Friday, June 17, 2022

TV REVIEW. Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ is the sterling Star Wars character study you've been longing for.


8 TV's  
 
 

by Thinus Ferreira

The 6-episode limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ is sterling Star Wars: In short, these are the episodes you've been looking for.

With Ewan McGregor back as now a Jedi-in-hiding on Tatooine and Hayden Christensen reprising his role from the Star Wars prequel films as well (the angry Anakin now turned to the dark side as Darth Vader), Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Star Wars character study that's emotional, beautifully done, and a perfect fill-in-the-history gap between Star Wars Episodes III and IV.

As if The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett were practice-makes-perfect precursors to doing Star Wars as episodic television, Obi-Wan Kenobi shines as near-perfect prestige television in the streaming age.

The return of Obi-Wan with Ewan McGregor simply living and fully embodying the role, is emotional TV watching and more than everything a Star Wars fan could ever want. The first two episodes are filled with foreboding, beautiful realism for an exotic galaxy so far away, nostalgia of what you remember and is instantly back from the prequels and then more.

Obi-Wan Kenobi feels like the best Star Wars TV series yet, with iconic characters back for a well-deserved and functional curtain call, and with director Deborah Chow flexing her Star Wars muscles from The Mandalorian to push the envelope with ease even further.

In a physical setting, as well as a metaphysical circumstance, of loss, desolation, disconnection, regret and hiding, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+ thrives. These are dark times in the galaxy - how apt that that world so far away resonates with echoes of our own world in 2022.

The masterful Obi-Wan Kenobi is very special Star Wars - as TV it functions with clear affection as a story/film in a kind of Episode 3.5-bridge between the prequels and original trilogy. It's cinematic, surprising, emotional, unexpected, sorrowful and sad with a dash of hope. 

Living in a world lost, Ewan McGregor's iconic and solitary character can't be his authentic self. He has to physically and mentally hide who he really is. Meanwhile, he's hovering-watching over Luke Skywalker - already noticing the same spirit of adventure and Jedi-potential in the 10-year old there was in his father, Anakin.

(Little surprise: There are still pockets of beauty, gleaming technology and joy in this galaxy: It's not just a 10-year old Luke on Tatooine you'll see. There's also his 10-year old bun-haired twin sister on Alderaan, as well as several other surprise appearances of old and well-known characters.

The Inquisitors as Jedi hunters are a more than apt menacing addition to the story. "What happened to you - you were once a great Jedi?" asked a character in the first episode. "The time of the Jedi is over," Obi-Wan intones with a tired voice. 

But yes, he does rise to the occasion, eventually, for another rescue mission, and one last fight.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is on Disney+.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

MultiChoice: Despite erosion DStv Premium subscriber segment remains important.


by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice says its top-end and most-valuable DStv Premium subscribers which saw ongoing customer erosion for a fifth year in a row remain important and that it's adapting to try and lower churn in this segment as customers cancelled because of affordability, emigration and a content slate not matching changing viewer needs.

MultiChoice meanwhile has set itself the target of spending half of its annual general entertainment budget on local content produced in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa by 2024, as it discovered that its content line-up for its mid-market DStv subscribers has been unhelpful in retaining them.

Speaking to investors on the company's annual investors call, following the publication of its latest financial results for the year ending on 31 March 2022, MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela said the company has been "reviewing its dependence on the Premium base by actively growing the mid and mass-market customer base".

During the period, the company's DStv Premium subscriber base again shrank by 4%.

By the end of the published financial year, MultiChoice had 1.4 million DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers in South Africa, with the Randburg-based satellite pay-TV service continuing to see its subscriber growth now coming from its mass-market focused, lower-tiered DStv packages.

The decrease in DStv Premium subscribers, and increase in lower-tiered DStv customers, as part of the overall DStv subscriber base mix, means that MultiChoice's blended average revenue per user (ARPU) once again dropped further from R277 to R269.   

Premium DStv subscribers are leaving for video streaming options like Netflix SA and others, saying that DStv Premium no longer offers enough value for the high consumer price point.

"The past few years saw an erosion in our Premium base due to pressure on affordability in a tough economic environment, a rise in emigration, and a content slate that was perhaps not optimised for the changing demographics of our customer base," Calvo Mawela told investors. 

"Given its absolute contribution, Premium remains important and retention has been a key focus of our recent strategy. Our efforts are paying off and this year saw a welcome deceleration in the rate of decline from 8% last year to only 4%."

He said "another key part of our strategy for the South African business which is maturing at the high end is the launch of new products and services to grow ARPU (average revenue per user) over time".

Calvo Mawela told investors that MultiChoice's "content teams will continue to invest behind our local content strategy where we are targeting to spend half of our annual general entertainment budget on local content by the 2024 financial year."

"The year ahead will not be without challenges. High inflation is likely to affect consumers across our markets and some may have to reprioritise their spending in the short term. At the same time, people are likely to spend more time at home, which could be a positive for us," he said.


Lots of consumers under pressure
"We have always said that we think DStv Premium will get to a stage where it stabilises because everybody that will be on Premium, will be at the higher end of the market that will like to have all video entertainment at a given point in time," he said.

"We believe that we're getting close to that stabilisation point where we'll have the high end sitting on Premium, and marginal increases in pricing will not affect them that much."

"In the mid-segment, as we've reported, we are seeing a lot of consumers under pressure as a result of unemployment, and people having lost their jobs and that is an area that we think is still going to be a pain point in the financial year," he explained.


DStv content line-up unhelpful
Calvo Mawela told investors "what we are beginning to pick up as well in the middle segment is that our content line-up as well has not helped in this regard, especially towards the end of the financial year".

"We think it will be a pain point but we are actively working hard to make sure that we retain as much customers as we can."

"Mass market will continue to grow; we don't see any problems there. We think the product demonstrates value and people love our product very well and we have not seen a slowdown in decoder sales in South Africa in the mass market."

