Finale of 7th season of Tropika Island of Treasure on SABC3 rigged says viewers after unexpectd win by team Anga Makubalo and Bongs Ndima.

Despondent and shocked viewers are saying the 7th season finale of Tropika Island of Treasure broadcast Monday night on SABC3 is "rigged" after the team of Anga Makubalo (NaakMusiQ) and Bonginkosi Ndima unexpectedly won out over team Siv Ngesi and Khabonina Shabangu in an ugly-looking 12th episode that didn't deliver a pay-off on the narrative that was set out in the preceding 11 episodes.

While team Siv Ngesi and Khabonina Shabangu consistently showed the better team spirit, determination and bigger muscle and strategising brain power in the preceding 11 episodes, the finale of Clover's Tropika Island of Treasure  turned the expected narrative on its head in the 12th episode on Monday night.

Team Siv suddenly floundered, looked defeatist and unsure and uncertain, while Team Anga cruise to a victory that from a viewer perspective just didn't feel right.

Team Anga never won a single challenge during the duration of the season, yet emerged as the winner in the final challenge.

Although the finale of Tropika Island of Treasure fell flat - spectacularly so - the latest 7th season of the series was dramatically better and better produced as a reality show that what's it ever looked before on e.tv and SABC1.

On social media viewers slammed the show after they didn't get the outcome they wanted and that they feel they - and Siv Ngesi and Khabonina Shabangu - deserved, saying the show "showed us that while some work so bloody hard to succeed others easily get it off the plate".

"What nonsense bull just happened in the finale with that puzzle ... Team Siv deserved to win", "#TIOT7 looks rigged to me! Typical reality show ... has to end with an underdog victory" are just some of the comments people made on social media who were not impressed with the Tropika Island of Treasure finale.

Even comedian Donovan Goliath weighed in saying "Hmmmm something feels off. Rigged perhaps."

"#TIOT7 was rigged," said I Am Jeffrey. "Wow. 'Reality' TV. That seemed authentic. TV makers love to stage an underdog story," said Angel Campey.

"Hello SABC3, how do I delete a rigged episode of your kak show #TIOT7? You wasted my damn time," asked Ayesha.

Miantha Padayachee, Tropika brand manager told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that "there are hundreds of thousands of viewers all of which are entitled to their own opinions". "We have built a loyal and passionate following during the 7th season. Favourite teams were selected by viewers and that was incredible to watch on social media every week. We are proud of season 7 and are looking forward to planning season 8."

There will be a Tropika Island of Treasure Reunion Special episode on Monday 19 June at 19:30 on SABC3.

The 7th season of Tropika Island of Treasure, although it had a very small audience following its flip from SABC1 to SABC3, was a ratings hit given the SABC3 demo, with episodes managing to rate high enough to secure spots on SABC3's most watched list in April and May.

This, together with the metric of strong social media engagement from viewers, makes an 8th season of Tropika Island of Treasure very likely.

Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles on SABC3: Presenter Minnie Dlamini dishes on being in a bikini while games master Jonathan Boynton-Lee calls it his 'nicest shoot ever'.

Minnie Dlamini says being in a bikini the whole time while filming Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles was different from any TV work she's done before, while games master Jonathan Boynton-Lee says it was his "nicest shoot ever".

The telly twosome are centrestage in the Seychelles from tonight at 19:30 on SABC3 when the 7th season, after last week's first episode introducing the various contestants, kicks off with the first episode and first challenge filmed in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

ALSO READ: Red carpet photos of the Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles press launch event.

Presenting Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles "was a lot of hard work," Minnie Dlamini tells TVwithThinus.

"We were shooting every single day, very, very long hours so it was a lot of work but it was very rewarding. I really can't wait for everyone to see the show."

She said this show was different from other TV gigs "because first of all I'm in a bikini the whole time - that was different. But it was also a lot of fun to just be in such a great environment. It was like holiday shooting - beautiful sunsets, incredible beaches, incredible scenery."

"One of the things about this season is that the consumer contestants [who each compete with a celebrity contestant] are stars in their own right," says Minnie Dlamini. "People are going to fall in love with them."

