First-Ever local production of Survivor South Africa Boosts Wild Coast Economy by over R10 million
The World’s Greatest Game creates 103 jobs, transfers world-class skills and donates essential materials to local causes
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.
The partnership, which saw the producers employ 103 local people across all departments of the show, also saw a substantial financial injection into the region. “During production, we employed local people as carpenters, set builders, production assistants, camera and grips assistants, lifeguards and security personnel, as well as painters, drivers and art department assistants,” says Creative Producer and Series Director, Leroux Botha. “Besides the skills transferred by the different departments to people who had never worked on a TV set before – let alone a production of the scale of Survivor South Africa - the influx of capital into the Wild Coast post the COVID-19 lockdown made a very big difference in the lives of the people of the area. A lot of the building material for the different challenges were also donated to the local schools and communities”.
ECDC Interim Chief Executive Officer Mandla Mpikashe says that the agency pursued the innovative partnership with M-Net for its potential to unlock economic activities in the province. “Through these strategic partnerships, the objective is to develop the film industry value chain to realize continuous investments, job creation and skills development within the Eastern Cape,” says Mpikashe. “The ECDC investment of R2 million towards the production of Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island in the Wild Coast resulted in an economic impact value of more than R10 million. Of the 103 jobs created by the production, 55 were held by women and 60 were held by local youth.”
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. Botha says that Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island 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.
Botha says that the positive financial impact of hosting the production on the Wild Coast helped offset the area’s losses suffered as a result of the closure of many industries and the sudden halt to tourism – a major financial artery for the area. The production team harnessed the skills and stocks of local wood and steel suppliers, local artists, craftsmen as well as food and drink suppliers and hotel personnel, the numbers of which had to be increased due to the accommodation requirements of the Survivor crew and support staff. “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 says.
South African viewers wanting to relive all the great moments from Survivor SA ahead of the new season can find seasons 6 and 7 on Showmax.
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.
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Friends: The Reunion to Premiere on M-net in Sub-Saharan Africa on Sunday, 30 May 2021
Randburg – Tuesday, 25 May 2021: MultiChoice announced today that FRIENDS: THE REUNION will premiere on M-Net exclusive to DStv on Sunday, 30 May at 20:00 and will be available on streaming service Showmax from Monday, 31 May 2021.
“Friends” stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer return to the iconic comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank for a real-life unscripted celebration of the beloved show.
FRIENDS: THE REUNION will feature a variety of special guest appearances including David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.
Ben Winston directed the special and executive produced along with “Friends” executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. The special hails from Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Fulwell 73 Productions and Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions. Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer executive produced the special. Emma Conway, James Longman and Stacey Thomas-Muir co-executive produced.
ABOUT MULTICHOICE GROUP
MultiChoice Group is one of the fastest-growing video entertainment providers globally, delivering entertainment products and services to 20.1m households across 50 countries on the African continent. Its track record of more than 30 years is reflective of a commitment to deliver quality content anywhere, anytime and on any device through a comprehensive video entertainment offering.
Content is at the very core of the business. MultiChoice Group’s substantial portfolio includes award-winning local content (a key differentiator in its service offering), a leading sports offering (including production capabilities) and access to world-class international content (through long-standing supplier relationships), which is all shared on the group’s platforms: DStv, GOtv, Showmax, M-Net and SuperSport.
ABOUT FRIENDS
“Friends” remains one of television’s most beloved series. One of the highest-rated shows on television in its original network run, the series still remains a perennial go-to in syndication and on streaming services, where it continues to be a smash hit worldwide. A favorite among critics and fans alike throughout its 10-season run, “Friends” not only won the Emmy® for Outstanding Comedy series, but also garnered Emmy® Awards for series stars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. From Warner Bros. Television, Friends follows the lives and loves of a close-knit group of friends living in New York City: siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), along with friends Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston). “Friends” was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
ABOUT WARNER BROS. UNSCRIPTED TELEVISION
Warner Bros. Unscripted Television is the leading producer of unscripted television in America with over 50 series totaling some 2,500 hours of programming annually across broadcast, cable, streaming, digital, and first-run syndication, as well as high-end documentaries. Led by Mike Darnell, President, the division produces major franchises that include the long-running, powerhouse franchise of “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” and “Bachelor in Paradise”; multiple Emmy-winning “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and the primetime hit “Ellen’s Game of Games”; the multi-Emmy-winning blockbuster “The Voice”; the Fox hit “The Masked Dancer”; the Emmy-winning “Who Do You Think You Are?” returning to NBC; “The Real Housewives of New York”; “The Bradshaw Bunch”; “Extra”; and “The Real”; plus, the Greg Berlanti produced signature documentaries “Helter Skelter” for EPIX and “Equal” for HBO Max, among others. The unscripted unit also recently announced “The Wheel”, BBC’s number 1 game show launch in over a decade, coming to NBC; the upcoming hybrid alternative-scripted series “True Story” with Ed Helms and Randall Park; “Ellen’s Next Great Designer” for HBO Max; and the highly anticipated “Friends” reunion coming to HBO Max.
ABOUT FULWELL 73
produces and creates top-quality commercial television, feature and digital productions. As producer of the multi-Emmy and Critics Choice Award–winning “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” with CBS Studios, they have a show which has dominated the digital space with over 7 billion views since their launch in 2015. Other television productions include “Drop the Mic” for TBS, “Carpool Karaoke: The Series” for Apple, Sunderland “’Til I Die” for Netflix, “Game On” for CBS, and in the UK, the highest rated show of the decade, “Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special” for BBC One. Ben Winston, and Fulwell 73, took over the Grammys in 2021.
