The sun sets on Big Brother Africa

South African Keagan Petersen won Big Brother Africa in 2012.

South African Keagan Petersen won Big Brother Africa in 2012.

Published Jul 31, 2015

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After a whole lot of speculation that Big Brother Africa will not be airing this year, M-Net has confirmed those rumours to be true. However, the channel remained mum about why this development has come to pass. This is their official statement:

“M-Net has announced while regional Big Brother shows are being produced including Big Brother Angola and Big Brother Mzansi, the continental version of the show is currently on hold. Big Brother continues to captivate audiences in each market in which it is produced, and the move to regionalize the show allows producers to re-evaluate the direction of the show. M-Net wish to thank Big Brother Africa fans for their continuous support and assure them that in the future further announcements will be made.”

Last year the show suffered a major blow when the studio it was based in caught on fire a week before the season's commencement. A contingency plan was made and an alternative, but minimalist, home was built from scratch. The run of bad luck continued as changes to SA visa regulations, and the threat of the Ebola virus, saw contestants from some countries canned from the show before they had even entered the house. The show went on later than scheduled and a Tanzanian winner took the prize home.

The speculation around suggests that the show struggled to pull in adequate sponsors to make the venture worthwhile.

The sister show Big Brother Mzansi has proved to be very popular, unearthing new homegrown stars like the popular couples Mandla and Lexi and Ntombi and Ace.

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