The secrets of the live finale of Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net on Sunday at 17:30 that you want to know!

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The live finale and reunion show of Survivor South Africa: Champions is set to take place this Sunday on M-Net (DStv 101) at 17:30 at only TV with Thinus has the insider secrets you want to know.

The Survivor SA: Champions finale, the end of the 5th season of the reality show, will literally be like no other before it.

Where the live finales of all the previous seasons took place at M-Net's studios in Randburg inside what is now the SuperSport studio, the finale will be happening for the first time ever in a brand-new location: Sasani Studios.

For that, furious construction has started on a special set to recreate the atmosphere of the South China Seas where the Survivor SA: Champions contestants battled the elements - and each other.

"The set construction started on 14 May at 09:00 and should be completed by late Friday night, ready for the first rehearsal of the finale which will start at 09:00 on Saturday," Eileen Sandrock, the CEO of Sasani Studios tells TV with Thinus.

"The Survivor SA: Champions finale is being held in a brand-new studio at Sasani, and this will be the first live show to be hosted in Sasani's new Stage 8".

The construction of Sasani's Studios' new 2 330m2 studio complex, Studio 8, started in October last year and Eileen Sandrock and her team says they're thrilled that Stage 8 was chosen for the live finale of this flagship M-Net show.

TV with Thinus can spill that there will be a live studio audience as well - a very small invited audience of 60 people that include the family members of the castaways and captains Corne Krige and Mark Fish, members of the media and sponsors.

"The reunion show has been designed to be an intimate, yet gripping television event, during which the Survivors can reflect on their time on the island," a source reveals.

"The studio audience is smaller than before, as we want to focus on the completion of the emotional journey of the castaways, which sometimes gets lost in a huge studio affair," says Lani Lombard, M-Net's head of publicity.

Some of the original props and items viewers saw during the course of Survivor SA: Champions on M-Net will pop up again.

"It's never possible to bring the entire Tribal Council set back to South Africa," Anton Burggraaf the head of entertainment television from production company Endemol South Africa tells TV with Thinus, "but we will be using many of the original props from the Tribal Council and the island".

"We are also recreating some of the elements from Tribal Council, like the crates for seating and the fire pit. We have gone for a more intimate feel this year, so while we are incorporating some jungle elements in the foliage and the South China Sea feel in the set textures, there will also be large screens with island footage as backdrops".

After those harsh words, fights and take-downs at Tribal Council during the show, its anyone's guess what the various contestants are going to have to say to each other during the finale and reunion.

"Contractually, the contestants are not allowed to see one another without being chaperoned by M-Net representatives before the live reunion show," says Lani Lombard.

"The top three met for the first time since the island today (Friday) when they did radio interviews at Heart 104.9 fm and Smile 90.4 fm. They will also be at the Valley of the Stars event at the Tyger Valley Centre tonight, where they will answer questions about the show and sign autographs".

"All these activities are supervised by M-Net. The castaways from the different regions are arriving in Johannesburg tomorrow (Saturday) and on Sunday they will all arrive at Sasani a couple of hours before the show starts," Lani Lombard tells me.

Another big question is about those votes and the names the contestants wrote down which is now being kept until the big reveal on Sunday.

"The votes have been under lock and key since they were couriered from the island," says Anton Burggraaf.

"The sealed envelope was opened in the presence of auditors and verified, and returned to the voting box and the box is now locked in a safe place".

"An encryption code known by only two people, was shared only a few weeks ago to a closed edit for the final vote sequence. Anyone working in the edit and final mix process has signed a confidentiality agreement. Currently only 7 people have seen these votes," says Anton Burggraaf.

"The box will be collected from the sage by the event security personnel and kept under their guard until required on set during the live show. The winner was known to only three people on the island, and four people subsequently in post production".

"No-one from M-Net or publicity know who the winner is," says Anton Burggraaf. "Nobody from Endemol SA or its suppliers besides these seven - sworn to secrecy - know who the winner is before that winner's name will be announced live on Sunday evening during the show on M-Net".

"Maintaining the secrecy around the winner is always the most interesting thing," says Anton Burggraaf, "but it is also reassuring that there is an unwritten production etiquette that it is in everyone's best interest that only a handful of people know - because it is their job to know, to write scripts, direct content and edit the shots".

