The latest season of Survivor South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) was a ratings dud with a much lower viewership during the season, and the viewership of the Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts finale last week which plunged a shocking 62% from the season 8 finale a year ago.
The finale of Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts on M-Net on Thursday 25 August pulled only 38 988 DStv subscribers to tune in to the linear TV broadcast conclusion of the season.
It means that the Afrokaans-produced reality competition series shed close to two-thirds of the overall audience which the series pulled for the season finale of Survivor SA: Immunity Island a year ago on 16 September 2021 when it still drew 102 290 viewers to the 19:30-timeslot.
According to the ratings supplied by the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRCSA), the season finale of Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts lost a shocking 63 302 linear TV viewers compared to the finale of Survivor SA: Immunity Island.
It's not just the finale of the latest local season of the Banijay-format show that had lacklustre ratings, with the show's viewership that tanked right from the get-go.
Survivor SA's viewership crumbled this season with M-Net's disastrous scheduling move to both a much earlier timeslot at 18:00, as well as stacking four episodes weekly.
It gave Survivor SA a much smaller potential audience not yet home or not ready to watch TV for an hour.
Many DStv subscribers also quickly fell behind and couldn't keep up with the stacking of episodes for a serialised show with viewers reluctant to watch a new episode before having watched everything to date.
Other viewers abandoned the show when they got the vote result as a spoiler before they had watched it, and with just 24 hours before yet a new episodes arrived - similar to a sport match's score, it is something that decreases the desire to watch the actual match content.
For its debut the viewership of Survivor SA: Return of the Outcasts also plummeted, losing 43% of its total viewers, with only 43 306 DStv subscribers who tuned in for the start on 18 July on M-Net according to the BRCSA, compared to the 75 770 viewers who watched the start of the previous season.
MultiChoice shifted its bi-annual media showcase events for South Africa's press to the end of the year (and did just one this year) with the MultiChoice Showcase 2021 showcase that took place yesterday afternoon as a virtual presentation and dropping various info-blasts throughout the presentation.
Like an Easter egg hunt, the media usually scour for nuggets of information dropped by various MultiChoice executives and shown in sizzle reels, with yesterday that was no different - although MultiChoice shared less information in totality than in any previous years of the showcase.
Here are 18 things I picked up that you'd want to know:
1. Survivor season 41 on M-Net
M-Net (DStv 101) will show season 41 of America's Survivor in January 2022.
Season 41 will usher in a new era which will be marked by a lack of a theme, harkening back
to the early days of the series. The show will simply be known as Survivor
41. "Those ideas served us very well for 20 years, but now it’s time for
something new," says host and producer Jeff Probst.
M-Net will also show the 8th season of Survivor
Australia Brains v Brawn" which will start on M-Net straight after the current 7th season.
Insiders couldn't wait to tell me earlier this week that Survivor SA was renewed and M-Net refused to respond to media queries about it, until the logo was flashed and "S9" at the MultiChoice Showcase 2021.
The castaways are chosen from previous players who didn't make it to the final Tribal Council and all "have a score to settle". We're told it's filming in January 2022, will broadcast in July on M-Net (DStv 101) and will once again be done somewhere in South Africa because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
3. Award shows
DStv subscribers will be able to watch the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on 1 February on 1 Magic (DStv 103), the 94th Annual Academy Awards known as the Oscars on 28 March on M-Net (DStv 101), the Billboard Awards on 28 April on 1 Magic, and the Miss Universe pageant in 2022.
4. Paradise lost
No air date was provided for an upcoming new TLC show but from the producers of 90 Day Fiancé comes a sexy new docu-soap Love in Paradise
– The Caribbean, following people who found love in the Caribbean.
The
tropics will provide the backdrop for relationships in various phases from
holiday flings that turned serious to a rekindled love after 10 years apart and
a vacation romance that turned into a pregnancy. Will meeting in paradise work
out?
5. Pushing sport
Pushing the Line coming January 2022 to the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) will follow some of the top highliners
and the up-and-comers of sport, who live together and push one another to take
on the craziest places to set lines and break records.
