Somto BisinaBig Brother Africa was a reality TV show that aired from 2003 to 2014, bringing together contestants from different African countries to live in a house while being monitored by cameras and microphones.
The show was a spin-off of the original Dutch reality show, Big Brother, and was created by Endemol, a Dutch television production company. Big Brother Africa aimed to showcase the diversity of African cultures while providing entertainment for viewers across the continent.
Why Did Big Brother Africa End?
In 2014, the show was abruptly cancelled, leaving fans wondering why. The decision to cancel the show was made by M-Net, the South African pay-TV broadcaster that aired the show. M-Net cited the high production costs and declining ratings as reasons for cancelling the show.
Additionally, the show faced several controversies over the years, such as accusations of racism and sexual misconduct among contestants.
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M-Net is the owner of Big Brother Africa, having acquired the rights to produce the show from Endemol. M-Net is a subsidiary of MultiChoice, a South African media company that operates several pay-TV services across Africa.
MultiChoice also produces other reality shows such as Big Brother Naija, which has become one of the most popular TV shows in Nigeria.
Origin Of Big Brother Naija
Big Brother Naija, a spin-off of Big Brother Africa, premiered in 2006 and follows a similar format to Big Brother Africa, with Nigerian contestants living in a monitored house. The show has become a cultural phenomenon in Nigeria, with viewer-ship reaching up to 30 million, and is produced by Endemol Shine Nigeria, a subsidiary of Endemol Shine Group, a global production company.
Several other African countries, including South Africa, Angola, and Ghana, also have their own Big Brother franchises, each with unique twists on the Big Brother format.
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Big Brother Titians
More recently, the Big Brother Franchise created a new show called Big Brother Titans, which is a joint South African and Nigerian edition of the show. The first season premiered on 15 January 2023 and ended on 2 April 2023, featuring contestants from both countries competing for a cash prize at the end of the show. The first season was won by Khosi, while Kanaga Jnr was the runner-up.
The show was co-hosted by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Lawrence Maleka and sponsored by Flutterwave, Bamboo, and Lotto Star. According to the organizers of the show, MultiChoice, the prize money for the winner of the first season was $100,000 (R1.8 million/₦46 million).
A virtual audition was held to select contestants for the show from 6 to 22 October 2022. Interested contestants were told to record and submit a two-minute video stating why they should appear on the show.
The first housemate to be unveiled was a 25-year-old South African female called Khosi who described herself as fun-loving, but ‘serious’.
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The second was a Nigerian, Yemi Cregx, who said he was looking forward to learning more about South Africans in the course of the Show.
Other South African housemates are Juicy Jay, Nelisa, Mmeli, Khosi, Ipeleng, Thabang, Yaya, Khehla, Tsatii, and Justin. Nigerian housemates are Olivia, Blaqboy, Nana, Marvin, Jaypee, Ebubu, Jenni O, Kanaga, and Yvonne.
While the show faced controversies over the years, it remains a significant cultural phenomenon in the African entertainment industry.
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