"In fact no-one - except the public who don't know this etiquette - ever asks who the winner is,it is simply bad form!" shares Anton Burggraaf.

Don't miss the Survivor SA: Champions live finale and reunion show this Sunday on M-Net (DStv 101) at 17:30.

Survivor SA: Champions on M-Net and host Nico Panagio trash their brands by shilling for Outsurance and turning it into an infomercial.

Shamelessly exploiting real emotion and turning it into empty sentimentalism, Survivor SA: Champions on M-Net (DStv 101) and host Nico Panagio damaged their brands by turning the latest episode of the reality show into a crass Outsurance life insurance infomercial, taking in-show product placement in South African television just too far.

M-Net, producer Endemol South Africa, and Nico Panagio damaged the South African version of Survivor in a way CBS, Mark Burnett Productions and Jeff Probst would never do or even consider for the American version, when Nico Panagio suddenly turned Outsurance infomercial spokesperson in episode 15 of Survivor SA: Champions.

While Survivor SA made use of product placement since the first season - and quite cleverly, properly and appropriately previously when Pick n Pay was a sponsor - the latest episode of Survivor SA: Champions on M-Net went too far in the latest episode.

It damages not just the integrity of the show and a brand like Survivor and Survivor SA overall, but the credibility and integrity of Nico Panagio, and M-Net as a TV channel.

When the remaining Survivor SA: Champions contestants were united with their mothers, Endemol South Africa, M-Net and life insurer Outsurance came together to have Nico Panagio launch into a long and shocking in-show infomercial soliloquy, damaging the episode ... forever.

How this trashy infomercial insertion will come across in future in potential reruns if there ever are any, when it just randomly gets broadcast, is probably not even a worry for M-Net now; how the show will play in future, and look editorially, seemingly an after-thought.

The pay-TV broadcaster is apparently more focused on giving in-show programming time to a sponsor because it makes balance sheet sense now - in order "to get something out": money. But this "native advertising" can never be undone and is a scar inflicted which didn't need to be there.

Standing with their mothers with obligatory nods to camera - as if to signal and strengthen with their non-verbal nods agreement of the planted message for commercial gain - Nico Panagio shamelessly shilled for Outsurance on Survivor SA: Champions.

"Now here's a thought: Just like you guys were covered from head to toe in mud in this challenge, Outsurance has a range of comprehensive life insurance to ensure the well-being of your family," Nico Panagio told the contestants - and viewers - with a straight face.

"And because everyone's situation is different, you can tailor make your cover, to suit you specific needs; ensuring your family's well-being; giving you peace of mind and them as well. And security of course."

"And we also all know, that you always get something out with Outsurance. And today's winner of this challenge, definitely gets something out," said Nico Panagio.

It was too much.

Trash television like this, terribly done, belongs as a separate stand-alone infomercial in wasteland mid-morning television.

It doesn't belong in a so-called premium, made for prime time TV production. It cheapens not just the overall production values of a show like Survivor SA: Champions, it sells out everything and everyone in it.

And why stop with one? Strangely the pizza in the Survivor SA: Champions episode on M-Net wasn't preceded by a Panarottis infomercial; there was no Cardies infomercials for the tearful moms' moments.

If a premium pay-TV broadcaster like M-Net cannot make a show without keeping a sponsor contained to ads during commercial breaks and bumpers, and is unable to seamlessly and cleverly integrate product placement sensitively and discreetly as an editorially functional element into a show, what does it say about South African television and TV production?

That we can't have TV, big TV, or "good" TV without commercial considerations blatantly intruding and having companies riding rough shot over, and into, the narratives of show?

The TV irony here is that with a cheap and awfully done Outsurance infomercial slap bang inside Survivor SA: Champions on M-Net, it is the ordinary TV viewer who gets the least out of it of everyone.

EXIT INTERVIEW. Survivor South Africa: Champions' Zan Lang: 'They saw my weakness which was my temper'.

On Sunday evening Zan Lang (24) who told his Utara tribe in Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net he's had enough and is quitting, got his wish when they voted him out and sent him home.

TV with Thinus caught up with him, as Zan Lang explained why he decided to quit the show, why he wrote that Solly is a coward and why he doesn't need to be loyal to anyone.