6. Greedy
Mzansi Greed will debut on Moja Love (DStv 157) on 2 December, 21:30 exploring the worlds of crime and greed. What lengths will a person go to for money and power?
The series focuses on cases of South African pyramid schemes, embezzlement and other crimes,
featuring interviewswith family members, police investigators business
associates, fraud victims and, in some cases, the fraudsters themselves.
7. More SuperSport sports documentaries
In 2022 SuperSport will debut more locally-produced sports documentaries like Chasing the Sun.
Two Sides is another Springbok documentary - likely a documentary film - with cameras that once again filmed inside the Springbok rugby camp. The short sizzle clip shown to media contained a litany of unbleeped "f"-words from Springbok players and staff around them as everyone struggle to cope with the stress.
8. New broom
MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax has a new boss that the media saw for the first time on Thursday.
Barry Dubovsky who has been with MultiChoice since 2018 joined Showmax in his new role as its chief operating officer (COO) in August. Barry says that in 2022 Showmax will continue to focus on rolling out more Showmax Original productions.
9. Naija reality
The 7th season of Big Brother Naija gets a broadcasting date: June 2022.
A group of isolated housemates will once again do tasks as they compete for a cash prize. Date My Family Nigeria will start in January 2022 on DStv, sending singletons on dates with three potential partners' families in a bid to find love.
The 7th season of Idols Nigeria will start in February and Judging Mattersis a new "Judge Judy"-type show that will address legal issues from a small claims court, in partnership with the Lagos state ministry of Justice, hosted by Justice Olushola Williams and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.
In Mozambique, MultiChoice and M-Net will launch the new Maningue Magic channel on DStv channel number 503 on 17 January 2022.
The channel will have a local telenovela Maida, local lifestyle show, Txunado,
local drama The Influencer, as well as Boss Station, a
Mozambiquan original music show. Viewers can also expect to see a local version
of Date My Family.
11. South Africa's Big Brother goes continental
The new season of Big Brother Mzansi revived after a decade will not just be seen in South Africa but will be shown across sub-Saharan Africa on DStv, similar to how Africa can watch Big Brother Naija.
Also new is that the prize money will be R2 million for the winner.
12. A foodie date
The 4th season of MasterChef South Africa coming to M-Net (DStv 101) got a date: It will start on 28 February.
Instead of on a wine farm like previous seasons, the new season is currently being filmed at the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town "in a dynamic new location that celebrates both the heritage
and the innovation of South Africa's diverse culinary offering".
13. kykNET returns
In 2022 kykNET (DStv 144) will have the 4th season of the Afrikaans procedural drama seriesDie Bylwith Projek Dina returning for a second
season.
A new season of the anthology series Spoorloosis currently in development with a
story set behind the backdrop of a small coastal town.
14. Fighting housewives
The third season of Real Housewives of Johannesburg will be shown in April 2022 that will consist out of 14 episodes.
The Real Housewives of Lagos will be on Showmax in the first half of 2022.
The second season of The Real Housewives of Durban will also be on Showmax but is still listed as "coming on 2022" only with no indication whether it's the first or second half of the year.
15. Local tabloid
WhileI Blew It will be back for a 4th season in 2022 and Ubizo for a third season on Mzansi Wethu (DStv 163) there will be new series as well doing what Moja Love has found success with Bangoxoshile,
Not The One For You, Siza Mina and Fafi.
Bangoxoshile
is a series that assists homeless people who were forcefully removed from their
homes by family, relatives or a spouse.
In Not The One For You friends and
family write in to ask for assistance in confronting a friend or family member
about a potent relationship that they should not be in.
Siza Minais a tabloid daily talk show featuring controversial
topics and guests who are seeking intervention in resolving issues relating to
family, marriage, parenting, divorce, broken friendships, cohabitation.
In Fafithe28-year-old Thandi Ndlovu is in love and getting married in 3 months
- however it’s not her husband-to-be, Sgoloza Ndlovu, she’s in love with,
rather her beloved late husband, Menzi Ndlovu. The Ndlovu family custom has
dictated that upon Menzi's demise, his brother must marry his widow.
