden, the convoy pulls over.

'Even a prophet has to eat.'

-I want to grab some, er...

-Snacks?

This language is difficult!

Snacks! I'll get a snack.

Without warning, we're mobbed by adoring fans.

We've got people screaming at him from the bus.

'What amazes me is that

'despite having the security team of a rock star,

'Mboro doesn't have the ego of one,

'embracing each and every person he meets.'

THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE

I wish I understood. What did she just say?

I don't understand what she's saying.

-She says maybe she will get some blessings.

-Ah.

-Yes.

-From the snacks?

Yeah. I've already touched him and I can feel that

he changed my heart for the better.

You know, I'm not the only one who blesses you.

You also blessed me with your smile.

Skin!

Does that mean we get some free Doritos, then?

-No!

-No?

-She's working.

Exactly.

'Like many of the people Mboro preaches to,

'he grew up in poverty, selling fruit on the side of the road,

'and he knows how to connect with them.'

Do you know what's really funny, right?

I tend to do a lot of interviews and following around musicians

and actors and football stars and celebrities and stuff,

and that's the only time that I see things like that happen.

I'm a people's person.

I believe I'm great, I'm special, but I still believe I'm human.

I must put somebody down there up.

I don't believe success is just wearing nice clothes

and driving cars and looking down at other people.

I don't like people like that.

Maybe I suffered too much and I was not treated well.

When did you suffer? Was it your childhood, or...?

The way I grew up, even when I was a pastor,

people honour people because of what they have

and I didn't have, but I rose with nothing.

I took the word, I took faith, I took God.

-Let's hit the road.

-OK.

CAR HORN BEEPS

Off the back of just chatting to him now,

it sounds like I'm speaking to a self-made millionaire, you know?

Which I am. He's quite clearly a celebrity.

I mean, look at this - this is insane. And he likes it.

In fact, he loves it,

which is probably why he's switched from his Mercedes

to his convertible, so he can be seen driving into the township.

'Arriving in Barcelona, the struggles people face here

'are plain to see.

'Nearly 45% of black South Africans live in poverty.

'The country boasts one of the highest crime rates in the world,

'averaging 15 murders a day.

'It's hardly surprising the hope that came with the fall of apartheid

'is now in short supply.'

When you drop someone like Mboro in the middle of all of this,

you can see why they idolise him.

You know, he is, at least on the surface level, a man of God.

He is wealthy, he's successful and he's self-made.

As soon as we stop, once again, the prophet is in his element.

Boom!

It seems like everybody here, whenever he comes round,

comes out to see him. Why do people love him so much?

If you are ill and he prays for you, you'll be healed.

THEY SING IN OWN LANGUAGE

Regardless of how I feel or what observations I've made,

it seems as if, to these people,

he is incredibly important and he is making them better.

SINGING CONTINUES

I asked one of the kids stood next to him

what the song they were singing was about

and the words translated into English mean,

"When Mboro is next to you, you feel safe. The devil will not harm you."

I think my judgments are based entirely in my world.

But in their world, everything he stands for

and everything he says is of value.

Mboro is here to meet surviving members of a family hit by tragedy.

A 14-year-old boy murdered both his mother and siblings.

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

So when she peeped through the window,

she found a kid with an axe,

chopping the mum with an axe.

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

She says she was afraid to come out

because she heard the kid is involved in Satanism practice.

I just wanted to see what we can do in bringing some changes here.

'Mboro has already helped pay to rebuild the family home,

'but there's still a lot of fear and desperation here,

'so he gathers the family

'and neighbours inside one of the shacks.'

Prayer changes things.

It doesn't matter where you come from,

it's where you are and where you're going.

I was poor, but today I'm among the millionaires.

You live in this, you'll come out, as long as a shack is not inside of you.

You are specially precious. You are black and powerful.

You are African power.

Let's pray this prayer. Dear Jesus...

-ALL:

-Dear Jesus...

-..I'm a victor...

-..I'm a victor...

-..not a victim.

-..not a victim.

-I can come out.

-I can come out.

-I can succeed...

-I can succeed...

-..through Jesus Christ.

-.through Jesus Christ.

THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE

God bless you.

APPLAUSE Thank you very much.

I don't agree with the blessing of inanimate objects

and making people pay for those,

but I do love the message that he gives when he's stood in a tin shack

with a group of poor people, filling them with hope and encouragement.

It's messing with me, because that business,

and all of the dark connotations that I'm throwing at it,

is helping so many people to feel better about themselves

and to feel a level of hope that

they can beat the situation that they're actually in.

I don't even know what to think.

'The following day,

'I was supposed to join Mboro on another township visit,

'but what I really want to understand

'is why it's acceptable here

'for the prophet to profit from his congregation.

'So I decided to cancel our meeting.'

I might as well talk to

the people that know him best - his congregation.

I've come to a township called Vosloorus

to see 18-year-old Senele, who I met during last Sunday's service.

-Hello. Hey, Senele, hello.

-Hi, Reggie.

-Hello. How are you?

-I'm fine, thanks. How are you?

-I'm good. Is this Mum?

-Yes.

-Yes, this is my mum.