Zan Lang explains what "broke him down", whether he was surprised or not that people actually wanted him to stay, how he feels about how he played the game, what he would have done differently, and what he want to say to his tribe members in hindsight.

Zan, you did explain in Sunday's episode of the show why you decided to quit. Is there possibly anything you want to say to put it into more context, or want to explain exactly why you decided to make that decision.

Basically it has been a while coming for that decision, I had been playing with it in my mind for a few days.

Ultimately what pushed me to make the final decision was just not gelling with my tribe like what I thought that we could have. Basically just being physically weak and emotionally weak. I was really, really missing home and my family, my friends, my girlfriend and the people that I love.

It was an emotional decision at the end and that's basically how it happened.

What I saw - its a question with an "a" and a "b" - what I saw when you wrote your card of who you voted for, you wrote on the card that Solly is a "COWARD" in capital letters, and then you also wrote that you don't need to be loyal to your tribe. 

I was wondering why you wrote those two things?

I wrote Solly's name down because him and I didn't gel from the beginning, from the first day on the beach.

I just felt that Solly was a bit ... a bit ... naieve. He had a lot to say but not a lot to contribute to the tribe, especially around camp. And him and I had personal problems. We just didn't get along from the beginning. That's why I wrote his name down.

And with the loyalty thing, I believe that family comes first when it comes to anything - your family and your friends. People that, on the tribe, that I didn't really get along with or actually like cared to much about, were Solly and Marion because they were pushing me to the edge on a daily basis.

So I wrote that down just to let them know that my loyalty lies with the people who are important to me and the people at home that I care about - not with people that I just met and have spent nine days on an island with.

Then I wanted to ask, looking back, is there something that you would have done differently?

Prepare emotionally and mentally more for the game than I did physically. I ultimately think that the game of Survivor is more rather an emotional and mental game and that's what you need to prepare for much more than what you need to prepare for on the physical side.

That's all I put into it pre going onto the island - I trained every day and I got my whole body into what I thought was the perfect mix to to take it further in the game. And ultimately that came back to bite me not preparing mentally and emotionally for the internal battles that happened at camp.

How do you feel about how you played the game while you were there?

Well, I think that I could have taken more care of my temper, and kept my emotions at bay and my outbursts because I honestly - when you're on that island you're in a completely different mindset to what you're at home and are around people that actually know you.

So I would have kept my opinions to myself a little bit more. I came across a little bit too strong at the beginning where people thought I was being a bit bossy, when in actual effect I was just trying to help the tribe get further in the game and to make things at camp a little bit more comfortable so that wouldn't necessarily have to struggle throughout.

When I got there and I started recommending people on what we could do to improve things, maybe people took that as me being bossy and outspoken. But I was really just trying to help my team.

Is there something that you would like to say to them now in hindsight?

Well, seeing now what actually happened behind-the-scenes and what I didn't know was happening while I was there - like I said I wasn't too much in it with the strategy game as well - they saw my weakeness which was my temper maybe, and getting a little bit headstrong and putting my opinion across maybe too often.

So I would have definitely, probably tried to make more alliances with people on my tribe. Maybe be a little more friendly towards them, even when I didn't agree with what they were planning or doing or saying. I think maybe keeping to myself my opinions probably would have helped a lot.

Did it surprise you that you wanted to quit and be off the island, and then actually there were people who wanted you to stay and not vote you off?

No it didn't because I had initially spoken to Mark and I've spoken to Stephen and Shane before I had actually spoken to Buhle on the island.

All three of them, Mark, Shane and Stephen all said that they did not want me to leave and that they would rather vote for someone else that night. 

But again, when you're in that frame of mind even if people are trying to tell you that you need to stick around, once you've made your decision - and its an emotional decision on that sort of level being on that island in those conditions - your emotions do take hold. 

So, that why eventually in the end I handed over the flint to Buhle in the end because I thought they were still gunning for Buhle. And I made good friends with her on the island and we got along well. So I would have rather protected her which is what I ultimately tried to do with the flint. 

And that's how it happened. Next time, if there ever is a next time, I would play the game more strategically than just strength wise in the challenges.

What was the most difficult thing for you?

Definitely the lack of food. You don't actually realise when you're sitting at home and you see Survivor, you don't think, you know, they're eating the odd fish, they're getting the odd banana here and there. 

