On Thursday night Tom Schwartz from Port Elizabeth was announced as the winner of Survivor South Africa: Philippines on M-Net (DStv 101) but the coolest announcement was actually what host Nico Panagio started teasing midway through and revealed right at the end: that M-Net has renewed Survivor SA for a 7th season in 2019 that will be entitled "Island of Secrets" and that entries has opened.
Many South Africans viewers don't realise what this actually really means and signifies about M-Net, about Survivor, and about Survivor South Africa, produced by Afrokaans.
South Africa isn't America.
And our much-smaller TV industry - where commissioning of shows and scheduling works more like the British TV system than the American one, and less local content is produced than what gets made in the United States - doesn't really have the "luxury" of being able to announce another season of a show right at the back-end of a just completed season.
While the American Survivor on CBS has always announced the next season at the end of the reunion show, it's been virtually impossible for South Africa because these decisions for big-budget shows take much more time.
This makes what M-Net and Survivor South Africa pulled off on Thursday night when it announced Island of Secrets, extremely groundbreaking, significant and special.
During the post-show press briefing a crucial part of this puzzle, is what became my most important question to ask: When during the just completed 6th season did M-Net decide to renew the show?
Kay Ann Williams, M-Net's head of local content and independent films for M-Net channels, explained that the decision was made midway during this season after analysing the ratings and viewer response.
It's incredible that M-Net was able to push to get all of the necessary paperwork and all of the must-sign-off-on's out of the way in order to make the announcement of Island of Secrets at the end of Survivor SA: Philippines.
It's a very smart and positive move, and a win-win for M-Net and for Survivor South Africa.
I would personally not be surprised if Survivor: Island of Secrets manages to get the most entries ever. Buzz builds buzz.
By announcing the next season immediately, M-Net and Survivor SA's new season can capitalise and build on the existing excitement, buzz, energy and general awareness of the programme.
It means that less effort and money needs to be spent by M-Net on marketing and publicity because the South African public and viewers know the show and haven't "forgotten" about it.
It also signals to people that M-Net remains serious about, and focused on, Survivor SA as a strong programme for the channel.
That in turn tells the media and the audience that Survivor South Africa is a programme that matters, deserves attention and is a desirable TV property to be a part of - like being a contestant in it.
Well done to M-Net for pulling off this announcement during the end of the show and everything it must have required from numerous people behind-the-scenes to get it greenlit and for the announcement to go ahead during the actual broadcast of the season finale.
The renewal announcement made Survivor SA and M-Net just that little bit more "American" in the best sense of the word - a plus for viewers, and for South Africa's local TV biz.