"There's always twists in this show. Your firm favourites to win might not become your favourites towards the middle of the season - a lot of surprise eliminations, and of course a lot of surprises - it's going to be a good show".

Jonathan Boynton-Lee who is the games master -a new role and element this season - tells TVwithThinus that although viewers will see a beautiful show they won't realise how much hard work actually goes into it to make it look beautiful.

"It's long hours and people don't see all of the hard work that goes in behind-the-scenes; the massive number of crew getting the shots and the 10 cameramen and the sound guys and the directors and everyone setting up the games."

"We had a crew of over 50 people there and the amount of work and dedication that goes into the show is crazy."

"This really is going to be the most epic season. These games were so well designed that there's never a point during the competition where you could say this or that team is going to take the challenge - all of them are the perfect balance of physical and mental - and that is what makes for great television".

He said being on the Seychelles was "the nicest shoot ever. I was living on a tropical island for three weeks. It was awesome. It's like being stranded on an island - but in luxury. It was definitely a highlight of my career so far doing Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles."

Cool theme song
In another first, Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles has a theme song, sung by the celebrity contestants Karlien van Jaarsveld, Emtee and Anga Makubalo (NaakMusiQ) in a 3-way collaboration. "It was a great experience and turned out even better than what we even hoped for," Karlien van Jaarsveld told TVwithThinus.

"Originally it would have been just a short theme song for the show specifically, but now it's being used as a full song that people can download with the proceeds from the song sold on iTunes and Google Play going to the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC).

"It's amazing for me how incredibly talented Emtee is," says Karlien van Jaarsveld. "They said they wanted a rap influence within the song. Emtee literally went and sat outside for 5 minutes, wrote a rap, and that's the very rap infused melody that's incorporated into the song. Very, very talented."


Contestant chemistry
Miantha Padayachee, Tropika brand group manager says "we've really upped the stakes for the 7th season".

"We interviewed over 3 000 people and found out lucky 7 consumer contestants. I think the most amazing thing for me is to see how the celebrity contestants form friendships with the consumer contestants."

"While we were in the Seychelles filming, I knew that we were filming a world-class show".

Hamilton Ngubo, SABC3 programme manager, said that "at SABC3 we're really excited. This season on SABC3 comes as we're launching new shows in April. We're looking forward to seeing the chemistry between the celebrities and the consumer contestants".

Minnie Dlamini joins SuperSport and Mzansi Magic; will present shows across SuperSport on DStv, as well as a new lifestyle show on Mzansi Magic.

Minnie Dlamini has joined SuperSport and Mzansi Magic as a presenter after dumping the SABC and will soon present a new lifestyle and entertainment show on Mzansi Magic, co-produced by SuperSport.

In October 2016 Minnie Dlamini gave the SABC a week's notice that she's done presenting SoccerZone on SABC1 with the show that's been seeing a viewership drop.

Minnie Dlamini will however still appear on the South African public broadcaster in March when she pop up as the presenter of the 7th season of Clover's advertiser-funded production (AFP) Tropika Island of Treasure moving from SABC1 to SABC3.

Minnie Dlamini has become the latest of former SABC on-air talent, like Carol Tshabalala and others, who've jettisoned the public broadcaster to move over to more substantial and higher prestige TV productions on South African pay-television.

The 26-year old will present on several SuperSport shows broadcast across MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform including Love PSL and Super Diski, besides an entertainment lifestyle show, co-produced by SuperSport, for Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

Minnie Dlamini already played host of the PSL Awards for several years and made appearances in M-Net and Mzansi Magic shows like The Wild and Rockville.

"The World of Champions family is very happy to welcome Minnie," says Gideon Khobane, SuperSport CEO.

"She's a dynamic person who numbers among the country's top movers and shakers. She's plugged into the lifestyle of sport and will be able to tell those stories in her own inimitable fashion".

"Sport is part of my DNA," says Minnie Dlamini in a statement about joining SuperSport.

"I couldn't be happier right now than to be a part of such an incredible leading international brand like SuperSport. Exciting times ahead."

Minnie Dlamini turns Tropika's TV paradise into hell as conflict erupts in the Seychelles after presenter discovers producers' plan to give her a co-host.