So you don't know that if you don't get any food, you don't eat. And the amount of food that we were eating - we were living on coconuts and that's not much nutrition in a coconut. So that really broke me down. Because I normally eat like a horse at home.

So that took a toll on my body and my strength in the challenges as well. When I don't eat I do get emotional and I do honestly have outbursts of maybe anger and I've been trying to work on that since I got back from the island to turn my whole experience into a positive.

I wanted to actually ask you as the last question what you've learnt from this experience?

I've learnt a lot from the experience. First of all I've learnt what you can live without and the luxuries that we have in modern day life.

You don't necessarily have to have those to be complete or anything like that. Another thing is that when you're out there you do need some sort of emotional connection to someone. You do miss home. And you miss the small things in life.

And ultimately its made me appreciate the small things in life. It's made me appreciate my friends a lot more. Its made me appreciate just being at home with the loved one. And I mean, honestly its made me a better person and I've learnt a lot from it.

I deal with people totally differently now compared to before I went to the island and being on the island. I'm a lot more outgoing and a friendly person now. 

And I want to turn the whole experience into a positive and see how I can maybe help improving other people's lives back in my hometown.

EXIT INTERVIEW. Survivor South Africa: Champions' Shona Macdonald: 'It felt like a dream. I played a game that I was proud of'.

On Sunday evening Shonda Macdonald (24) was sent packing in one of two ousters from Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net after her Selatan tribe discovered that she knew about, and had an alliance of sorts with fellow contestant David.

TV with Thinus caught up with her, as Shona Macdonald talked about missing shampoo, revealed the surprising ways in which she prepared for the show, what she felt after Zavion still wrote her name down, suffering sunburn, who she'd like to see win, what was difficult and what surprised her the most.

Why did you start to cry and broke down while you were on the island before you went to tribal council and after it was revealed you knew and had the immunity idol?

I was feeling really upset. Obviously I'd been confronted by my friends about the idol and I was in shock. I'm an emotional person. I'm either really happy or I'm really sad. There's very seldom a medium kind of level with me. 

And also I thought that if I show my friends that I'm upset about it that they're upset with me, then hopefully they will feel a bit sad and they won't be so hard on me. 

I didn't think that they would vote me off but I thought that if they were thinking about it they would think "oh it will hurt her feelings". So I did feel genuinely upset but I didn't hold it in because I thought it might help me.

Why do you think the rest of your tribe perceived you to be "more backstabbing" or more "guilty" than David? Because exactly what people could have accused you of, they could have accused him of as well? Or do you think you behaviour made you look more guilty?

I think initially they didn't see me as much of a threat. Also I was living in a happy little bubble on the island and that I wasn't playing much of a game.

The fact that I was able to hide this idol from them so successfully, scared them. I don't think they thought I was a backstabber. I think they just realised that I'm taking the game a lot more seriously than what they've initially thought and that I'm a real contender in the game. I think that made them a little uneasy.

David - you know, he's very easy to read. Everyone though that he had the immunity idol. He's not really good at concealing things.

It appeared as if you had worse sunburn when we saw your back than any of the other people. Was it worrying or bothersome to you or was it in the overall scope of things not an issue?

There are no illusions on Survivor. Exactly what you're seeing it exactly what's happening. Before I burnt Ashleigh did at the beginning. And like Ashleigh I've got fair skin.

So of course if I'm going to be in the sun all day doing challenges and cracking open rocks for oysters I'm going to get sunburn. You d expose yourself to the elements and that is part of Survivor. 

That's why you'd see me in a lot of other challenges on a hot day wearing a long shirt because I do want to protect my skin. It is a worry. Cancer is a real thing. But you don't expose yourself unneccessarily.

I've been sunburnt before and I'll get sunburn again. it's not the end of the world for me.

Looking back,  is there something you would have done differently?

Yes, definitely. My biggest regret is probably acting too quickly without thinking. I shouldn't have taken the idol. I got a bit paranoid.

I should have just left it there. I think David would probably have gone home that night. I don't they really did trust David and I think they really did trust me. 

I think if it was his word against mine, if they dodn't confront me about it before tribal council, they probably would just have thought that he was lying. Otherwise if they had confronted me about it, I can't tell you what I would have done - my mind changes all the time. 

Had I not moved it or had I moved it, I don't think I would have given it to Corne. And if I had given it to Corne, I would have asked for the idol back at tribal council when I realised 'oh dear, my name is getting written down tonight'. 