16. Sporties
On SuperSport in 2022 (see the full summary in its own article Here) the 2022 FIFA Football World Cup coverage will include all 64 matches, live
and in prime time, as well as the UEFA Champions League and Europa League (until May 2022) and the FA
Cup (until May 2022).
In cricket, there's The Ashes and India's tour of South Africa
until January 2022, the IPL in March and the Proteas' tour of England from
July to September. In tennis and golf all of the Majors will be on SuperSport from January to July 2022.
In WWE wrestling there will be headline
events like the Royal Rumble in January and WrestleMania in April 2022.
On two and four wheels SuperSport will cover the longest-ever F1 season,
MotoGP, SuperBikes, and cycling events from May's Giro d'Italia to
October's Absa Cape Epic, the Amstel Gold Race to Challenge
by la Vuelta and the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup and Paris-Roubaix to the UCI
Mountain Bike World Cup.
In athletics SuperSport will have the American Indoor Track League, Diamond League, IAAF World Indoor Tour
and World Athletics Continental Tour and in July and August 2022 the Commonwealth Games from
Birmingham.
17. Absence of Aletta
This was notably the first MultiChoice Showcase - previously known as the DStv Content Showcase but for some reason rebranded - without Aletta Alberts, Africa's TV content queen.
The extremely experienced and well-versed executive who was MultiChoice's head of content and third-party channels passed away in July from Covid-19 complications.
MultiChoice apparently didn't replace her position and her absence was definitely felt - the MultiChoice Showcase 2021 didn't have the all-knowing, all-telling tether of Aletta Alberts as anchor who in the past would help the media to integrate and build a bigger picture to put all of the various content streams into perspective.
18. Notably nothing on this - so far
Unlike previous years media sadly were not given the opportunity to ask questions at the showcase. MultiChoice that usually make announcements about DStv decoders didn't say anything about its decoders this time with no updates on the DStv Streama decoder that was announced over a year ago but never launched.
Does MultiChoice plan to add Disney+ as a streaming service next to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when it launches in South Africa from around June 2022? Or what about eMedia's new eVOD? Is Paramount+, discovery+, HBO Max, Apple TV+ and Peacock going to be added to the DStv Explora Ultra in 2022 like Sky and Comcast overseas did? We don't know yet.
It's also not yet clear where MultiChoice is with letting DStv subscribers build their own subscription with DStv Flex by choosing various packages with selections of channels instead of picking a bouquet.
MultiChoice has been investigating this and asking consumers their thoughts about such an offering earlier this year.
It's also unclear for how long M-Net Movies will have premium first-run films to premiere given the impact of the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic on the world's film industry.
M-Net (DStv 101) has renewed Survivor South Africa for an "all-stars" 9th season in 2022 that will be
broadcast in July next year.
On
Thursday afternoon MultiChoice flashed a Survivor SA title card at its DStv
Content Showcase, saying that it will be on-screen next year.
Sources
told TVwithThinus on Wednesday night that Survivor SA was renewed, but M-Net didn't
respond to a media query by Thursday afternoon after the pay-TV channel was
asked about the renewal on Thursday morning.
Sources
said that the new season is apparently being filmed in January 2022 and might
be an "all-stars" season with previous contestants but M-Net's PR communication team didn't want to respond to these questions on Thursday when the channel was asked about it.
Survivor SA is produced by
Afrokaans with Handrie Basson as executive producer and Leroux Botha as
creative producer and series director.
In a statement, MultiChoice on Thursday afternoon finally
confirmed the news, saying "In 2022, Survivor SA returns for its 9th season
- and this time the greatest game on earth will see a cast of returnee outcasts
who were outwitted and outplayed on previous seasons battle it out to outlast
and become the Sole Survivor".
"These players, who never made it to the final
Tribal Council, all have a score to settle. Get ready for Survivor SA:
Return of the Outcasts - on M-Net in July 2022."