⭕️πŸ”ΊπŸŸ₯ How far will you go? ⭕️πŸ”ΊπŸŸ₯ South Africans can now enter Netflix's Squid Game reality competition show as 456 global players try to win $4.56 million.


by Thinus Ferreira

Run when the dolly's eyes are closed! South Africans can now enter Squid Game: The Challenge, with Netflix that is turning its global, hit drama series about a brutal and apocalyptic reality contest into a real-life reality series with 456 contestants and one winner who will get $4.56 million (R72.9 million). No contestants will die. 

Netflix has announced that its Korean drama series Squid Game, currently in production on a second season, is being spun off into a global reality show with the biggest prize money for a show ever - $4.56 million (R72.9 million).

The horrific drama series in which 456 players who are all in big financial trouble compete in deadly children's games inside a deadly reality show, became Netflix's most-watched show ever after its debut in September 2021, with over 1.65 billion hours viewed globally.

The 10-episode Squid Game: The Challenge will be produced in the United Kingdom with 456 players from across the globe who will compete against each other in games based on the series, plus new additions, with the show's format all connected to the origins of Squid Game and with players put through their paces in a series of tough games testing their strategies, alliances and character as they are eliminated round after round until just one is left.

People worldwide can enter, including South Africans who are older than 21, have a passport and who will be able to travel to the UK for four weeks in early-2023 for filming. 

People who want to enter can go to SquidGameCasting.com and must upload a 1-minute video in landscape mode, telling the show about yourself, why you want to be on Squid Game: The Challenge, what your game plan would be and what you would do with a huge cash prize if you won. Two recent photos must also be uploaded and contestants must be able to speak English.

Squid Game: The Challenge is co-produced by Studio Lamberts, with Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt, and Toni Ireland as executive producers, as well as John Hay, Nicola Hill, and Nicola Brown from The Garden which is part of ITV Studios, as executive producers as well.

"Squid Game took the world by storm with director Hwang's captivating story and iconic imagery," says Brandon Riegg, Netflix vice president of unscripted and documentary series.

"We're grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment. Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end."

"Recruitment is open now at SquidGameCasting.com. For this round, the Front Man is in search of English-language speakers from any part of the world."

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

TV RATINGS May 2022: Blackouts, analogue switch-off wipe millions from South Africa's TV ratings in May.


by Thinus Ferreira

South African television shed a shocking over 4.2 million viewers in prime time during May as TV ratings tanked because of Eskom's Stage 4 electricity blackouts, combined with the ongoing switch-off of analogue TV signal transmitters.

South Africa's TV ratings - as the country starts to move from autumn into winter - were supposed to show a slight increase as cooler weather and an earlier sunset keep more TV households indoors.

Yet the country's most-watched shows during prime time on SABC1, SABC2, e.tv and MultiChoice's DStv were damaged by massive viewership drop-offs during May as Stage 4 Eskom load-shedding kicked in at 17:00, lasting until 22:00.

Uzalo and Generations on SABC1 as South Africa's two most-watched shows plunged by a combined 1.6 million viewers during May. Uzalo shed 687 950 viewers, falling from 6.4 million in April to 5.7 million viewers. Generations - The Legacy lost almost a million viewers: 928 965 fewer viewers from 5.56 million to 4.63 million viewers in May.

SABC2's most-watched show, Muvhango, lost a whopping 876 721, plunging from 3.28 million to 2.4 million viewers in May.

e.tv's two most-watched shows also took a hammering: Scandal fell by 454 506 viewers from 5.27 million to 4.82 million viewers, while House of Zwide lost 69 030 viewers from 4.58 million to 4.52 million viewers.

The channel's timeslot switcheroo of Imbewu and its risque new local telenovela The Black Door brought further bad TV ratings for e.tv's for both shows for a second month in a row, with Imbewu shedding 531 656 viewers, falling from 2.86 million to 2.32 million viewers, and with The Black Door plunging 217 964 viewers from 2.44 million to 2.23 million viewers.  

SABC3 turned in its second-worst ratings performance of the year, topping out at just 518 197 viewers at most for an episode of the BBC's Serengeti natural history series and everything else down as analogue signal switch-off keeps taking further TV household number bites out of the channel's potential audience. 

To note: SABC3 is the SABC's TV channel most-affected by the ongoing Sentech analogue TV signal transmission switch-off.

On pay-TV, Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) saw Gomora sag by losing 150 368 DStv subscribers from 1.27 to 1.12 million viewers, while The Queen shed 325 234 viewers from 1 077 302 to 752 068.


Some uppers among the downers
On SABC2 the Afrikaans weekday soap 7de Laan showed slight improvement during June, up from a low 897 739 viewers to 1 040 016 viewers in May.

Morning Live on SABC2 also remained buoyant, improving from a great 482 301 to 492 423 viewers in May. 

On e.tv its South Africa Tonight news at 19:00 was marginally up from 1.67 million to 1.7 million viewers in May, while the 20:00 e.tv News bulletin which went through a retrenchment process in May decreased slightly from 1.92 million to 1.75 million viewers in May.

The cancelled Durban Gen rose slightly from 2.75 million to 2.82 million viewers during May.

Warner Bros. Discovery's TLC channel does gay pride content in June 2022 but just for South Africa.


by Thinus Ferreira

Warner Bros. Discovery will be celebrating Pride month with a line-up of gay-related content from today until 26 June for its TLC channel (DStv 135) in Africa carried on MultiChoice's DStv but just shown in South Africa.

Following complaints from governments in other African countries in previous years, Warner Bros. Discovery is self-censoring, with the LGBTQIA+ related programming on TLC only shown in South Africa, and kept away from DStv subscribers in homophobic African nations like Kenya, Nigeria and others with replacement programming.

Warner Bros. Discovery says it's "celebrating the channel's diverse talent with a rainbow of TLC favourites, new shows and specials, highlighting lesbian, gay and transgender voices". While the content will be accessible to DStv subscribers in South Africa, it won't be seen by viewers watching TLC in other African countries.

When asked if Warner Bros. Discovery has concerns that there might be complaints about the gay-related content being shown on TLC in countries like Kenya and Nigeria, Warner Bros. Discovery told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that it is "aware of the sensitivities in these regions and therefore TLC Pride isn't scheduled to air in these countries".

In October 2015 Discovery Networks International was forced to pull the reality series I Am Jazz about a transgendered teen's struggle and life journey from TLC across Africa just before it was to begin broadcast following government censorship in Nigeria that impacted its screening across the entire continent.