I think in the episode you can see my face changes when Moira says that somebody's name was up. That's when I realised: 'oh dear, these people are going to turn on me'. I then should have said can i have the idol back and make a case for that. So my biggest regret is not acting.

What was also very fascinating is that you turned to Zavion and asked him to please not vote for you. And then he actually did. And I'm wondering if you can tell me what you make of that.

You know what, everyone's entitled to their vote on Survivor.

you can never be cross with somebody for putting your name down. I've written some people's names down as well, and I hope that they don't hold any grudges against me for doing that. 

The fact that I asked him to please not vote for me, I was trying my luck. I thought ... you know Zavion and I got a lot closer. All my hairstyles that started to come with the braids and everything, Zavion was doing them.

So I thought lets try and work our friendship a little bit. See if that will maybe change his mind. Maybe he will be a swing vote. 

You never know, if you don't try, you're missing out.

Who would you like to see win?

I would like to see Altaaf win. I think he's a very honest player. He was the nicest person to me on the island. He was always telling me 'don't worry' and really making an effort. So I'd like to see him win.

What was the most difficult thing for you?

The most difficult thing was not having shampoo and conditioner. I like to keep my hair quite nicely kept and the fact that you have sand in it all the time and that horrible feeling when its just come out of the sea - that to me was the worst. 

What do you appreciate the most after the experience - shampoo or ...

My friends. Its very difficult being in a situation where you don't have anyone that you can really turn to for advice. You don't know is that person being real to you, are they genuinely your friend? Are they going to tell other people what you've done?

Its nice to have a sounding board and a support system where a person doesn't have anything to gain from it and give you advice as a friend. That is what I really appreciate so much from real life.

Where do you think you fit in - given that you were more mentally strong than a most of the players we've seen  - where do you think you fit in into the overall game in terms of how you carried yourself?

In terms of ranking?

Ja, 'cause we now saw someone quit and we saw in previous episodes, people - kind of like struggling to keep their temper in check and things like that. You were always cheery and clever with alliances.

Look, I think its very difficult to rate people because everyone brings different elements to a tribe.

That's why its so nice with South African Survivor that there are such diversity in our tribes. Obviously physical strength - that was a huge thing. And a lot of people were physically a lot stronger than I was.

But I do think I'm a very positive person. And I probably had the strongest mental state there. Nothing would be able to get me down. Even after my name was written down - I was scared because of Zavion. I wasn't worried about my own feelings. I understood that it was part of the game. 

I think that I did prepare a lot for coming on the show - I read a lot of books, I read survival guides, I sowed invisible thread into my clothes to use as fishing line, I put fish hooks in my hat, I mentally prepared myself, I read books on how to deal with people, i went on a paleo diet for three months so that I didn't detox on camera. So in that sense I think I was the most well-prepared person on the island.

I think I would have done quite well. I think I was playing a strategic game. And I played a game that I was proud of.

What surprised you the most about the whole experience?

It's quite a surreal experience. It often doesn't feel like I'm living a normal life. Or that this is really happening. Or that I'm on TV. I feel exactly  like I've always have. 

At the beginning of the show I was in a happy little bubble. And I was just enjoying it so much that it took me a while to get into the game. And once I was in the game, it didn't feel like I was on a reality TV show or that I was playing a game.

It was ... I can't explain what it felt like. That's how weird it was. It felt like a dream.

The amazing secrets revealed of the beautiful Tribal Council area of Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net.

The most fascinating - and most beautiful - part, when it comes to the overall look of Survivor South Africa: Champions on Sundays on M-Net at 17:30 is definitely the meticulous attention to detail and the mood and atmosphere the Tribal Council area brings to the show.

Did you know it was constructed at an abandoned fort near a river bed? That what you think is water trickling down the walls isn't even water at all!

Something big and amazing in the set had to be toned down - and another Tribal Council element kept wreaking havoc on the set. And just take a guess what it's all made of!

These are just some of the amazing secrets behind the making of this wonderful section of the show, and the production company is spilling some of them.

Anton Burggraaf, the head of entertainment television at Endemol South Africa, the production company behind the 5th season of this local version of the reality show for M-Net, reveals the secrets of the Tribal Council area.

