by Thinus Ferreira
In another stark change from the way it used to be in the past, M-Net is dropping the Survivor South Africa post-show media briefing, with the upcoming finale of Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts which was also filmed months ago on-location in the Eastern Cape, and which will air without the usual live-in-studio audience.
M-Net is hosting no collective in-person or virtual group press conference with the winner after that.
M-Net (DStv 101) confirmed to TVwithThinus that the Thursday night finale of the 9th season, entitled Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts and produced by Afrokaans, won't have the usual off-screen press conference with the winner, producers and channel execs after the season's low-key conclusion this week.
For the previous 8th season finale of Survivor SA in August 2021, pre-recorded in a Cape Town studio, M-Net also scuttled the studio audience and in-person post-show media briefing but that was done since the season took place during the Covid 19-pandemic with stringent in-door restrictions limiting the number of people regarding studio attendance and making it impractical and unsafe.
Nothing however prevents M-Net from doing a post-show media briefing this season in the way there was an in-person Survivor SA media launch held this season in the Eastern Cape, or bringing the country's press together for a virtual press conference following the conclusion of the season.
After journalists asked about how the media logistics for Thursday would work after hearing nothing and not getting any guidance from M-Net publicity, on Tuesday M-Net admitted to media that there won't be a post-show press conference like in the past anymore, and that the finale was pre-recorded, on-set in the Eastern Cape months ago.
Nadine Moonsamy, M-Net publicity manager, in response to a media query, confirmed to TVwithThinus that "there will be no formal press conference, as per last year, but additional questions may be directed to us for answering". It means that there won't be any group opportunity to ask questions collectively of the winner, producers or M-Net executives.
The finale of a largely buzz-less Survivor SA will cap a little-watched 9th season on M-Net that saw its viewership plunge by 43% for the season premiere compared to the previous season at the same time last year.
It following the show's shift to a much earlier timeslot and the decision to stack the Survivor SA season as multiple episodes weekly, making it hard for DStv subscribers and media to follow and keep up.
In previous seasons, media from across South Africa would attend the Survivor SA season finale - originally held in Johannesburg with sand flown in and in Cape Town in later seasons - with journalists who were part of the live-in-studio audience, together with sponsors, lucky DStv subscribers and ticket winners, family members of contestants, as well as previous Survivor SA season alums.
At the post-finale Survivor SA press conference the winner and runner-up got their moment to shine and field questions from the press, while media also posed questions to M-Net content executives, sponsors and the Survivor SA producers.
In previous seasons - also axed - there also used to be Survivor SA "pre-dinks" events hosted by M-Net for the media before the studio recording of the finale, as well as Survivor SA "after-parties" after season finales for the castaways.
These after-show celebrations ranged from modest to lavish over the years, where M-Net's event organising teams would lay out a Survivor SA-themed venue with a drinks and snacks buffet as Survivor SA contestants from several seasons, media, and sponsors mingled until midnight.
Thursday night's pre-recorded Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts finale won't have any so-called "after-party" after its conclusion.
"For the first time in Survivor SA history, the show's finale was filmed on Day 40 on the Sunshine Coast, with the castaways returning to share their journeys and vote for - and reveal - the redemption of one of their fellow former players," M-Net says.
"This means that the winner announcement will take place on location, for the first time ever."