In May 2016 NBCUniversal International Networks was forced to pull the second season of I Am Cait, a reality show about the transgender Caitlyn Jenner – formerly known as Bruce Jenner - from E! in Africa after complaints and a DStv TV-ban in Nigeria.

In July 2016, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, now Paramount, said it would be censoring an episode of The Loud House on Nickelodeon and won't be broadcasting it on its linear channel on DStv in Africa since it featured animated gay dads.

In June 2017 Kenya's Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned 7 kids cartoon for bogus reasons like saying one character "has a dick for a head", and that in another two characters of the same gender went on an (unseen) "implied romantic vacation", ordering MultiChoice Africa to remove Loud House, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold, Clarence, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Star vs the Forces of Evil from DStv because of "homosexual themes".

In November 2017 Kenya banned the Disney Channel show Andi Mack because it featured a gay teenager, keeping it off television for the entire Africa, including South Africa.

M-Net (DStv 101) which has different regionalised channel feeds for South, East and West Africa has also kept certain internationally acquired content away over the last decade from DStv subscribers and more conservative audiences in East and West Africa, like American Gods and the transsexual model agency reality series Strut shown to viewers in South Africa without complaints.

About its Pride June programming stunt, Warner Bros. Discovery says "from 13 till 26 June, viewers can enjoy brand new shows like Kenny and Armando: Love is Love, showing the love story of 90 Day FiancΓ© couple Kenny and Armando so far; and My Pregnant Husband, which shows how couples experience the joy – and challenges - of a transgender pregnancy".

"Viewers can also tune in for a selection from one of TLC's most well-loved shows, Say Yes To The Dress; a show that celebrates love in all forms, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation".

This is TLC's Pride programming line-up:

Say Yes To The Dress, 13 - 24 June weekdays, 12:00
Kleinfeld Bridal, a Manhattan-based salon that is arguably the world’s finest, is celebrating love in all forms, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. Over 250 consultants do their best to cater to the brides’ wishes in preparation for one of the most memorable days of their lives.

I Am Jazz, 13 - 24 June, weekdays, 22:55
Although assigned male at birth, Jazz is a transgender female and has been living as a girl since kindergarten. Jazz's parents, Jeanette and Greg, and siblings Ari, Griffen and Sander have stood side-by-side with Jazz as she's battled discrimination, hate speech, online bullying and other misconceptions associated with what it means to be transgender.

Nate & Jeremiah: By Design, Wednesday 15 & 22 19 June, 9:25
Balancing their roles as design experts and dads, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent show how to turn a money pit into a masterpiece. The designer husbands help clients learn from their mistakes by rescuing them from renovation nightmares.

Dragnificent! | 17 - 24 June, weekdays, 19:00
Alexis Michelle, Bebe Zahara Benet, Jujubee and Thorgy Thor, four of America's favourite drag queens, come to the rescue of those in need of a major change for an upcoming life milestone. The queens help people reimagine themselves inside and out and reveal their transformations in time for a special day.

90 Day Journey: Stephanie & Erika, Sunday 19 June, 18:00
After four months of dating online, YouTuber Stephanie travels to Australia to finally meet photographer Erika. They hope to deepen their connection in person, but things are complicated by the fact that neither woman has come out to her family.

My Pregnant Husband, Sunday 19 June, 19:00
Ari and Caitlin and Myles and Precious experience the joy of a transgender pregnancy when Ari and Myles, the men in their relationships, become pregnant. The couples must conquer unique obstacles when the person carrying and birthing their child is a man.

Kenny and Armando: Love is Love, Sunday 26 June, 18:00
Kenny and Armando, well-known from the hit-series 90 Day FiancΓ©, met on an online support group for fathers. Kenny has decided to leave his family behind and move south of the border to be with him. Being a gay couple in Mexico, however, could pose a much bigger challenge than Kenny could imagine. Kenny and Armando: Love is Love shows their love story so far.

Ayo Ajala upped as MultiChoice Nigeria chief operating officer.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Nigeria has promoted Ayo Ajala as MultiChoice Nigeria's chief operating officer (COO) from April 2022.

Ayo Ajala who joined MultiChoice Africa in 2004, previously worked at the African pay-TV operator's Africa division in various positions and was group executive head for human resources at MultiChoice Africa since 2019.

MultiChoice Nigeria, in a statement it issued a month and a half after his appointment since April, says Ajo Ajala as MultiChoice Nigeria COO will now "oversee customer functions and the business operations of the Nigeria business and ensure that processes and systems are sufficiently robust to support the company's growth".

"A self-proclaimed people champion, Ajala's knack for understanding people and focusing their strengths where is most suitable, is a critical aspect of his success story, even as he continued to gain cogent and extensive experience in human resource management in particular and the multi-dimensional requirements of business operations on a wider spectrum."

Ayo Ajala has a bachelor's degree in engineering from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, an MBA from the University of Sunderland and a certificate in human resources development from the Edinburgh Business School.

He also completed the Vision Achievement programme with the Pacific Institute and the Harvard Business Programme with the Naspers Group and recently completed the senior leadership programme at the Duke Business School (Fuqua School of Business).

Monday, June 13, 2022

Sarafina to dance again on e.tv on Youth Day for 30th anniversary.


by Thinus Ferreira

To celebrate 2022's Youth Day in South Africa and the 30th anniversary of Sarafina! starring Leleti Khumalo and Whoopi Goldberg, e.tv will roll out the red carpet for cinema showings on Wednesday and broadcast the musical drama film on Youth Day on Thursday.

e.tv first broadcast the Anant Singh produced and Darrell Roodt directed Sarafina! 20 years ago with the movie which was filmed at Morris Isaacson High School in Soweto, telling the story of the 1976 Soweto student uprising in the country, with a local and international cast including Whoopi Goldberg, John Kani, Leleti Khumalo and Miriam Makeba.

Sarafina! will be in South African cinemas again on Wednesday this week, with e.tv doing red carpet showings at Nu Metro in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, before broadcasting Sarafina! on Youth Day on Thursday on e.tv at 15:05.