The season finale of Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island on Thursday 16 September on M-Net (DStv 101) will be a toned-down tribal because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic with the reunion episode and winner's announcement that will be a pre-recorded episode with as few people as possible.
The Afrokaans production of the final episode of the 8th season of Survivor SA: Immunity Island on 16 September on M-Net won't be a live broadcast, will be pre-recording set to take place in Cape Town on a closed set and not the Eastern Cape or its Wild Coast region where the season played out, and is also doing away with the in-studio audience, media attendance, the in-person press conference and sponsors.
Plans for the usual Survivor SA "pre-event" where special guests mingled before the live broadcast, as well as the "afterparty" where the latest season's castaways celebrated along with castaways from previous seasons, sponsors, the media and other invited guests, have also been axed.
Instead, M-Net executives made the decision to close out the highly-regarded current season of Survivor SA with a more "low-key" pre-recorded reunion show finale for DStv subscribers - a move that will dampen some of the usual hype and the level of "live broadcast" excitement around the show's finale that is customarily regarded as so-called "appointment live-event television".
The end of previous seasons of Survivor SA saw finales broadcast live on M-Net from both Johannesburg and later from Cape Town, with themed Survivor SA afterparties over years held adjacent to the studio venues.
These sought-after Survivor SA celebrations where Survivor SA alumni mingled, proudly wore their buffs and swopped stories and selfies, followed after in-person press conferences where the media got the opportunity to put questions to the top castaways, producers and M-Net executives.
M-Net decision to vote a live finale broadcast for Survivor SA: Immunity Island off the TV island, in turn led to the decision to axe the in-studio audience primarily because of two reasons: To keep the winner a secret and because of Covid-19.
The Survivor SA finale in-studio audience - always comprising of current season castaway family members, media, lucky DStv subscribers who won tickets with even their children in tow, as well as sponsors - always found out the winner at the same time during the linear broadcast when host Nico Panagio took out and revealed and counted the final votes.
Now everyone will watch from home since M-Net and Afrokaans can't risk someone accidentally or on purpose leaking the winner name during the period after which the Survivor SA: Immunity Island finale is pre-recorded and the broadcast date on 16 September - even if everyone going on set signs non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
The 20 castaways of the season already signed NDAs as part of their Survivor SA: Immunity Island contract and will face immense legal action should anyone of them leak the winner before it's announced during the finale.
M-Net tells TVwithThinus that "the channel has made the decision for the finale to be pre-recorded, and not a live event as per previous seasons" and that the finale will be recorded in Cape Town where the last few seasons had their final episode.
"Due to Covid-19 and the risk of the winner being leaked before the finale airs, there will be no studio audience," says M-Net which confirms that there will be no studio audience, no media and no sponsors present.
"All castaways will be invited to the finale," says M-Net. "A physical set will be built which will be a loose replication of the set from the Wild Coast in keeping with the 8th season of Survivor SA's look and feel."
"Due to Covid-19, the finale will be very low-key this season. It will be pre-recorded with no studio audience and there will be no pre/after events as per previous seasons."
In the latest 8th season of Survivor South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) you're sent to Immunity Island, and then you must choose, but, and then, and ... what?
The new season entitled Survivor SA: Immunity Island the reality show introduced - drum roll, please - a fabled " Immunity Island". If you're a bit confused about how it works and what it is, TVwithThinus went straight to the top, to island mastermind LeRoux Botha himself, to explain and unpack exactly how Survivor SA's Immunity Island works.
So wat is the "immunity island" and how does it work exactly?
"One player from the losing tribe is sent to Immunity Island after an immunity challenge by the winning tribe," says Leroux Botha, Survivor SA's creative producer and series director.
"When they arrive, they will have a decision to make: Will they 'Stay-And-Play' or 'Give-Up-And-Go’?"
If a castaway decides to "Stay-And-Play", they will have the Immunity Island Necklace and will be safe at tribal council. They will attend and will be safe from the vote. However, they will not vote at tribal council and have no vote.
While on Immunity Island, the castaway will take part in a timed mini-challenge which, if they win will give them an advantage in the game, and if they lose, will give them a disadvantage in the game.
