by Thinus Ferreira
The next iteration of the African version of Big Brother will be a new spinoff edition which will be an "all-stars" match-up between Big Brother Naija and Big Brother Mzansi, filled with winners from previous seasons of both shows from Nigeria and South Africa and broadcast on DStv across Africa in early 2023.
After seven seasons of Big Brother Naija in Nigeria and five seasons of Big Brother Mzansi - the first two of which were titled Big Brother SA - MultiChoice and M-Net are working on bringing the former contestants of both countries' versions together in one show with the working title of Big Brother Face-Off.
It's still unclear whether the camera-house-filled reality competition show done according to the Banijay-format will be using the Johannesburg complex in South Africa or the Lagos-based studio in Nigeria.
Big Brother Face Off will run from 15 January 2023 to 2 April 2023 for 11 weeks.
MultiChoice plans to broadcast Big Brother Face-Off in early 2023, once again as a 24-hour pop-up Big Brother channel on DStv across Africa, with highlight shows on M-Net's Africa Magic and Mzansi Magic TV channels, and additional content on its streaming service Showmax.
"In 2023 we'll be starting the year off with a bang, which will be the giants of Africa coming together on the Big Brother version of South Africa against Nigeria," says Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice's head of programming.
"This has been an incredible, incredible feat for us because we know how well Big Brother Mzansi does, we know how well Big Brother Naija does, but we just felt that it was time to bring the two together. We're excited about that and we just think that it's going to be amazing."
Big Brother Face Off follows the just-concluded season of another localised Banijay-format reality competition on M-Net, with production company Afrokaans which brought back castaways from previous seasons of Survivor South Africa to compete again in the 9th season that was entitled Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts.
Possible Big Brother Face Off contestants from Nigeria could include Katung Aduwak as season 1 winner, Michael Efe Ejeba as season 2 winner, Miracle Igbokwe as season 3 winner, Mercy Eke as season 4 winner, Olamilekan "Laycon" Agbeleshe as season 5 winner, Hazel Oyeye "Whitemoney" Onou as season 6 winner, and whoever wins the current season 7 of Big Brother Naija: Level Up when the latest season concludes next month with a live finale on 2 October.
Possible Big Brother Face-Off contestants from South Africa could include Ferdinand Rabie as season 1 winner of Big Brother SA, Richard Cawood as season 2 winner of Big Brother SA, Mandla Hlatshwayo who won Big Brother Mzansi: Secrets in 2014, Ace Khumalo and Ntombi Tshabalala from Big Brother Mzansi: Double Trouble, and Mphowabadimo who walked out of the house as the winner of Big Brother Mzansi: Beke Le Beke in April this year.
Besides the Nigerian and South African versions, M-Net also produced nine seasons of Big Brother Africa between 2003 and 2014 for DStv subscribers, with 10 additional winners during that decade, although it's not clear whether these 10 people are also under potential consideration to be invited back for Big Brother Face Off.