"Sarafina! has remained an audience favourite and an important film in South African cinema. We are proud to partner with Videovision Entertainment to bring Sarafina! back to e.tv to celebrate this milestone," says e.tv content specialist, Marisa Hendricks.

Sarafina! had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 30 years ago and was released shortly thereafter at cinemas in South Africa.

Anant Singh who recently attended the Cannes Film Festival again, says "It was a truly nostalgic moment for me when I was walking on the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals where I met officials of the festival who could scarcely believe that it was 30 years since the momentous world premiere in Cannes".

"My journey with Sarafina! began 35 years ago when I saw the play at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg."

"I was moved and felt that I had to make a film about this amazing play. I was able to secure the film rights from Mbongeni Ngema and the rest is history."

"The important aspect for me was that Sarafina! was based on the watershed event of 16 June 1976 which changed the course of South Africa's history. Sarafina! was made shortly after Nelson Mandela was released from prison and we were fortunate to have had his support to make the film and have him as guest of honour at the South African premiere of the film."

"Today, 30 years later, we are delighted to be sharing our film, which perpetuates the contribution of the heroes of 1976 to our democracy, with the viewers of e.tv."

The Real Housewives of Cape Town to start on Mzansi Magic on 10 July with a cast of 7 women.


by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has revealed a cast of 7 women who will be part of The Real Housewives of Cape Town which it is abbreviating as "RHOCT", with the show, produced by Trace Studios, which will start on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and not on MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax, on Sunday 10 July at 19:00.

The Real Housewives of Cape Town, also done according to the NBCUniversal Format franchise, will be the 17th international edition, and the 4th in Africa, following The Real Housewives of Durban, The Real Housewives of Johannesburg and The Real Housewives of Lagos.

Beverly Steyn, Rushda Moosajee, Loveline Abinokhauno, Thato Montse, Camilla McDowell, Kutazwa "Rooksy" Gqirana and Lulwando "Lue" Tukwayo are the seven women in Cape Town who are being filmed for The Real Housewives of Cape Town.

The franchise is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.

"We look forward to premiering this exciting new addition on Mzansi Magic, which will no doubt keep our audience hooked and will undoubtedly be of the premium quality our viewers have grown accustomed to," says Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, in a statement.

"This may be a global franchise, but our spin on it is very much South African. The storylines explored on the show, and the cast's lives are as authentic as they come. As a channel, keeping up with our viewers' tastes and preferences is important, and this is evidence of that."

Mzansi Magic released biographies for the seven women:


Beverley Steyn
Born and bred in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Beverley is an entrepreneur and businesswoman who moved to Cape Town five years ago. She describes herself as highly disciplined, passionate and creative.

A property owner and investor with interests in commercial, warehouse and residential property, she loves planes, yachts, fast cars and a luxury lifestyle. Designer labels are her weakness, and she collects diamonds, which are also her birthstone. Beverley believes that anything is possible in life and refuses to stand back for anyone.



Rushda Moosajee
Professionally and fondly known as RushTush, Rushda has an impressive social media presence and fitness empire – she has a global following of over 70 000 and almost 3 million impressions per week on Instagram alone.

She is a qualified personal trainer and online coach and is the mother of three boys. She is focused, passionate and incredibly ambitious. Always comfortable standing on her own, she doesn't need acceptance or validation from anyone as she follows her heart.

Rushda may be tiny and reserved and always selective about who she allows to get close, but she can pack a punch – in more than one way. In her own words: "I'm not one for drama, but I will always stand up for what is right."



Loveline Abinokhauno, aka Mrs Leo
A blogger and momfluencer who is also a successful entrepreneur (she owns a concierge and events company called La Prive Concierge & Events), Mrs Leo is also a proud wife of 14 years and mother to three girls and one boy.

Multifaceted, she has achieved a lot in her customer service career: she has worked as a recruitment consultant, personal assistant and social media manager and is always working on expanding her experience and qualifications.

Originally from North West, she is an advocate for sisterhood and uses her social media platform to connect with women across the globe.



Thato Montse
Entrepreneur, strategist, designer, thinker and wine connoisseur, Thato has a Garagiste winemaking diploma and is a member of BLACC – the Black Cellar Club.

Her love of wine led her to create her own brand, Thato Wines, which has just recently been picked up by the Spar franchise.

Thato's aim is to reposition wine as something to be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone – not just old, white men. She is on a mission to simplify the complicated world of wine and uses her knowledge to host a lifestyle series called Wine with Thato.

She describes herself as controversial, authentic, unfiltered, unapologetic, fun and explosive.



Camilla McDowell
Humanitarian, creative, vintage car collector, beekeeper, entrepreneur and public speaker, Camilla is family-focused and has earned her seat on the throne as The Queen of Constantia.

This flower fanatic and antique expert is highly adaptable and at home everywhere, from the luxury high-end designer stores to hidden gem local thrift shops. Camilla understands that there is more to opulence than just the price tag.

Making an unforgettable entrance at every social gathering she attends with her roaring vintage Rolls Royce Moonshadow, opulence and luxury seep through her veins, and she has nothing to prove to anyone.



Kutazwa "Rooksy" Gqirana
Born in Gqeberha and now a proud Capetonian, Rooksy describes herself as a go-getter and hustler.

When she sets her mind to something, she is sure to achieve that goal. Rooksy is a lover of beautiful things, especially interior decor. Through her company, Style Boutique SA, she sells the latest trends in fashion for both men and women. Rooksy is at home in the kitchen and loves baking and trying out new recipes. She would love to have her own cookbook one day.

A few words that Rooksy would choose to describe herself are enthusiastic, adventurous, dutiful, loyal, respectful, selfless and family-oriented.



Lulwando "'Lue" Tukwayo
The glamorous and stylish Lulwando is originally from Khayelitsha and is a property entrepreneur, digital creator and mom of three.

A qualified chartered accountant, she has a passion for working with community-based organisations that address issues of GBV and is the founder of an NGO called Wings to Learn.

Fun, free-spirited, and fiercely independent, she says: "I speak my mind. I can be misunderstood, but I've learned to embrace that."

