Banijay Rights today confirms the return of Big Brother to Mzansi Magic in South Africa following a seven-year hiatus.
Produced by Red Pepper Pictures, Big Brother Mzansi has started casting for a new season to launch on MultiChoice-owned Mzansi Magic in 2022, having last aired on the channel in 2015.
Robin Pollok, VP Sales, Africa, Middle East, Greece & Israel, Banijay Rights, said: “Seven years have passed since Big Brother Mzansi last graced South African viewers’ screens and we couldn’t be happier to work with MultiChoice and Red Pepper Pictures to revive this global phenomenon, which continues to have an enduring appeal worldwide.”
Nomsa Philiso, Executive Head of Programming, M-Net, added: “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 viewer and advertising partners can look forward to a stellar season of Big Brother.”
Big Brother Mzansi hand-picks a group of strangers from all walks of life, sequesters them from the outside world, and places them inside a house outfitted wall-to-wall with cameras and microphones that capture their every move. Competing for a grand cash prize, each week the houseguests battle in a series of challenges, voting each other out until the fate of the final two are decided by a jury of fellow houseguests.
The Big Brother format and finished programmes are represented internationally by Banijay Rights. In 2021, 31 productions of Big Brother aired in 21 markets, with nine VIP productions launching, including a first series run in French Canada and a high-profile comeback for Celebrity Big Brother in Australia. This year, Big Brotherlaunched for the first time in Mongolia, and seven regional productions of the format aired in India.