Big Brother Africa is a South African reality television competition based on the international format Big Brother and produced by Endemol South Africa, in which 12 (14 in Season 4) contestants - each from different African countries - live together under 24-hour camera surveillance for 91 days, and are voted out weekly by viewers until one person is crowned the winner and receives a substantial cash prize.
The series premiered in South Africa on M-Net and across Africa on DStv's M-Net Africa channels on 25 May, 2003, with a live 24-hour feed on Channel 37. After two seasons the live feed was moved to Channel 198, with Channel 197 being added as a live alternate feed in Season 8.
Aside from the live, 24-hour channels, the series has aired on numerous other channels since its inception, including:
AfricaMagic
AfricaMagic Plus
M-Net Africa
DStv Mobile
Magic World
Mzansi Magic
AfricaMagic Entertainment
AfricaMagic Showcase
AfricaMagic Family
AfricaMagic World
It's a slacker's dream - getting off work for up to three and a half months, lounging in the jacuzzi for hours on end, achieving fifteen minutes of notoriety, and the possibility of winning a huge amount of money.
This is Big Brother Africa.
Fourteen people from 14 African countries enter the Big Brother Africa household and live there with television cameras watching their every move 24/7. The only contact they have with the outside world is the disembodied voice of Big Brother, who controls what they are allowed to do.
Every couple of weeks some people are nominated for eviction. It is then up to the audience to vote for who they want to see gone. Popularity and entertainment are key or else the viewers will eat you alive.
The one who manages to avoid eviction until the end and garners the most audience support wins a big cash prize.
The participating African countries that have been represented across the seasons are:
Angola
Botswana
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Liberia
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Winners
Season 1: Cherise Makubale (Zambia)
Season 2: Richard Bezuidenhout (Tanzania)
Season 3: Ricco Venancio (Angola)
Season 4: Kevin Chuwang (Nigeria)
Season 5: Uti Nwachukwu (Nigeria)
Season 6: Wendall Parson (Zimbabwe) and Karen Igho (Nigeria)
Season 7: Keagan Petersen (South Africa)
Season 8: Dillish Matheus (Namibia)
Season 9: Idris Sultan (Tanzania)