2022 Woordfees TV to run again as a DStv pop-up channel from 15 July, MultiChoice making it available to more South African and Namibian subscribers.


by Thinus Ferreira

After a successful debut in October 2021 as a local arts TV channel, as TVwithThinus reported in April, the Stellenbosch Woordfees will once again be running as a MultiChoice pop-up channel on DStv in July 2022, this time from 15 July for two weeks and with the pop-up channel made available to more pay-TV subscribers in South Africa and Namibia.

With the theme of "Wild", the 2022 Toyota SU Woordfees, will showcase a selection of programming from 15 to 28 July for DStv subscribers in South Africa and Namibia on DStv channel 150 (as well as GOtv subscribers in Namibia), while the physical arts festival will be taking place from 10 to 16 October in Stellenbosch.

MultiChoice is also making the 2022 Woordfees DStv pop-up channel available to more subscribers.

Last year only DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers had access, but in July the DStv pop-up channel is being made available to DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers in South Africa as well.

In Namibia, DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact subscribers. In Namibia, GOtv Max and GOtv Supa subscribers will also get access to the 2022 Woordfees TV channel on channel 27.

Speaking about the "Wild" theme, Saartjie Botha, Woordfees festival director, says "Wild is authentic and essential for the kind of art that challenges everything and opens doors to new perspectives. Nothing is wilder and more liberating than the imagination, and our pent-up creative energies are ready to gush forth after two years of limbo".

Gideon Khobane, MultiChoice Group general entertainment executive, says the pay-TV operator is "proud to again be associated with Woordfees TV - not only does the channel allow us to bring entertainment relevant to our customers, it also aligns to our commitment to support and grow local content".

"By giving our Afrikaans viewers access to the Woordfees festival through the channel we are able to support arts, culture, entertainment and literature by broadening the audience of the already popular festival."

The Woordfees TV schedule will again give DStv subscribers a selection of most of the genres that are usually part of the live festival, ranging from the Easy Equity books and writers festival, drama, contemporary music with the Toyota Big Five concerts and Standard Bank jazz set, classical music, the Savanna stand-up comedy series, the Stellenbosch Wine Routes lifestyle programme, and Media24 discussion series, as well as Strauss & Co visual arts programme and dance. 

The Standard Bank agriculture series will also be part of this year's line-up, while rebroadcasts of some of the most popular 2021 TV festival shows will be shown during slots outside of prime time on the channel.

In addition, new programmes of the 2022 Woordfees TV channel will be available on DStv Catch Up. All of the narrative content and pre-recorded discussion programmes on the DStv pop-up channel will have English subtitles.


Friday, June 10, 2022

StarSat does a 10% subscription fee price hike across packages from July 2022, blames inflation and South Africa's worsening economy.


by Thinus Ferreira

China's StarTimes pay-TV service, operating as StarSat in South Africa will be hiking its subscription prices by 10% from July.

StarSat which is hiking subscription prices far above the country's inflation rate, blames inflation and South Africa's worsening economy for what it calls the first StarSat price hike in four years.

StarSat, formerly known as TopTV and that competes with MultiChoice's DStv service which hikes its prices for various packages every year, last increased its prices in 2018 due to the government's 1% VAT increase.

From July the StarSat Special Package will increase by R11 or 10.09% from R109 to R120. 

The StarSat Super Package will increase by R21 or 10.04% from R209 to R230. 

The StarSat Max Package offering over 140 TV channels will increase by R31 or 10.36% from R299 to R330.

The Midrand-based company tells me that "StarSat has during these past periods worked tirelessly to absorb the cost of doing business with zero-price increase policy because we are a caring organisation that identifies with the economic plight of the South African consumer".

"Unfortunately, due to sustained economic decline in South Africa mainly attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, rising inflationary costs and major disruptions in global capital flows, we are left with little choice but to implement a marginal price adjustment."

"Our intended price adjustment will allow us to continue to serve our loyal customer base and to improve our content offering specifically as it pertains to local and international general entertainment and sports content."

"The nominal price increase will also bolster StarSat capacity to expand its production infrastructure for local language versioning of world-class drama series and telenovela in order to continue our service to under-resourced rural and semi-rural communities in South Africa."

Thursday, June 9, 2022

MultiChoice adds 900 000 subscribers during its 2022 financial year but continues to shed DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus customers.


by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice further grew its DStv and GOtv pay-TV subscribers for its financial year that ended 31 March 2022 by just over 900 000 subscribers, although it keeps shedding its most valuable top-end DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers.

In its latest financial results, MultiChoice announced that it managed to add roughly 900 000 subscribers, bringing it to 9 011 000 DStv subscribers in South Africa (41% of the total) and 12 793 000 in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa (59% of the total). 

MultiChoice's 90-day blended average revenue per user (ARPU) once again dropped further from R277 to R269.

While MultiChoice grew its overall subscriber base, its group of DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers in South Africa - the operator's most valuable clients - as part of its overall subscriber mix declined by another 4% over the financial year. 

This 4%-decline with 1.4 million subscribers in this group by the end of the financial year, is however half of the 8%-decline that happened between the 2020 to 2021 financial year. MultiChoice's share of mid-market subscribers in South Africa also declined by 6% with the company that now has 2.8 million DStv Compact and DStv Commercial subscribers.

MultiChoice's growth came from lower DStv packages for the mass market, with DStv Access and DStv EasyView subscribers which showed growth of 7% from 4.6 million to 4.9 million subscribers in South Africa during the financial year. 


As MultiChoice gets locked out of more and more Hollywood studios funnelling their best content to their own video streaming service to grow scale, MultiChoice says it's continuing to increasingly focus on producing its own local content and had managed to increased its local content production by 32% year-on-year to 6 028 hours over the reported financial year. MultiChoice now has a local content library of close to 70 000 hours. 

Local content accounted for 47% of total general entertainment content spend and  MultiChoice says the Randburg-based pay-TV operator remains on track to achieve a target of 50% by 2024.

Paying subscribers for Showmax, MultiChoice's video-on-demand streaming service, were up 68% year-on-year, whilst overall monthly online users of MultiChoice's connected video services increased 28% year-on-year.

In South Africa, MultiChoice says it faced an increasingly difficult consumer climate with DStv growth rates impacted by rising unemployment levels, Eskom's electricity blackouts and the social unrest in July 2021 in KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg.

