Zanele Potelwa On The Twists, Triumphs And Emotion Of Hosting Tropika Island Of Treasure Season 12

The competition is officially underway, and Tropika Island of Treasure Season 12 is already delivering the drama, big personalities and unexpected twists that have made it one of South Africa’s favourite reality television shows. 

Set against the spectacular backdrop of Réunion Island, the latest season sees celebrity contestants and their Smooth Fan partners go head-to-head in a series of challenges that test their physical abilities, mental strength, alliances and determination to win. 

Guiding viewers through every triumph, tense moment and eliminations is returning host Zanele Potelwa, who says being part of the long-running show continues to be a dream come true. 

For Zanele, the magic of Season 12 lies not only in the competition itself, but also in the people behind it. From the dynamic cast to the crew working tirelessly behind the scenes, she says the collective effort has made this a season to remember. 

As the game unfolds, viewers can expect plenty of emotion, shifting alliances and surprises, with Zanele promising that the unpredictability is far from over.

Now, Zanele shares what it is like to return as host, what has surprised her most about this season’s contestants, how she navigates the competition’s biggest personalities and what else she has planned for the rest of 2026.

You’re back as the host of Tropika Island of Treasure for Season 12. What has it been like stepping back into the role and seeing the new season finally on screen?

It’s been absolutely magical. It’s a dream come true, and it truly excites me more with every episode because I’m reminded of just how AWESOME our cast is, but also how the whole team, from crew to makeup and wardrobe and everyone else involved, truly banded together to make sure we have the most memorable season yet. It’s such a privilege to be the host of this legacy show that only continues to go from strength to strength. It makes me so excited for everyone to see how it all unfolds.

The casting is incredible. The celebrity and consumer contestants are so dynamic and entertaining this season. What has surprised you most about this season’s cast?

The most surprising thing for me has been seeing how much our cast has poured themselves into the game. There are lots of tears and lots of tenacity shown, but most importantly, there’s lots of heart. You can see everyone giving their everything and the amount of love they have for each other is beautiful to witness. You see it in the beautiful bonds being built with all the contestants and how they truly help each other along the way. As teams, they all have their eye on the prize, but they also all truly adore their teammates.

We’ve already seen some strong personalities emerge. As the host, how do you manage those big personalities when the competition starts getting intense?

Thankfully, I have my mother’s personality. She’s a whole lot of fun, but when it’s time to put her foot down or it’s time to be serious, we need to do exactly that. I understand that as the host, there’s a time for everything. I can also tell you that I am working with absolute professionals who understand that very same thing, and they are some of the easiest people to work with, so I don’t think I had to manage too much. They play the game while also respecting it and respecting everyone concerned, including me (and that’s mutual), and I love working with our celeb and Smoooth Fan superstars.

We’ve already seen the first Sunset Ceremony play out. What is it like standing in that moment, knowing that someone’s Tropika Island of Treasure journey could be about to change completely?

I think I find myself feeling most empathetic in those moments because they ALL really want it. They all want it for different reasons, whether you’re the graduate who needs a jump-start for your life or the athlete who only knows how to win, they all really want that top spot. I empathise with them because, as someone who’s been part of a competition, I know it’s incredibly nerve-racking when you don’t know how something is going to play out, especially when there are spanners in the works, like the mystery boxes or unexpected twists and turns. 

We’ve seen alliances starting to form already. From your perspective, what makes a strong alliance on Tropika Island of Treasure? Is it trust, strategy, friendship, or having the right people around you?

For a good alliance to work, you’ve got to be able to trust the people and choose the right people. I personally don’t think that friendship plays much of a role in it. You’ve got to pick strategy over friendship and play the game with the intention of winning. The trust is not only about trusting that they’ll keep to their word, but it’s also got to be a team you can trust to help you win a squad game. To choose the correct alliance, you have to ask, “Who can help us get to the finale?” because after that, it’s every team for themselves.

There have already been some big twists and unexpected moments. Without giving anything away, can viewers expect the game to become even more unpredictable as the season continues?

It’s Tropika Island of Treasure, which has always been unpredictable. Imagine we gave away a shared one million rand with a predictable game? That wouldn’t be Tropika Island of Treasure, and that wouldn’t be smooooth. I still have many tricks and surprises up my sleeve and you’ll have to watch to find out, but I can tell you, it’s so worth it.

Réunion Island is such a spectacular backdrop for the season. Did there ever come a moment when you had to remind yourself that you were working and not actually on holiday?

Oh, most definitely! What a stunning piece of heaven. Every part of Réunion Island is so unique in every way. Réunion shows off more and more in every episode, and I’m obsessed. I definitely had to consistently remind myself we were working when we were by the beach or somewhere near the volcano. The landscapes are truly breathtaking, and the food was incredible as well. French pastries in a French territory? Yes, please! 

Outside of Tropika Island of Treasure, what does the rest of 2026 look like for you?

I’m so excited to end this year on a high! I’m still working on my clothing line, and I’m going to be hosting more events and starting something exciting with my bestie, Candice Sello. Podcasts are loading all around, and we have some exciting projects like ‘5 Drive Gets High’ coming up for 5FM, so we’re definitely finishing off this year and starting the new one with a quantum leap.

Catch Tropika Island Of Treasure every Wednesday at 21:00 on SABC 1, with a repeat every Thursday at 18:00 on S3.