Big Brother Africa is back after a seven year hiatus. The South African TV network, Mzansi Magic announced the return of this classic reality television show.
The show is expected to be launched in 2022.
According to news reports, casting has begun in earnest for the show.
It has been tagged ‘Big Brother Mzansi’, and produced by Randburg-based Red Pepper Pictures.
Red Pepper Pictures are the same producers of the Nigerian edition of Big Brother Africa.
M-Net’s Executive Head of Programming, Nomsa Philiso, confirmed the forthcoming of Big Brother Africa show.
This year marks 20 years since the very first Big Brother on MultiChoice’s M-Net and we are excited to celebrate this milestone by commissioning a new Big Brother season, which will be housed under our Mzansi Magic stable.This is a show that has always delivered top ratings and entertainment value, and our viewers and advertising partners can look forward to a stellar season of Big Brother.
M-Net’s Executive Head of Programming, Nomsa Philiso
The last season of the show was aired in 2015 with Ace Khumalo and Ntombi Tshabalala emerging winners.
Prior to its hiatus, the show hosted in South Africa, saw contestants from 12 African countries, including Nigeria, and saw the rise to fame of quite a number of celebrated media personalities across the Continent.
Big Brother Africa History
Big Brother Africa is the African version of the international reality television franchise Big Brother created by producer John de Mol in 1997.
The show was first aired in 2003 for one season on M-Net and broadcast to audiences in 42 African countries. In 2007, the show was back from four-year hiatus, until it got cancelled after season nine in 2014.
The African version initially involved 12 countries within Africa.
These are Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe with two countries Ethiopia and Mozambique being added in season 4 and two other countries Liberia and Sierra Leone being added in season 7 while Rwanda was added in season 9.
Each country provides at least one contestant living in an isolated house while trying to avoid being evicted by viewers and ultimately winning a large cash prize at the end of the show.
The show is co-produced by Endemol South Africa.