MultiChoice says that in the year ahead it will continue to drive penetration of its video entertainment services across the African continent by offering subscribers "an array of unique and rich media content delivered in a convenient and cost-effective way".

"Local content and select sporting events such as the English Premier league, UEFA Champions League and the 2022 FIFA World Cup will contribute to the growth in linear and streaming services."

Over the financial year MultiChoice says it managed to sell over 100 000 DStv Explora Ultra decoders and that its DStv Rewards loyalty programme is approaching 1 million users after 18 months.

Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO, in a statement says the pay-TV operator "will look to further expand our entertainment ecosystem by identifying growth opportunities that leverage our scale and local capabilities".

Sunday, June 5, 2022

REVEALED: M-Net reveals the 20 castaways of Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts - confirming what Survivor fans already discovered months ago.


by Thinus Ferreira

The 20 former Survivor South Africa castaways who are returning for the 9th season of the reality series called Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts on M-Net (DStv 101) from 18 July, include contestants from 5 previous seasons who all have "demons" they want to lay to rest.

Battling each other in Survivor SA tribes called Yontau, and Masu after merge, and once again filmed in South Africa's Eastern Cape province and its Sunshine Coast, M-Net revealed the names of the 20 castaways of Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts on Sunday night.

There are a whopping 13 castaways under the chosen contestants who are 30-somethings, with five who are all aged 31.

Important to note, is that the Inside Survivor fan site got the rumoured season 9 cast and location exactly correct as leaked to that site in March this year.

Nico Panagio is also once again returning as host.

The massive leaks from the Afrokaans production company damaged M-Net's press machine, with the pay-TV broadcaster that was no longer willing to engage with media around any queries about the upcoming season to try and deflect media attention and exposure of the production secret which turned out to be 100% accurate.

It led to media not being able to do the "the latest season of Survivor SA has wrapped filming" type stories similar to after previous seasons had completed principal photography, since M-Net feared questions about the rumoured but correct Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts cast reveal.

M-Net didn't respond to questions posed in a media query about Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts made on 25 May, the second media query about the upcoming season made this year after the show had finished filming.





In a prepared general statement from M-Net about the upcoming season, quoting Leroux Botha, executive and creative producer of Survivor SA, he says the Sunshine Coast "is the ideal setting for this daring and different season".

"We saw last season that the Wild Coast lived up to its name and presented the castaways with plenty of unique challenges – just because the location is closer to home, doesn't make it any more familiar. The Sunshine Coast lives up to its name most of the year, but it also has a tempestuous and brooding side that can change the game at a moment’s notice."

Leroux Botha further says "This isn't an 'All Stars' season – in fact, it’s a totally unique concept."

"All of the castaways returning to the game this season have demons to lay to rest, with the added challenge of everyone knowing exactly how everyone else played their game, before."

Shireez Latief, M-Net senior marketing and publicity manager, says in the statement "We've drawn castaways from across almost all previous seasons and brought them together on the Sunshine Coast to give them a chance to play their games again – but this time, everyone knows their style of play, who they shared alliances with and who they double-crossed during their season".

"All bets are off and it'll be a brutal game, despite the cordial-sounding location."

M-Net is scheduling four episodes of Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts per week from Mondays to Thursdays, starting on 18 July and ending with its finale on 25 August.

"Having four hours a week to explore the full intricacy of the game is going to lay bare every machination. It's also a great way for newcomers to the magic of Survivor SA to get to know these returning Castaways and appreciate why they’re such masters of the game," Shireez Latief says.

The 20 returning players for Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts, and their bio descriptions, are:



Chappies Chapman (31)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island (S8)
Hometown: Centurion
Job description: Entrepreneur
Chappies is "addicted to growth" and has a strong strive to improve in all aspects of his life, most notably in fitness, which he takes very seriously. He lives in Centurion with his wife and son and is involved in various online businesses, real estate and in the motivational speaking space.

Since becoming a father, Chappies has a renewed lease on life and is in constant pursuit of purpose. He is calmer and more at peace than before, partly due to his son's arrival – but also because he no longer feels the need to prove his worth as a Survivor player.

From his previous experience, he has learnt to think before he speaks, to avoid alienating people. That was his pattern at the start of his season – which ultimately put him on the back foot because he couldn't reconcile with them when he needed to work with them.




DantΓ© de Villiers (31)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets (S7)
Hometown: Dwarskersbos
Job description: Podcaster
Loner DantΓ© has travelled the world, living in Thailand and Israel – but has now returned home to the Cape West Coast, where he grew up. The outdoorsy ocean lover believes he can provide for his tribe and excel in the physical challenges – putting him in a winning position.

Having previously owned and operated a coffee shop in Velddrif, he now hosts a podcast dedicated to interesting outlier personalities who are making a difference in the world, however big or small.

In his previous season, he felt like he didn’t have the words to convince people to believe him. That meant he struggled to befriend other castaways, putting him on the back foot and forcing him to play a defensive game. This time, he'll be looking to give himself more personal time and space in the early mornings, so that he can recharge to participate more in the social game at camp, during the day.




Dino Paulo (31)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island (S8)
Hometown: Johannesburg
Job description: Live escape game owner
The charming and likeable Dino's infectious, child-like enthusiasm belies a powerful tenacity. He has been in a relationship with his lawyer girlfriend - now fiancΓ© - Kirsten for 11 years.

An escape game franchise co-owner, he was forced to pivot during lockdown like so many South Africans and successfully took the concept online. His work is a perfect match for his competitive nature, which has also made him the perfect team player in sports like soccer and rowing – while skydiving fuels his insatiable need for adrenaline.

From his previous Survivor experience, he has learned to rely more on his game knowledge and instinct and to curb his paranoia. He feels that since he has nothing to lose, there’s less pressure on him this time around – so he’ll be playing with more freedom.




Felix Godlo (32)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets (S7)
Hometown: Pretoria
Job description: Key account manager
A proud Xhosa man from a very traditional family, Felix is married with two children and is devoted to being a good father and role model.

A natural leader and great sportsperson, his mission in life is to succeed to provide for his family and make them proud of him.