-Hello.

-How are you?

I'm very good, thank you.

Here is my little paradise.

I'm a bit disappointed, I've not seen any... Oh, there it is.

I was going to say, I can't see any petroleum jelly.

Of course, you have to have it. Have you tried this stuff?

Have I? I haven't, no. He is smouldering on the front there.

Look at that for a face!

Isn't he so hot? I have a hot dad.

It's quite funny that you refer to him as your dad.

Is that what everybody at the church does?

Yes. You refer to him as your dad

because you take him as your spiritual father.

-So, how much does this cost you when you buy one of these?

-50 bucks.

50 rand? So that's, what, £3? Do you put it on every day?

-Yes, I do, I put it on every day.

-Do you know what? I need to do this.

-I'm going to try some.

-Ooh, Reggie is trying this!

-You should probably pray.

-Oh, I don't know if I want to do that.

OK, let's see. What are you praying for?

You can probably pray while rubbing it, be like,

"Oh, God, please de-ash my knees.

"In the name of Jesus, I pray with the anointing of the prophet."

-Reggie, you have to say it.

-Oh, sorry.

De-ash my knees. I need it. Prophet, help me out.

-My knees are looking a little grey.

-Oh, my, Reggie, that sounds so fake.

-Hopefully this will change things in my kneecaps.

-Oh, my, Reggie!

-For ever and ever...

-You didn't say "in the name of Jesus".

-Amen.

-I don't know if I should.

-No, say it, Reggie.

-Why?

OK, wait - why shouldn't you?

Because I don't believe in Christianity

and I think it's wrong for me to say something like that.

Even if it is just for jokes, I don't think it's fair.

OK, so you'd rather use the prophet's name for jokes,

but not Jesus? You see, it shows something, Reggie.

What does it show?

It shows that as much as you don't believe,

you respect the man so much, so why don't you just try him out?

Do you think that what you just said sounds like you hold the...

-Oh!

-Whoa! What just happened?

-I don't know. I don't know!

-But I do know it's freaking me out.

-That was freaky!

Please tell me that was an accident.

-Please tell me you did that. Was that you?

-Was that you?

It was your bag. Oh, thank goodness. Thank God!

THEY LAUGH

Wow, look at this. This is amazing.

Wow, look at all this. We have got to go for the boom shakalaka.

-Of course.

-The boom shakalaka it is.

-Boom shakalaka.

-And what's this, beef?

-Yeah, this is the chops.

-Oh, wow.

'As the rest of the family join us for a meal,

'the time seems right to ask Senele and her 23-year-old sister, Tuli,

'about the thing that bugs me the most.'

There is something that I've not touched on.

In the time that I've been around him,

I've been conflicted, I've understood, I've been charmed.

He is doing so much good in terms of providing hope,

but I struggle with the monetary side of things.

You, as the congregation, give a lot of money to the church.

Nowhere do I remember him holding a gun to anybody's head

and saying, "You are forced to give." No.

It is a personal choice for somebody to give.

Well, he's a rich man.

He has a really amazing lifestyle, it would seem.

He drives a lot of nice cars, he wears expensive suits.

I personally wouldn't want to be led by a pastor who doesn't seem to be...

How do I put it?

..progressing in life, because I'd really have a problem with that.

I'd want myself to progress, I'd want myself to get somewhere.

Why would I want to be led by somebody who's never gone anywhere?

That makes sense. So where does he make his money?

My understanding of people who work in the ministry,

they need to be taken care of by the church. And he works hard.

-His life is dedicated to the church.

-Yeah.

So, if the church didn't take care of him,

I'd really have a problem with that

and if his life is a reflection

of how well his church is taking care of him,

then clearly our lives should be a reflection of

how well he's taking care of us. Do you not agree?

-That makes sense.

-That makes sense, right.

-I don't know if I agree, but it makes sense.

-OK.

It makes total sense.

See you later, guys. Bye-bye.

'Speaking to the girls, I realised that Mboro's followers are happy

'to pay him generously for his services.

'They don't feel the prophet is exploiting them at all.

'So I wonder if I've misjudged him.'

# You gotta hold on... #

'Unfortunately, I may not even get the chance to tell him face-to-face.

'Cancelling our meeting yesterday

'hasn't gone down too well with the prophet.'

I've just had a text from Mboro.

"Made time, you not avail. You make time, am not avail."

I kind of get from that he's a little bit annoyed

and that he isn't going to make time for me to see him today,

so I'm just going to call him

and see if he's going to let me come round.

Yeah, he so knows they aren't.

ANSWERING MACHINE: 'The fire of God is burning every Satanic object

'and every Satanic spirit in the name of Jesus,

'all the powers of witches and wizards, Satan worshippers.'

Well, I think he saved my number to "don't answer".

-HE GROANS

-Well, that, I guess, is that.

'And as if on cue, the heavens open.

'I'm not sure if it's a sign,

'but I've decided to take my chances with the prophetic rains

'and the prophet's fury, and attend early

'to catch Mboro before Sunday's service.'

I don't know how this is going to work. I just hope they let me in. Here we go...

Hello, mate.

Oh...

