Twelve seasons on, “Tropika Island of Treasure” is still asking celebrities and everyday South Africans to compete side by side for treasure.
As the show returns for its 12th season, brand manager Sveti Kovatcheva spoke to “The National” about what has kept audiences watching this long, and why the team refused to let familiarity carry the new season on its own.
Filmed on Réunion Island, it will see eight celebrities, Nadia Nakai, Caster Semenya, Francois Hougaard, Leandie du Randt, Sandile Mahlangu, Amanda du-Pont, Lalela Mswane and Wiseman Mncube, paired with eight members of the public competing for the treasure.
Kovatcheva said it was rare for a heritage brand to have its own television show at all, let alone one still running strong after this many seasons.
“I think audiences keep coming back because 'Tropika Island of Treasure' offers such a special combination of adventure, competition, humour and authentic human connection,” she said.
She put the show’s longevity down to its combination of adventure, competition, humour and genuine human connection, and to a tone that has stayed, in her words, “fun, optimistic and proudly South African”.
Beyond entertainment, Kovatcheva pointed to something more personal in the format.
“The show also has the ability to genuinely change people’s lives. Viewers get to see a completely different side of their favourite celebrities, outside their normal environments, without the usual filters and under real pressure.
“Everyday South Africans are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel, compete and stand side by side with those celebrities. That is something truly special,” she said.
The history was not something the team leaned on going into Season 12, Kovatcheva said.
“After 12 seasons, we knew we could not rely on nostalgia alone. This season needed to feel bigger, fresher and more visually exciting, while still protecting the heart of what audiences love.”
According to her, Réunion Island gave the production a new setting, and the team raised the level of competition and added unexpected moments meant to deepen the audience’s connection to the contestants. As she put it, “we did not want to change the soul of the show, we wanted to elevate it”.
Asked how a format this recognisable stays relevant after so long, Kovatcheva credited the people rather than the structure.
No two celebrities or contestants bring the same personality, background or strength into the competition, she said, and placing them in unfamiliar, high-pressure situations is what produces completely new relationships and storylines each season.
Frequent twists throughout the run keep both contestants and viewers from getting too comfortable, so that neither side knows quite what to expect next.
She said the meaning of the format lies in what develops once the pairs are formed.
“They become a team, embrace their team flavour and often become each other’s closest friend and greatest support throughout the experience,” Kovatcheva said.
What stood out to her this season, she said, was how quickly the line between celebrity and fan disappeared once pairs came together as teams.
“This season, the cast connected exceptionally well. I genuinely believe we will see lifelong friendships come out of this journey.”
Kovatcheva also spoke to what keeps South African viewers invested year after year.
“South African audiences value authenticity. They can immediately tell when something feels forced. They connect most strongly with people who are genuine, relatable and unafraid to be themselves.”
She described South Africa as a country that likes to unite behind something, whether it’s rugby, music or television, adding that culture and family matter deeply to how South Africans experience a show like this together.
Representation, she said, is essential, since the show needs to reflect the country’s different cultures and communities in a way that feels more natural than staged.
Media personality Zanele Potelwa, who returns to host the season after a “Best TV Presenter” South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) nomination for her work hosting “Tropika Island of Treasure: Zanzibar”, reflected a similar balance between consistency and change.
“It’s such an honour to be called back to be at the helm of a legacy show that I love so much, and the fact that we didn’t win the award made me want to make a season that brings it home this time around.
“We were incredibly proud of last season and that’s my attitude going in; wanting to make a season we can be proud of,” said Potelwa.
She described this season as a different milestone for her personally. Her first season as host, she said, had been about proving to herself that she could do the job.
“This time around, it was about seeing how far we can take it and truly settling into this role and being a host that the contestants and South Africans can know that they're in good hands with.”
On working with contestants under pressure, Potelwa's account echoed Kovatcheva’s emphasis on unscripted connection.
“I’ve learnt that I need to be patient with everyone around me, stay calm and be ready for anything. ‘Tropika Island of Treasure’ is one of those shows where anything can happen, and that’s why I always walk into the season ready, steadfast in what my role as the host is and trusting the incredible team that I get to work with,” she said.
What Kovatcheva’s insights ultimately point to is a show still testing whether familiarity and freshness can coexist. Twelve seasons of audience trust bought “Tropika Island of Treasure” the benefit of the doubt, but as she made clear, that trust still has to be renewed every season it airs.
The new season premieres on Wednesdays from September 23 at 9pm on SABC 1, with a repeat every Thursday from September 24 at 6pm on S3.
nomathamsanqa.sithathu@nationalmg.co.za