On the other hand, if a castaway decides to "Give-Up-and-Go" they will go back to the tribe immediately.
In this choice, a castaway will give up their safety at
tribal council, but will get their vote - in other words, the castaway is not safe from the vote at tribal council, but can vote themselves.
The castaway gets to take the Immunity Island Necklace with them and is allowed to bequeath the necklace to anyone
at tribal council to help ensure their safety.
Very importantly: They will not be able to use it for themselves. They may also choose notto bequeath the necklace to anyone.
Will the person banished to Immunity Island always get a choice there and do they always return with something? Will there always be a "good" and a "bad" choice? Is it a good or a bad thing to go to Immunity Island in Survivor SA?
Leroux Botha says that the castaway "will always get a choice".
"They will know beforehand what the mini-challenge is, and what the 'good' and 'bad' of the decision to stay-and-play will be. It will be an informed choice."
Done during the Covid-19 pandemic and the production challenges it brings it is remarkable and astounding that the 8th season of Survivor South Africa, entitled Survivor SA: Immunity Island, is clearly the local adaptation's best ever yet.
Survivor SA: Immunity Island, with Handrie Basson as executive producer and Leroux Botha as creative producer and series director, dials up the drama in the latest season of the
local adaptation of the reality franchise on M-Net (DStv 101) to its maximum level, together with astounding visual and conniving castaways effect.
With the brilliant production's
dishwasher setting immediately turned to the most extreme one possible, the show
delivers a can’t-look-away and jaw-dropping TV experience that washes over a
completely crazy collection of castaways with more spray, water everywhere and
added sparkle than ever before.
As immediately irresistible television, with
castaways antics you have to see to believe for yourself, Survivor SA: Immunity
Island might very well be this beautifully shot show's best season yet.
Again produced by Afrokaans and with Nico Panagio back as the host together with a new oddball collection of contestants, Survivor SA: Immunity Island wastes no time to up the ante on the castaways' side where the scheming, finger-pointing and backstabbing starts immediately and much quicker than in any previous seasons.
In terms of the interpersonal dynamics, intra-tribe politik and emotional quotient (EQ) - or the lack thereof - on full display, Survivor SA's 8th season feels like a turbo-charged adrenalin-injection you simply can't look away from.
Kudo's to the team of content producers who somehow managed to create the very best Survivor SA season yet when it comes to effectively capturing and following multiple yarns of jaw-dropping interpersonal interactions and conversations.
Kudo's too, to M-Net that has stuck with Survivor SA, continued to invest in a local production to allow it to do multiple seasons until it can fire on all production cylinders like this show, to build and grow a local audience and community around it, and to develop it into a real ongoing M-Net local TV franchise that not just looks terrific but that viewers trust and enjoy taking part in.
The castaway characters of Survivor SA: Immunity Island are utterly unbelievable in what they do and say this season, yet come across as very real - with their heightened melodrama and irresistible intrigue that they create right from the get-go that feels complete as if Mama June went to Survivor to give them all some of Honey Boo Boo's go-go juice.
It makes Survivor SA: Immunity Island sterling reality television.
Production-wise Survivor SA: Immunity Island looks and feels just like an American season, in the best sense of the word, but one that's just populated by South African characters - an incredible achievement for a South African reality format show.
Although filmed in a stretch of the Wild Coast on the Eastern Cape in South Africa, the scenic drone shots, aerial vistas, challenges, the "immunity island" and tribe encampments in Survivor SA: Immunity Island look otherworldly and could just as well have been filmed on an island on the other side of the world.
The cinematography is great and the cameramen capture action and whispers ("Help me") from unbelievable angles, but it's the exceptional editing that has the TV adventure truly brimming with excitement, anticipation, suspense and hilarity.
It's however the incredibly smart and meticulously cut-and-sewn editing work and sound effects (especially during tribal council to heighten the drama, irony and suspense) that truly elevates Survivor SA: Immunity Island's production values.