Having been humbled by his early exit in his previous season, he did a lot of introspection and has grown, personally. 

He feels that he had a strategy for the game but didn't execute it because he wasn’t in the right state of mind to play the game. Suppressing his natural leadership instincts led to him growing frustrated and acting out of character – so this time he's aiming to communicate better and working on connecting with his fellow castaways on a deeper level.




Killarney Jones (51)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Champions (S5)
Hometown: Johannesburg
Job description: Martial artist
Killarney has competed in martial arts internationally from a young age and has black belts in various disciplines. She's climbed Kilimanjaro and has a degree in Fine Arts.

She grew up in a tight-knit family that travelled extensively throughout Africa. Killarney is tough and talkative, determined and dedicated and will fight to the bitter end.

When she competed in her previous season, she didn’t understand the game well and expected to power through on the back of her physical prowess – and was duly brought down by her neglect of the social and strategic aspects of the game. 

This time around, she understands the concept better and will still be looking to compete physically but will be bringing a softer touch to the social side of the game.




Marian de Vos (32)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Champions (S5)
Hometown: Cape Town
Job description: Fashion buyer
Marian studied Fashion at the College of Fashion Design in Cape Town and now works as a buyer in the retail industry. She grew up in a big family and is the youngest of 5 siblings.

Marian is probably the biggest Survivor fan in South Africa. She’s followed each season closely and has been a particularly vocal commentator about the show, online. She knows the game inside and out, but still struggled on her season when the addition of captains put her off her game.

Despite that, she still made her mark on the game as Survivor SA’s first true female villain – confident that she had a better grasp of the game than her fellow castaways and was more astute than them. Her biggest challenge this season will be adapting to the way the game has changed in the 8 years since she played.




Meryl Szolkiewicz (31)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets (S7)
Hometown: Centurion
Job description: Holistic movement coach
Meryl studied toward a musical theatre degree and started her career as a musician and performer, but that fell away after she met and married her husband, and they had their three sons.

She saw her chance to appear on her season of Survivor SA as a chance to hit the reset button – which she duly did, rediscovering her strength and a newfound joy that has permeated all aspects of her life.

She is a big Survivor fan but understood after her season that she is not the biggest – despite Survivor being an institution in her household. This time around, she’s looking to play a more rooted game, be careful with her empathetic nature – and just have fun.




Palesa Tau (31)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Philippines (S6)
Hometown: Johannesburg
Job description: Radio presenter and producer
Palesa works as a radio presenter and producer, hosting her own health talk show and is also a voice-over artist. She comes from a close-knit family and spends a lot of time with her sister and mother.

Her appearance on Survivor South Africa: Philippines boosted her confidence personally and professionally, seeing her nominated for a number of radio industry awards over the last few years.

Palesa came into her season of Survivor South Africa without much knowledge of the game – with no pre-determined strategy, preferring to play instinctively. This time around, she’s aiming to be more social and try to be more intentional and proactive.




Phil Dickson (40)
Previous season: Survivor SA: Champions (S5)
Hometown: Johannesburg
Job description: Risk assessment manager
Phil is a firefighter and paramedic, originally from KwaZulu-Natal, but now working as a fire risk assessment manager in Johannesburg. He has two young children with his wife. 

Before graduating in the top 5 of his firefighting class, Phil lived in the USA for a while, where he was part of a popular church band. He counts fishing, running, and training among his hobbies and studied game theory to prepare for Survivor.

Phil is a likeable guy with a mischievous streak. Although he is now a dedicated husband and father, he still resembles that naughty trickster he was more than a decade ago in Survivor SA: Champions.

Phil says that you cannot compare the Survivor game of season 5 to the current version of it. He feels that in previous seasons, the castaways had a lot to learn about gameplay – which meant he was unprepared for the game and struggled at first to adapt.




Pinty Nkanjeni (30)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island (S8)
Hometown: Cape Town
Job description: Yacht crew member
Pinty grew up in the small rural town of Hogsback in the Eastern Cape, a magical town in the Amathole Mountains. After leaving school at 15, she moved to Cape Town and built herself up from scratch, receiving a scholarship to study UX design as well as getting her Divemaster certification.

After her work as a rope access technician was interrupted by lockdown, she got involved with a NPO that aims to unite hospitality businesses with healthcare workers at the frontline of the fight against Covid-19 to help them stay closer to where they are working – work in which she has found a lot of meaning.

She feels she has grown a lot in the few months since her season of Survivor, growing more self-aware and identifying and addressing her character flaws. She had a strong work ethic around camp and was equally valuable in challenges, but her lack of social finesse and confrontational behaviour tripped up her game.




PK Phetoe (29)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Philippines (S6)
Hometown: Lephalale
Job description: Mining engineer
Ambitious, driven mining engineer PK has been living and working in Lephalale in Limpopo for the past 2 years. He grew up in Mafikeng and lived with his mother in Centurion most of his teenage and young adult life.

PK has ambitions of starting his own mining consultancy company one day. He also wants to contribute to society and give something back. His job requires him to problem solve, adapt, and prioritize his actions to optimize outcomes. – skills he wants to bring to the game of Survivor.

Having originally thought Survivor was all about playing a strong physical game, his experience taught him the importance of the social side, which he splits into two parts: social for friendship and loyalty for political gain. 

Aiming to make people feel more comfortable around him this time, he’ll be looking to trust sooner to allow relationships to mature, to allow him to build a stronger alliance, earlier in the game.




Seamus Lind Holmes (29)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Philippines (S6)
Hometown: Durban
Job description: Sales manager
Seamus is a Durbanite who works as the regional sales manager of a commercial trucking equipment company. He channels his competitive nature into excelling at endurance sports.

He is a massive Survivor fan - he has researched the game, strategies, heroes, villains, and the game’s evolution over the years. He watches Survivor religiously with his mother and sees this as a big bonding experience for them.

Understanding that he played too hard, too fast in the Philippines, which meant he didn’t pay enough attention to his tribemates and how they were approaching the game. Seamus feels he has matured tremendously since his season and is in a far better mental space than before. With a second shot, he is determined to play the biggest game Survivor has ever seen.