Fulwell 73 prides itself in making shows with some of the top music and sports talent in the world, making broadcast specials for Bruno Mars, Kacey Musgraves, and David Beckham. They also recently produced “Hitsville: The Making of” Motown for Showtime and “Auschwitz Untold: In Colour” for NatGeo. They were the producers of the most successful sports documentary of all time, “The Class of 92” (Universal Pictures) and the huge box office hit “One Direction 3D: This is Us” (Sony/Columbia).
Fulwell 73 also recently produced the Global Citizens live event from South Africa to celebrate Mandela 100, featuring many artists and hosts including Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey. They are currently in production on their first studio feature film: Cinderella, for Sony Pictures, starring Camila Cabello.
Creative Africa Celebrates Creativity #AfricaMonth and Africa Day 25 May
Africa has creative talent to burn. We spoke to African creative leaders about how pan-African showcases like the Loeries, help promote African talent to the world – and why awards like these, inspire brands to be bolder, and do more creative and effective work.
There is a very human voice to African brand communication, as well as a sense of fun. Lesibane Mohale, Group Creative Director of Ogilvy Africa Group, in Ghana, admires the way “humour is weaved into communication messages”. In Africa, “telecommunications brands thrive on humour and simplicity to connect with consumers,” he says.
Many African creatives are driven by a belief that we can tell better stories by taking inspiration from each other, particularly from the unique and diverse creative resources across the continent. Angolan graphic designer Hilma Sassa feels that Africans don't yet fully value their creative industry and its importance in society, making it harder to get noticed, “As a creative, you may have more luck getting noticed beyond your country, and outside the continent, if you share your work on the international stage.”
That sentiment informs the work of the Loeries, the most prestigious creative awards across Africa and the Middle East. “Our mandate is to showcase the best creative work from the continent, of course. But, it’s equally about helping brands find the right creative team to help them realise their business goals,” says Andrew Human, CEO of the Loeries. “Countries such as Brazil and India are great examples of markets that have entered work into international award shows and won by leveraging locally relevant ideas backed by solid local consumer insights,” says Mohale.
“As a continent, we should champion work that feels unapologetically African so that we can showcase to the world what the continent is truly about.”
As Sassa puts it: “I am stimulated by the diversity of work created in Africa, which is deeply inspired by our culture and tradition. That signature makes it unique and different from the things we see out there.” A similar impulse drives Human, who urges more creatives from around the African continent to enter the Loeries. “The Loeries is the only award in Africa that is recognised by the global WARC Report, which makes the Loeries a unique platform for African excellence on the global stage.” Human says the international standing of the Loeries is the result of a commitment to high standards and an independent and objective judging process. “Every year, we host some of the world's top creative leaders to act as jury presidents, coupled with panels of leading experts from throughout the region. Their objectivity and expert insight is part of what makes the Loeries the benchmark.”
“Entrants know that their work is being held to the highest global standards, and it’s a unique opportunity for African creatives to show the world just how good they are.” About Loeries Africa Middle East: The Loeries, a non-profit company, is Africa and the Middle East’s premiere initiative that recognises, rewards, inspires and fosters creative excellence in the brand communication industry.
As the highest accolade for creativity and innovation across our region, the Loeries promotes and supports creativity by helping marketers, agencies and consumers appreciate the value of ideas and fresh thinking. Culminating in the biggest creative gathering in Africa and the Middle East, Loeries Creative Week Durban brings together the best innovative minds from our industry for a festival of networking, inspiring minds and recognising great work. Our region's creative economy is world-class and has great potential to grow and to offer employment to our talented youth. The growth occurring throughout Africa and the Middle East is very exciting, and a major focus of the Loeries is to increase the standard of brand communication in the region.
DEADLINE FOR 2019 ENTRIES EXTENDED TO 31 MAY
Major Partners: DStv Media Sales, Gearhouse
Category Partners: AB InBev, Barron, Brand South Africa, Facebook, Gagasi FM, Google, JCDecaux, Nando’s, Tsogo Sun, Vodacom, Woolworths
Additional Partners and Official Suppliers: AAA School of Advertising, Antalis South Africa, Aon South Africa, Backsberg, BEE Online, First Source, Fresh RSVP Guest Logistics, Funk Productions, Gallo Images, Grid Worldwide, Hetzner, Mama Creative, Newsclip, Paygate, Rocketseed, Shared Value Initiative, Shift Social Development, Vega School, VQI Communications Nigeria
Endorsed by: Association of Communication and Design, Brand Council South Africa, Commercial Producers Association, Creative Circle, EXCA, IAB, South African Institute of Architects, IID
Official Media Partners Between 10and5, Bizcommunity.com, Book of Swag, Brand Communicator Nigeria, Business Insider by Pulse, Campaign Middle East, Film & Event Media, Modern Marketing, The Redzone.
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Twitter: @loeries Instagram: Loerieawards Facebook: The Loeries
Distributed on behalf of the Loeries by: Riana Greenblo Communications Date: May 16, 2019
For more information, interview requests or high-res images, please contact: Riana Greenblo on 011 3256006; 0825675159 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