Nico Panagio still overtalks a bit too much during the play-by-play commentary on challenges for viewers who can see but right from the very first challenge viewers will become emotionally invested in which tribe they want to win (expect surprises throughout, as usual).
The "immunity island" game mechanics - how it all works and the rules - is a bit intricate and slightly overwhelming to absorb like the first day at a new school but viewers will likely figure out its arcana through repetition.
The latest tribal council area looks beautifully made, adding atmospheric cadence to the castaways' squabbling, rationalisation and self-justifications while Nico makes them squirm with pointed Judy Judy-style questions that the deer-in-torchlight can't escape from.
As with any reality show the trick is to get the viewer to care and to become emotionally invested in the life or future outcome of one or more of the characters.
Survivor SA: Immunity Island on M-Net deftly manages to capture the viewer's attention, to draw you into the set stakes, and demands that you stay tuned in for this eye-popping and emotional Lord of the Flies TV reality rollercoaster.
Survivor SA: Immunity Island is on M-Net (DStv 101) on Thursdays at 19:30, starting 3 June 2021.
The reality competition show Ultimate Braai Master has been picked up for a 7th season and will this time be broadcast on e.tv and streamed on Netflix SA while it has become the second series that will be produced as a Covid-19-safe bubble production in the Eastern Cape following shortly on the heels of M-Net's upcoming latest season of Survivor SA that was also shot in the province.
Gqeberha, previously Port Elizabeth, will pay R2 million to the production of the 7th season of Ultimate Braai Master, with host Justin Bonello, for the series to film a self-contained season within the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
In previous seasons, Ultimate Braai Master produced by Okuhle Media, would criss-cross South Africa in roadtrips for braai challenges at various scenic locations in the country.
However, with the ongoing Covid-pandemic, the only viable and practical possibility is to film a new season of Ultimate Braai Master over the course of 6 weeks that is geographically contained. This is similar to what Afrokaans did for M-Net with Survivor SA: Immunity Island in the Eastern Cape that will play out on the Wild Coast from June.
Besides Justin Bonello, the chef-judges Peter Goffe-Wood and Benny Masekwameng will return to judge the braai challenges in which teams of two compete against each other to win R1 million.
The season of 13 episodes will again be shown on e.tv and for the first time in Ultimate Braai Master history, on Netflix SA as well.
About the Nelson Mandela Bay metro paying R2 million to the show, mayor Nqaba Bhanga in a statement says that "We believe sport and entertainment unifies our people, it's not about politics. We support this - this show will put us on Netflix, we will be watched by the entire globe and throughout South Africa and we will be the centre of attraction".
"We don't want to compete with Durban and Cape Town, we are competing with the world. We are not setting the bar low."
"We want to see value for money as our hospitality industry has suffered and we want to inject money that will assist the industry."
Thsonono Buyeye, deputy exeuctive mayor, says "We welcome this show, the exposure that we will be receiving as a city is massive. We fully support this, we wish to thank SRAC, I think this is a brilliant one that we should support. It is what we have been calling for; that we should be a destination of choice for such events".
The young 20 castaways taking part in Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island on M-Net that starts on 3 June for 16 episodes include an aftercare teacher, a lawyer, multiple entrepreneurs, a math teacher and a live escape game owner.
Survivor SA: Immunity Island will premiere on M-Net (DStv 101) on 3 June with a special hour-and-a-half episode at 19:30, followed by 1-hour episodes weekly, and conclude with a 2-hour season finale on 16 September after 16 episodes.
There are 20 castaways from across South Africa taking part over 39 days in the new 8th season of Survivor South Africawith host Nico Panagio, that was filmed alongside South Africa's Wild Coastas a so-called "bubble production" because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Besides 39 days, 40 is also a significant number this season: Perhaps because of Covid-19 it's also the "youngest" season of Survivor South Africa yet, with the top-age of the oldest castaway that is 40 - almost as if Survivor SA is playing a version of Logan's Run this season (the youngest castaway is 26).
The 20 South Africans were transported into true isolation on the Eastern Cape's Wild Coast, where they will attempt to outwit, outplay and outlast each other over
39 days in the new season to clinch the title of Sole Survivor and win R1 million.
