After taxing biokinetical and psychological tests and a nerve-jangling wait to see who would be South Africa’s first group of Survivors, 14 contestants (out of 18 000 entries) made the grade to compete for the prize of R1m in the hit reality show.
Survivor South Africa’s 14 contestants departed for Panama from Johannesburg on 4 June amid the thick veil of secrecy which surrounded the selection process. They were only allowed to tell those closest to them where they would be disappearing to for a month.
All 14 signed confidentiality agreements, which keep their identities secret for now. M-Net Publicity Manager Lani Lombard says that keeping the 14 contestants’ identities under wraps is a vital part of the Survivor format.
“It’s very difficult to keep a secret as big as the fact that you’ve been chosen as a Survivor South Africa contestant, but it’s vital for the success of the show. Events that transpire on the island during and after the competition are also protected by the agreements they signed, which penalise them heavily should they not comply a€” all in the name of making Survivor South Africa the biggest show of the year.
“There are 14 VERY different people taking part in Survivor South Africa, from diverse backgrounds a€” a surefire hit for creating a fantastic show,” says Lombard.
Production on Survivor South Africa begins shortly, with the show set to premiere on M-Net on Sunday 3 September at 18:00.
