For the first time in the series’ 8-season history, Survivor South Africa was filmed on home soil on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape thanks to an innovative partnership with the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) – resulting in job creation, upskilling, and a much-needed financial boost to the region.
When restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic meant that production had to be kept close to home, producers from Afrokaans Film & Television immediately turned to the Wild Coast as a location, with its lush jungles and desolate beaches a perfect fit for the show’s challenging requirements.
The production saw producers employ 103 local people across all departments of the show, from carpenters to set builders, production assistants, camera and grips assistants, lifeguards and security personnel, as well as painters, drivers, and art department assistants.
And post-production, a lot of the building materials for the different challenges were also donated to the local schools and communities.
Survivor Creative Producer and Series Director, Leroux Botha says of the locally made season, “ “As the producers of Survivor South Africa, we would like to thank the people of the Eastern Cape for their wonderful contributions to the 8th season of the show. It’s shaping up to be our best season yet, and the way the show looks feels, and showcases the region would not have been possible without the tenacity, dedication, and skill of the local people and the support of the ECDC.” He also believes that this season is going to put the Wild Coast – and the Eastern Cape – on the global map for other Survivor territories to possibly use the area as a location.
Algoa Country will remember when PE's Tom Swartz won Survivor SA: Phillippines in 2018, walking away with the million rand prize after 39 grueling episodes. Can we do it again? The Eastern Cape is represented this time round in the form of PE-born Marketing Officer Thoriso M-Afrika from Uitenhage. Thorisa describes herself as, 'The eternal optimist, fiercely loyal and a colorful character who lives in my own world'. She says, "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." Best of luck Thorisa!
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Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island is produced by Afrokaans and once more hosted by Nico Panagio. The series will premiere on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) on Thursday 3 June at 19:30. For exclusive show content visit the M-Net website, and join the conversation with #SurvivorSA and #mnet101 on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Take a look at the trailer right here :