"The series is shaping up to be the best-ever in Survivor South Africa history," says Jan du Plessis, channel director for M-Net channels, in a statement.
"The castaways this
season proved that they will stop at nothing to emerge victorious – it's the
most cut-throat, ambitious and engrossing season of the game we've seen,
contested by a group of true super fans."
Leroux Botha, creative producer and series director, says that the first-ever local setting for Survivor South Africa has taken this season up
another notch.
"When the castaways discovered they were going to be playing the
game in a location closer to home than usual, some of them thought they could
take a degree of familiarity for granted – but they soon find out that whether
they're on the beautiful Wild Coast or on an island on the other side of the planet,
Survivor always throws up tests, twists and challenges they couldn't possible
foresee."
Amy Eliason (33)
corporate lawyer (Johannesburg)
Amy says herfavourite drink – red wine - also led
to her submitting an entry for this season of the show.
"I was at a braai and
the advertisement for Survivor SA came on TV and with my red wine-stained lips and
teeth I proclaimed, 'I can do that!'," she says. "I then proceeded to film my
messy audition video, which somehow got me selected!"
Anela Majozi (25)
math educator & rugby coach (Johannesburg)
Originally fromDurban but now calls Johannesburg home. Describes himself as "a typical Gemini".
"I'm simple yet also elaborate,
deliberate and measured in my approach - and somehow also very careless at
times," he says.
Anesu Mbizvo (29)
medical doctor, yoga teacher & small business owner (Johannesburg)
Describes herself as "a natural leader,
healer, earth lover and avid dreamer".
The yoga teacher says of entering: "I am
constantly searching for ways to grow and evolve and I wanted to enter Survivor SA so that I could find out who I would be when everything was stripped away and I
was pushed to my limits."
She says that having watched every season of Survivor that has aired over the past
20 years, she still believes you can never be prepared. "The game is so
different every season and every player is unique, which makes it impossible to
predict what is going to happen, or how to play," she says.
Francois Chapman (32)
entrepreneur (Centurion)
Better known as "Chappies" to his friends
and fellow castaways.
He describes himself as an optimist by nature, who loves
life and strives to make a positive impact in others' lives by living his life
to the fullest.
"Swim upstream or don't swim at all," is his motto. Chappies
says there's nothing he wouldn't do to win the game. "No hard feelings, just a
hard game," he says.
Dino Paulo (30)
live escape game owner (Johannesburg)
He says his greatest strength is being able to
laugh at himself, or throughout a tough situation, which has helped him
demonstrate resilience. "Being easy-going and highly adaptable should have its
advantages too," he says.
Jason Brookstein (27)
structural engineering draughtsman (Johannesburg)
He packed his hair elastics as the first item
into his bag for the game – odd, then, that he says one of his greatest
weaknesses is "barber shops".
Citing Joe Anglim, Ozzy Lusth and Sarah Lacina as
his favourite-ever Survivor players, he says his strategy going into the game
is to spot vulnerability and use it to his advantage, while networking and
having options to move in the game.
Kiran Naidoo (29)
strategy consultant (Johannesburg) Durban-born and absolutely adores competition.
"Playing 'for fun' is quite literally the most
annoying concept in the world," he says. "I am exceptionally curious about the
world around me and the motivations behind why people do what they do. Lastly,
I'm super sarcastic and quick-witted, if you don't pick it up, you may think I'm
mean ... shame."
Marisha du Plessis (35)
Farmer wife and guest house owner (Tulbagh)
Describes herself as "outgoing, strong and
very driven" – and hates being told she cannot or may not do something.
While
her greatest weakness is not being able to hide her true self, she says her
strengths are how good she is with people, relationships, and the way she never
gives up.
Mike Laws (32)
lawyer (Cape Town)
Calls himself "a classic city slicker". "I'm a corporate law geek with anxiety issues, strong opinions and a big heart". He
entered this season "to see if a neurotic, city-slicker, white-collar geek
could crack it in the wild" and prepared by learning to tie knots – although he declares himself "useless" at it.