 (If you click on the photos, they will open up bigger, and you can study the amazing details.)

What big factors impacted on and were important for the design and look and feel of this season's Tribal Council area?
The biggest factor in the design of Tribal Council for Survivor South Africa is the general thematic thread of the series, which this season is a Chinese pirate theme, influenced by the folklore and history of the people and countries on the South China Sea.

Tribal Council is also a great opportunity to reference similar events that must have happened within pirate groups in the 18th and 19th centuries: meeting to decide the fate of retrobates and deserters - or cutting down on numbers when times were tight - a very familiar idea to Survivor!

So it seemed natural to go for a pirate liar which in this case is an abandoned fort.

Another factor in the design is the shoot location and here the first prize is getting the best out of a found location.

We used a dry river bed and a massive tree and built around both so we could maximise the moat idea and the moonlight moodplay for atmosphere.

The voting booth seems so much smaller than in the past and gives a "claustrophobic" quality to the look this season compared to previous seasons. Is that just an optical illusion or is it really built smaller?
The voting booth was purposefully small and dressed to give the feeling of being dungeon-like.

The flame lighting gives that "feeling of heat" idea. The use of a wide-angle lens gave a further sense of claustrophobia in that the subject looks larger than their surroundings bur that you are able to see the entire room. So in some sense it is an optical illusion, but an intentional one.

The water seen running and the seepage on the surrounding "walls" - who has to turn open the taps and remember to close them? And why the element of water on the walls?
The effect was an addition once we had done initial camera tests.

It was apparent that the surrounding foliage would play a big role and that it made sense that we could pull the sense of the jungle - where it always rains! - into the set.

I hate to ruin the illusion but this is not water - it is a shiny epoxy paint effect that mimics water! No taps needed!


Where within and around the Tribal Council area were cameras positioned and compared to previous Tribal Council areas, was it easier accessible or more difficult to film?
Barring the featured tree and the background trees, the area we used was quite open.

So what you see with the "river" in the background is the full extent of the featured set and behind all the shots is lots of room to move and have the crew work. This is standard for most Tribal Council sets.

What broke or went wrong or didn't quite work or had to be constantly adjusted?
One of the design features is the "skull" in the back wall. This was rather theatrical on camera and kept pulling focus, which would have taken viewers' attention unnecessarily off the conversation,so this was toned down.

The skull face had a much less menacing cheek bone and teeth once the set artists were put back to work!

What was often a menace was the smoke from the tribe torched which often wreaked havoc by smoking up the shots. They had to be moved, depending on the wind.

Is their a favourite thing, section or element of the Tribal Council area for people who worked on the production?
I think most people's favourite part was the voting booth because it was so unique.

It always gave us a sense of thrill and completion, mainly also because the entire sequence on set happens in total silence - the crew can't hear the whispers of the castaways explaining in the booth who they're voting for.

How would you describe the theme of the Tribal Council area and what things were added and created and put in there physically to create this theme?
It's a Chinese pirate theme. What may be interesting to viewers is that the entire Tribal Council set is made of locally sourced wood.

The "stone effect" is all art department working their magic. Even the canons are not real!

The decorators sourced all props locally in Kuala Lumpur, Lalacca and Singapore so did a little treasure hunt of their own in the local markets.

This brought back statues, boxes, figurines, pots, plates and all kinds of artifacts that services the Chinese pirate theme.


Survivor South Africa: Champions is on M-Net on Sundays at 17:30

Survivor South Africa Champions: Corné Krige and Mark Fish speak about stress and staying strong in the South China Sea.

Survivor South Africa: Champions kicks off today at 17:30 on M-Net (DStv 101), as the fifth season of the South African version of the reality format starts on an island in the South China Sea.

TV with Thinus asked the Survivor South Africa: Champions tribe leaders, Corné Krige and Mark Fish, their thoughts on the challenges ahead.

Do they have secret plans? What scares them the most about the upcoming experience? What do they think will irritate them the most, how did they prepare, and who is the last person they spoke to before they left South Africa? Read on for the answers to these and other questions ...

ALSO READ: How Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net really chose its contestants: "Individuals who proved a drive to win,  no matter what it takes."