Shane Hattingh (50)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Champions (S5)
Hometown: Cape Town
Job description: Set decorator
Shane has lived a very interesting, colourful, sometimes dangerous life. He has spent several years working in military counterintelligence, been a shoe designer, an outdoor advertising salesman, worked in the art department in the film industry and is currently a set dresser on an international reality show.

He has four children and admires their independence, critical thinking, rejection of societal norms and labels and proudly lists their achievements. He despises injustice, social prejudice, racism and exploitation of the vulnerable.

Having felt in control of the game in his season, he became complacent and allowed himself to get played. Losing out and being blindsided with idols in his pocket was a massive blow – and a mistake he won’t make again. 




Shona MacDonald (33)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Champions (S5)
Hometown: Cape Town
Job description: Entrepreneur
Shona is a successful, self-starting entrepreneur with a lingerie and swimwear brand she has been running for the last couple of years. She is also developing a new dating app and has been accepted to take this further at a tech incubator in South America this year.

She successfully pitched her business idea on Shark Tank and secured the investment she needed to boost her business when 3 of the 5 Sharks offered her capital. She is very proud of this moment, as she feels like she was seen as a strong, confident businesswoman.

Shona wants to make a difference in the world and advocates for body-positivity, independence and flying the South African flag. She feels it is her purpose and study to contribute to SA, its economy, and its people.

During her previous season, she was overwhelmed and struggled to make connections, with her self-awareness and insecurity taking over. Despite her strengths as a social player, being called out by her captain as a weak physical player set her game back in a way that she found she couldn’t come back from.




Steffi Brink (30)
Previous Season: Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets (S7)
Hometown: Johannesburg
Job description: Fitness coach and model
Steffi is a former "beauty queen" - but she’s not your typical pageant princess. A self-proclaimed "jock", she has a long history of excelling in the sporting arena, too, making her a formidable castaway.

After her appearance on Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets, Steffi was called up to a training camp with the Blitzbokkies – the SA Women’s 7’s rugby team – but seriously injured her knee and had a long road to recovery.

She’s learned her lesson from her season and will be working harder on the social side of her game, this time around. She also struggled with the scrutiny of Tribal Council and so has worked hard on speaking up when she believes she needs to.




Tania Copeland (53)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets (S7)
Hometown: Paternoster
Job description: Retired
Colourful Tania lives life on her own terms. Born in South Africa before relocating to the UK – and then returning when she was 21 – the now-retired business owner lives a quiet life on the coast.

An avid rock climber, she doesn’t let society’s rules and restrictions constrain her any less than she does, gravity. She has a strong bond with her children – 3 biological and some fostered – and her five dogs.

She learned a lot about herself and the game of Survivor in her season and is thrilled to get the chance to implement those learnings now. Whereas she spent a lot of time off on her own looking for Idols before, she plans to now spend more time with her tribemates. Tania is determined to win by aligning herself with the strong players and making herself valuable – at camp and as a vote.




Tejan Pillay (40)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Maldives (S4)
Hometown: Johannesburg
Job description: Engineer
Tejan is a 40-year-old electrical engineer with a master's degree in engineering – originally from Verulam but now calling Johannesburg home. The self-proclaimed "Prince of Darkness" has worked for Eskom for 21 years and has been with his partner for 11.

He says he lives and loves life, considering himself something of a Renaissance man and jack of all trades who enjoy the simple things in life. Tejan is in the best physical shape of his life and has trained hard for this moment to return to Survivor. He has a black belt in karate, a final brown in kickboxing and did some cage fighting.

He took pride in his status as one of Survivor SA’s early villains, getting a lot of validation from being part of the world’s greatest game. He’s accepted his ‘Survivor Conniver’ nickname and embraced the fact that his play made him a Castaway to be reckoned with. He’ll be keeping a keen eye out to see who he can trust – but doesn’t plan to give his trust away cheaply.




Tevin Naidu (28)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Philippines (S6)
Hometown: Cape Town
Job description: Medical doctor
Tevin qualified as a medical doctor at Stellenbosch University. He is interested in neuroscience and wants to specialize in that field of medicine.

Tevin won the Mr India South Africa title when he was 18 and was a presenter on Eastern Mosaic.

After a misguided social media post in the lead up to the Survivor South Africa: Philippines season finale saw him personally and professionally ostracised, he retreated to do some serious introspection and has matured since then.

He and his mom have watched Survivor together since he was 7 – he calls himself a ‘Survivor Encyclopaedia’. Tevin is determined to cement his place in the Survivor history books as one of the best the game has ever seen. He wants to be recognized and revered as one of the best players in the world and he will stop at nothing to achieve it.




Thoriso M-Afrika (37)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island (S8)
Hometown: Uitenhage
Job description: Marketing manager
Marketing manager Thoriso is the single mother of a son named Bulumko, meaning "wisdom" in Xhosa. Her name is a reflection of the high regard in which she holds education and the application of intellect.

As much as she’s a huge Survivor fan, her main aim for entering the game is to win the Sole Survivor’s prize money, to improve her financial situation. Last time around, she felt she had the ‘moves’ but not the social currency, playing herself out of the game. 

Now, she’s looking to play a more social game - even if it means pretending to like people. Thoriso says that meeting people who were smarter than her was a huge blow to her ego, which led to plenty of introspection – the lessons from which she’s bringing back to the game at her second attempt.




Toni Tebbutt (41)
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Philippines (S6)
Hometown: Cape Town
Job description: Content developer
Content developer Toni feels that changes in her life post-Survivor SA: Philippines have released her to live her full life. The devoted fitness fiend made the move to Cape Town recently – part of her personal reinvention – and she says Survivor is an important part of her story.

Toni is incredibly active in the Survivor community, hosting online Survivor games, participating in Survivor fan events and is very vocal on social media platforms. Her straight-talking persona from the show is a reflection of her in real life, too. A bold character, she is someone who isn’t afraid to address conflict.

She feels she made too many emotional choices in her season, rather than listening to her gut. Understanding the need to form social bonds early in the game, she says she’s had to learn to stroke egos – and isn’t afraid to use that skill. She’s determined not to make the mistake of forcing herself to choose between loyalty and strategy again.