Nicole Wilmans (26)
digital marketing manager (Somerset West)
"I think I was born to be on Survivor - I love the thrill of the game and
how it challenges you in every possible way imaginable," she says.
"I am a passionate and enthusiastic woman. A
go-getter and always up for a challenge," she says. Having packed her bikini
first – adamant she was going to get that "Survivor glow" - Nicole says she
feels like she'd been preparing her whole life for the game.
Noleen Nkanjeni (30)
freelancer (Cape Town) Better known as Pinty, loves learning how to
do new things and to go beyond her limits.
"That's why I like to think of
myself as a 'Janet of all trades' who knows a little more than just a little
about many different things," says Pinty. "Meeting new people and having
meaningful, honest interactions is one of my favourite things."
Paul Cupido (29)
aftercare teacher (Johannesburg)
Describes himself as "single, very single",
and thinks of himself as a kind and loving person, with a spontaneously
positive outlook on life.
"I'm someone who's always up for a challenge –
spiritually, mentally and physically and someone who often puts others before
himself," he says.
He entered Survivor SA because he wanted to be part of a
social experiment, but also because he was craving a new adventure and a bit of
excitement in his life.
Qieän (pronounced ‘Key-hahn’) Wang (35)
'Fun-employed' (Cape Town)
She isTaiwan-born and currently Hong Kong-based.
She loves having the freedom to explore nature and be
immersed in it.
She describes herself as "highly empathetic, kind and fiercely
loyal" – something for which she says she is often taken for granted, for.
"Expect some tears. I'm definitely not one who is afraid to show her vulnerability!
Hopefully, the viewers will recognise me for my kind, nurturing nature and not
mistake it for someone who is not aggressive," she says.
Renier Louwrens (30)
chemical engineer (Secunda)
"I've been playing the hypothetical game in my
head for the past 5 years, discussing it and breaking it down with my wife and
having loads of fun doing so," he says of his preparations to play the game.
"My
wife and I have watched every season of Survivor out there. It's my dream to be
able to play the game I’ve grown so fond of over the past 20 years."
Santoni Engelbrecht (39)
online business owner (Strand)
It's a case of "4th time's the charm" as she finally got her wish of becoming a Survivor SA castaway after
three previous attempts.
"I love the dynamics of the show and always wanted to
enter. I'm such a 'non-Survivor-looking person' and I wanted to show people
that anything is possible if you put your mind to it," she says.
ShaunWilson (40)
IT entrepreneur (Cape Town)
IsNorwich-born, Johannesburg-bred and now
Capetonian.
Is a "geek who has an affinity for adventure and the biggest soft
spot for dogs". His preparation for Survivor SA was non-existent. "Lockdown hit
and I perfected my baking skills, spending time with my dogs and improving my
KD rate on Apex Legends," he says.
Thoriso M-Afrika (36)
marketing officer (Uitenhage)
Is Port Elizabeth-born and describes herself as "The
eternal optimist, fiercely loyal and a colourful character who lives in my own
world".
"I'll stand out as an anomaly on the show because I wouldn't be caught
dead camping, am a creature of comfort and would probably die if I ever did
something like this alone," she says.
TysonZulu (24)
creative director and entrepreneur (Johannesburg)
"I'm a super creative, a jack of all trades
and a perfectionist to a fault. I love animals more than people," says the
Durban-born entrepreneur.
"Ten out of 10 times I'll always speak my mind and do what I
feel." He entered Survivor SA as a learning experience. "I want to be a big
player in the film and TV industry and learning, first-hand, from the biggest
show in the country is a massive opportunity," he says.
Wardah Hartley (39)
yoga instructor and fitness professional
"I officially celebrate four decades on the
planet this year, and I have learnt plenty about myself and about how human
beings behave," she says.
After having been a journalist for 20 years, she
developed the ability to quickly connect and build trust with virtually anyone
she meets. "I wanted to put myself in an environment where I could put all of
these valuable life lessons to the test – Survivor SA is my masterclass," she says.
