Marketing officer roughs it in new season of ‘Survivor SA’
She describes herself as a creature of comfort who is neither adventurous nor physically active, yet this Gqeberha marketing officer is among 20 cast members competing on the cut-throat adventure reality show, Survivor SA: Immunity Island.
The last time Thoriso MAfrika, 36, voluntarily took part in an outdoor activity was when she camped in high school almost 20 years ago.
However, the Makhanda Victoria Girls High alumnus’s curiosity overpowered her taste for the comfortable life, prompting her to try for a spot on the show.
“I am neither an active nor adventurous person.
“I find the whole notion of camping ludicrous; I generally don’t do things which make no sense to me,” M-Afrika said.
One might wonder then why M-Afrika landed on Survivor SA: Immunity Island ,a show where castaways spend weeks navigating the wild to earn the title of “Sole Survivor” and walk away with R1m.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the strategic acumen necessary to successfully navigate the game — it’s what makes the show worth watching,” she said.
Out of all the contestants she also remained closest to home, with the latest season filmed on the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast.
But had she done it all alone without her fellow castaways, she joked, she would probably have died.
“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 said.
The show’s cast and crew started filming in November and wrapped up mid-December to begin the post-production process.
It was the first time in its eight seasons that the show was filmed in SA.
Previous seasons were filmed in exotic locations like the Philippines, Santa Carolina in Mozambique, Malaysia and the Pearl Islands in Panama.
Though she had followed previous seasons of the show on TV, M-Afrika said experiencing the challenges firsthand proved to her that she had underestimated Survivor.
“I certainly underestimated what I had seen on TV.
“I knew external factors wouldn’t bother me but I didn’t realise the extent to which I would have [to] prepare myself mentally for each activity.
“I understand why players return multiple times — the entire experience is addictive,” she said.
Asked what her best and worst outdoor experiences were, she quipped: “Does watching cricket on a windy day at St George’s Park count?”
M-Net Channels director Jan du Plessis said the series was shaping up to be the best ever in Survivor SA history.
“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.”
M-Afrika said viewers would witness her internal conflicts as she tried to maintain human dignity while advancing in the game at the expense of fellow castaways.
“Watching me attempt to be amiable towards characters I consider abhorrent and having to bite my tongue when speaking my mind is natural, should be worth watching,” she said.
The season is produced by Afrokaans Film and Television and hosted by Nico Panagio.
Eastern Cape Development Corporation spokesperson Nobulali Myataza said featuring the province on Survivor SA was an opportunity to showcase its offerings.
Survivor SA: Immunity Island will air on M-Net, DStv channel 101, on June 3 at 7.30pm.