Presenter Minnie Dlamini has turned Tropika's TV paradise into living hell for the producers with her alleged diva demands and fighting in front of the contestants.

The advertiser-funded show's upcoming season on SABC3 started filming last week in the Seychelles.

Minnie Dlamini abruptly resigned as the co-presenter on SABC1's SoccerZone two weeks ago after jetting off to the Seychelles to present Clover's revived Tropika Island of Treasure.

The show is filming its 7th season and will jump from SABC1 to SABC3 when it is broadcast in March 2017, courting a more upmarket and sophisticated consumer audience. 

Sunday World reports that the embattled Tropika Island of Treasure producers went as far as eventually reaching out to the SABC to try and salvage the situation when Minnie Dlamini allegedly refused to come to an agreement over production issues that threatened to shipwreck the show running on a very tight production schedule.

Sponsor Clover, running the revived TV show under its Tropika brand, and the producers allegedly became fed up with Minnie Dlamini's diva demands.

Already on a tight production budget, the show's producers bristled when Minnie Dlamini demanded that her entourage accompany her to the Seychelles a day before she was supposed to fly from South Africa to the island paradise. She wanted her own stylist and social media team to go with her as well.

Minnie Dlamini allegedly went ballistic in the Seychelles when she found out that the Tropika Island of Treasure producers had decided to tweak the show format and add a co-presenter.

The production earlier this year announced that Jonathan Boynton-Lee, a presenter on SABC3's Top Billing will be brought in in the new role of Games Master on the 7th season of Tropika Island of Treasure who will encourage and talk the various teams through the challenges that will include physical and mental puzzles.

Minnie Dlamini had no problem with that. 

She was however angered when she discovered, after arriving in the Seychelles, that Cardova Productions wanted to add a full co-presenter with whom she would have to share the spotlight.

Conflict erupted since Minnie Dlamini who co-hosted on SoccerZone, doesn't want a co-presenter.

In a statement Minnie Dlamini says "Cardova and Tropika offered me the sole hosting position of the upcoming season which I signed on for. I specifically asked not to be considered if they were looking for two presenters."

"The last minute they wanted to introduce a co-host which I refused as per the initial agreement. There was conflict on the island as a result," says Minnie Dlamini.

According to the producers Minnie Dlamini got her way to take her own hair stylist along to the Seychelles but the request for a social media team was axed since the show already organised social media people to document the activities.

Clover revives Tropika Island of Treasure for a 7th season as the advertiser-funded show jumps from SABC1 to SABC3; returns celebrity contestants.

The Island of Treasure advertiser-funded show is returning for a 7^th season and is now looking for contestants as its switches from SABC1 to SABC3.

The show, known for its bad production values over the years, reached its bottom with the 5^th season in February 2013 when the SABC and Clover went ahead with the tasteless broadcast starting two days after Reeva Steenkamp who was a celebrity contestant in the show, was brutally shot and killed by the paralympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius.

A forgettable and very badly done 6^th season followed that had no celebrities. 

Now the brand campaign show is trying again, switching away from SABC1 to SABC3's more upmarket audience, returning celebrities who will take part with members of the public, upping the production values with a new production company, adding creative changes and increasing the season episode order to 13.

I requested publicity and marketing images from the Clover produced show but days later after the PR company told me there isn't any and will send when they're available, basically what there appear to be available is the show logo for the upcoming Seychelles season.

Minnie Dlamini will be the presenter of the new 7^th season of Tropika Island of Treasure set to be filmed in October in the Seychelles, with Top Billing presenter Jonathan Boynton-Lee in a new role as the "Games Master" who will encourage and talk the various teams through the challenges that will include physical and mental puzzles.

The celebrity contestants for the 7^th season include Siv Ngesi, Zakeeya Patel, Maurice Paige, Karlien van Jaarsveld, EmTee, Anga Makubalo and Jessica Nkosi.

"We are so excited about the new season of Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles," says Miantha Padayachee, brand group manager for Tropika.

People have to buy the fruit juice between July and September for the packaging barcode in order to be able to enter, and indicate what celebrity they want to team up with.

After that the celebrity contestants will choose the member of the public they want to try and win the competition with, as the seven different teams compete against each other in the Seychelles.