Survivor South Africa: Panama

Updated on Dec 15, 2023

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Location(s) Pearl Islands, Panama
Original release 2006-09-03 – 2006-11-26 Followed by Survivor South Africa: Malaysia

Survivor South Africa: Panama is the first season of the South African reality television show Survivor South Africa, a spin-off from the popular US reality television series Survivor, which itself was a spin-off from the Swedish Expedition Robinson. It was set in Panama, with 14 castaways who competed in two tribes for 29 days, the winner's prize being R1,000,000.

Production of the show has been slated by critics, since it was screened on M-Net from September 2006. Critics have cited poor production quality, a weak host in Mark Bayly, and contestants that just simply all get along too well because they were picked from similar middle-class backgrounds and were in similar age brackets. Bayly has been singled out by newspaper columnists in The Star and Weekender for being staid and wooden who has difficulty delivering his lines on national television. The quality of the sound production, where waves often deafen out the talking of the contestants, has been singled out of criticism. The editing quality, which would often see tribal councils take up a quarter of the show, has also been slated.

The second season of the show, titled Survivor South Africa: Malaysia, was filmed and aired in 2007.

Elimination notes

Don - After 3 days in his tribe, he isolated himself from his tribe due to not feeling well. He wasn't the intended target for Tribal Council, but after a comment made the tribe voted for him. Don later stated that he was a bit delusional at Tribal council.(voted out 4-3)

Sam - He was seen as the clear leader of his tribe, but after confrontation between Mzi and himself it caused him to be the main target after Aguila lost immunity (voted out 5-2)

Jude - Jude lay down her torch after she felt worried for her health. Even though Jude left the game, Aguila still had to vote someone out of the game. Nico was voted out of the game, but instead of leaving, he would receive a black vote at his next Tribal Council. (voted out 4-1)

Ncumisa - Her tribe was split in two with Lezel in the middle with alliances with both groups. Lezel betrayed Ncumisa and sided with the future Rana 4 alliance. (voted out 4-2)

Sanele - A previous injury from a challenge which he came out a hero in caused Sanele to leave the game a while for medical test. He was declared not to go back in the game, and gave the opportunity of letting the next castaway voted out to stay in the game. Danielle from Rana was voted out and moved over to Aguila due to this (voted out 3-2)

Danielle - Even though she had moved from Rana. Danielle was seen as a liability later on in the game post-merger by Mzi. She had said that she wouldn't side with her previous tribe, but it was too late. Nico's black vote was used in Tribal council. (voted out 3-2-1)

Nico - He had isolated himself from his tribe due to his clashing personality. His tribe wanted to get rid him for a while. At the most important immunity challenge which would decide the numbers in the post-merge tribe, he caused Aguila to lose the challenge. (voted out 3-1)

Brigitte - After the merger in her new tribe, Burba, she was the first victim of the Rana 4 alliance. She was the first person to be secretly exiled on Deadman's Island. (voted out 4-3)

Mzi - The second victim to the Rana 4. The second victim of Deadman's Island. (voted out 4-2)

Vanessa - The last victim of the Rana 4. She tried to break up the alliance, but didn't win the immunity that would insure her plan of staying on the island. The third victim of Deadman's Island. (voted out 4-1)

Lezel - Under the false pretences that they were the final 4 in the game. The Rana 4 Alliance broke all pacts and scrambled to make alliances into the final 3. Gareth won Immunity for the fourth time in a row and became the head of the tribe. Lezel couldn't give Gareth her word on voting and he decided that she had to go. The last victim of Deadman's Island. (voted out 3-1)

Gareth - When Mzi and Vanessa rejoined Burba after winning Deadman's Island, they convince Zayn to vote against Jacinda. They changed their minds after they saw a danger of keeping Gareth if they stuck with Zayn, so they went with Jacinda to vote Gareth off. (voted 3-1-1)

Zayn - In the proper final 4 immunity challenges, the format of the game changed. The first person to fall off the endurance challenge would be eliminated from the game and join the jury.

Mzi - Being the second castaway falling off the endurance challenge, he and Jacinda were made to compete in the final challenge to join Vanessa in the Final Two Tribal Council that night. Mzi narrowly lost.

Jacinda - In the Final Tribal Council, Jacinda was questioned for her honesty to former tribemates. And eventually lost out on the prize by one vote.

Vanessa - Vanessa was seen as an observer in both of her tribes, Aguila and Burba, and was portrayed as riding on Mzi's coattails after winning Deadman's Challenge. But her strategy and her morals earned her the million rand prize. (voted 3-2)

References

Survivor South Africa: Panama Wikipedia

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