That was a funny look.

I gave him a wave and he just gave me a big old stare.

I have no idea if the prophet will give me

the time of day to explain myself, but I'm going to try anyway.

Hey, man, you all right? Hey, how's it going?

It would be really great to come in and join the congregation today.

-Is it possible to do that?

-No, Reggie.

The problem is, here in South Africa,

in my space, I've got the way I do things.

-If people don't honour their ways, I don't take it.

-Is that a problem?

-Do you think that I've acted bigger than the church?

-Yes, yes.

That's not the case at all. I think it's just a miscommunication, that's the problem.

The way you talk, we don't speak like that in South Africa.

-There is a level of respect, Reggie. You don't have it.

-OK.

Understand here, when you talk to anybody...

We have white people here, but you're whiter than white people.

I don't like arrogance, I don't like pride. Humble yourself.

You are big in your world, you are big in somebody's world.

Humble yourself, go down, understand what is happening in other people.

'I've never had my blackness questioned before.

'As much as that offends me, I kind of understand why Mboro is so upset.

'Up until a couple of days ago,

'I was very cynical about the prophet and his church.'

Yeah, in all honesty, I'm not mad at the man, I'm not angry at the man.

I get it.

I want to see the service with open eyes and, luckily,

the prophet has agreed to let me in.

-'Hallelujah.' CONGREGATION:

-Amen.

HE RAPS

Beautiful people.

I'm so blessed to talk to people like you.

You are the best thing that ever happened to me.

A few minutes into the service,

and it seems Mboro has chosen me as this week's sermon.

Why are you holding your underwear?

-It's because I deal with things that can only be understood by you.

-Amen.

Somebody else will not have to understand it.

Wow.

But you, if you understand it,

they may write whatever they want to write, I'm OK with that.

-It feels like the prophet is preaching at me today a lot.

-Mm!

Reggie, in your own world, do you have fishes in people's stomachs?

-Is it possible, such a thing?

-Not where I come from, no.

-Do you believe that anything like that can happen?

-Well...

From where you come from, from the original Reggie?

-Based on my experience, no.

-No.

He understands.

But a mature person will say, "No, I don't know that,

"but I want to see it,"

and meet the people who are going through it

and try and get into it and understand.

The prophet is clearly enjoying making me squirm.

Sadly, he's not finished making an example of me.

Reggie Yates, give it up for Reggie Yates who will come on the stage.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Welcome.

-Thank you.

You mentioned, literally outside,

when we were talking, the idea of different worlds.

I am from a completely different world to you

and culturally, I'm from a very different world as well,

and I understand that the way you worship is eternally different

to the way that my family or I might have experienced.

Does that make sense?

You will never be wishing in your life.

You never woke up one day, you found yourself with a rotten leg,

and the doctor's telling you it has to be amputated

and then for you to be OK.

Why do people come here?

Those are the people who chose, "I will not give up,

"I will not give in to my problems, my situation, I'm going to find

"something beyond science, beyond human understanding,

"to come out of my cold bed."

APPLAUSE

I don't necessarily understand it

and a lot of the things that you preach,

a lot of the things that happen here in South Africa,

I don't agree with all of them,

but what I do think that I'm going to take away from this trip

is what you give these people.

I can see that you give everybody in here help, so, respect.

APPLAUSE

You know, a lot of people watch you

and watch what you do and are fans of you, and I was blown away

when I went to the shop and I saw that you had these T-shirts.

APPLAUSE

-It looks good on me, right? Yeah?

-Well, that's me. That's me.

"Power!" It's you, isn't it? See? I'm learning, I'm learning.

It's good to have you. God bless you.

We've made our peace. Now the show must go on.

MBORO SINGS IN OWN LANGUAGE

It's time to bless what we brought. Mboro's just seen mine.

HE LAUGHS Yo!

CHEERING

What is this?

Underwear!

-You like what I'm doing, or not?

-We do.

-Must we stop? ALL:

-No.

-Because somebody doesn't like it? ALL:

-No.

Just touch it. Let me pray.

The fire of the Holy Spirit,

TOUCH! In the name of Jesus.

I come against you beasts, you animals...

HE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

'Faith is a crazy, powerful thing.'

All invisible demons, I flush them out.

'As a nonbeliever, I'm not sure if I will ever fully understand people

'waving their underwear or holding their private parts in church.'

Hallelujah. Give God his love.

'But like Mboro would say, we are from different worlds.'

# It's incredible

# It's happening all the time... #

-All right.

-Thank you so much for coming.

I've stolen his catch phrase. Nice to meet you both. Take care.

-Lovely to meet you both.

-We hope to see you soon.

-Yes, take care.

-Bye.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

'Just a few days ago, I made Mboro out to be a charlatan.

'I can see now that says as much about me as him.'

I didn't expect that at all.

I didn't understand the importance of faith, coming out here, you know.

I now know what faith can do.

I don't know if it's what I want, but I get it.

And more importantly, I think I respect it.

And I didn't a week ago.

# Well, I know I've been converted to you

# To you

# Well, I know I've been converted to you

# To you

# Well, I know I made a change

# I know I've been converted

# To you. #