Do you have a secret plan to try and motivate and to keep the spirits high of your tribe?
Corné: Not really, as I have never been hungry. I think that hunger will become a motivator eventually.
Mark: I have no plans at all. We have to adapt to our surroundings together and whether it is humour, exercise, tears of joy or sadness, we shall give it our all.


What scares you most about this experience?
Corné: The uncertainty and the possibility of being hungry for long periods of time. I like my food!
Mark: Nothing at all. That's why I agreed to doing Survivor South Africa. I will be learning things about myself that I never knew or maybe just finding myself again. At least, I hope to.

Being a sportsman and having faced very stressful mental and physical moments and challenges in your career, what strategies are you going to try and use mentally, and how will you try and motivate and physiologically try to keep yourself from continuing and pushing on?
Corné: The best way to get through tough times is to be a close-knit family. I will try and get the team to feed off of each others' strengths. This will be crucial to success.
Mark: That is a tough one because I believe motivation comes from within. But I'm hoping that my team will feed off my relaxed ways and see when we compete that I will always give 150% to try and win. But win or lose, we do it together!

This is quite a departure from anything you've done before. Why did you say yes for this?
Corné: I'm not sure actually. Maybe the thrill of taking on a challenge totally different to anything I have ever done before.
Mark: I agreed because I have never done it before and I love a challenge.


Sand. Heat. Insects. Tribe members and cameras you can't escape from. What inescapable factors do you think might start to irritate you the most? 
Corné: Possibly the heat and the hunger.
Mark: Human nature because just as much as it always surprises us when people surpass their own expectations, we also get the fighting, arguing and people wanting to give up - the negative side of us humans which I just do not like!

Who is the last person you spoke to when you left South Africa and what did you say?
Corné: To my wife and children and I asked them to pray for me.
Mark: My pregnant fiancé Salomé and my daughter. I love them dearly and the thought of them will get me through the tough times ... for shizzle!

How did you prepare for this physically and mentally?
Corné: It is impossible to prepare for a challenge like Survivor. I want to take each day as it comes, with its own unique set of challenges.
Mark: No preparations, just training as usual. What I am training for is when you don't know what to expect. They always say about Survivor to "expect the unexpected" so that's the biggest thing.


Survivor South Africa: Champions starts today, and is on Sundays at 17:30 on M-Net (DStv 101) with various repeats during the week.

Survivor South Africa: Champions (encore) is on Saturdays on M-Net Series Zone (DStv 115) at 13:00.

BREAKING. The 20 names of the contestants on M-Net's upcoming Survivor South Africa: Champions announced.

M-Net announced the 20 names of the contestants of Survivor South Africa: Champions who will be divided into two tribes of 10 members each, led respectively by former rugby captain Corne Krige and soccer star Mark Fish.

Survivor South Africa: Champions will kick off on the pay-TV broadcaster on Sunday 19 January at 17:30.

The 20 contestants of Survivor South Africa: Champions are:

- Solly Mathiba (32), a sports manager in the Northern Cape.

- Zan Lang (24), a car sales executive with a lot of tattoos.

- Zavion Kotze (24), a gay wedding planner.

- Graham Jenneker (28), a financial manager.

- Sivu Zabanisa (23), an astrophsyics student.

- Killarney Jones (44), a martial artist.

- Marsha Wessels (40), an army sports officer and mother of three.

- Altaaf Sheik (29), an SAAF helicopter pilot from Durban who doesn't eat fish.

- Philip Dickson (32), a fire fighter from KZN who is a perfectionist.

- Stephen Walker (25), a business analyst who is also a commercial diver and former game ranger.

- Marian de Vos (25), an entrepreneur from Johannesburg who owns her own business, The Doll Box.

- Ashleigh Bryant (22), a high school teacher.

- Gena Alkana (29), a PR manager.

- Vel Bodiba (26) an actress who've starred in films on Mzansi Magic and AfricaMagic.

- Buhle Madlala (35), an entrepreneur and mother who plays soccer.

- Moyra Makina (34), an HR director and a vegetarian.

- David de Wet (53), the oldest contestant on Survivor South Africa to date and a farrier: he shoes race horses for a living.

- Shona Macdonald (24), an accounts manager.

- Sonette Myburgh (40), a mortuary assistant who previously appeared on the game show Noot vir Noot.

- Shane Hattingh (42), a media salesman who've designed shoes and worked in counter-intelligence in Afghanistan and has ADD.