Survivor South Africa: Philippines ‘Godfather’ Werner lost his grip on his alliance for the first time this season and was sensationally voted out of the game within sniffing distance of the Final, on the penultimate episode of the show tonight (9 August). Long-time alliance member Jeanne – who Werner saved from certain elimination last week by handing his Hidden Immunity Idol to her – led the revolution, convincing Tom and Annalize that none of the trio had any chance of winning the R1 Million prize and ‘Sole Survivor’ title if they were pitted against him in the Final.
Jeanne was emboldened by her epic victory in the biggest Immunity Challenge in Survivor South Africa history, finishing up the grueling ‘Dragon’s Breath’ obstacle course in last place, but completing the final leg – a 3D hanging puzzle – ahead of her fellow Castaways to claim the Individual Immunity Necklace for the first time this season. Backed by the knowledge that she was safe from the Tribal Council vote and that Werner wasn’t able to play any more Immunity Idols, she convinced Tom to forsake his sworn word to Werner that he’d never vote against him and amazed Annalize with her plan to ditch ‘The Don’ at the first opportunity.
After the Immunity Challenge, Werner had made a public show of taking each of the Castaways aside for individual conversations on the Araw beach as he attempted to engineer his path to the Final 3 – but Jeanne had other plans and didn’t have to work too hard to convince Tom and Annalize that they each stood a better chance of winning if he were on the Jury, rather than sat alongside them.
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Variously referred to as ‘the bus driver’, ‘the Mafia Don’, ‘the kingpin’, ‘the Godfather’ and ‘the neck that turns the head’ throughout the game as he seemingly bossed proceedings at Mindanao, Luzon and Araw, Werner kicked off the show by declaring that his role as a Pastor made people trust him. Using his ability to relate to a variety of people bought him time when he needed it, brought trust when required and helped cement his position at the pinnacle of the tribal food chain – until this week.
He very publicly claimed two Hidden Immunity Idols during the course of the game – in Episode 3 at the balance beam challenge and again in Episode 6 when he scooped the one Ace had so frantically been digging for – and used them to rally allies around him. Although he’d been part of an alliance which included Jeanne right from the start of the game, he considered cutting her loose twice – first in Episode 5 after he felt she held the new Luzon tribe back during physical challenges and again in Episode 7 when she openly shared strategic information with new tribe members Katinka and Annalize after the tribe swap. Katinka approached him to vote Jeanne out in Episode 8, but an Immunity Challenge win again put the move on ice. Werner continued to pull the strings on the Araw beach after Merge, sanctioning exits for Chané, Palesa and PK and showing his power in Episode 14 when he caught wind of Katinka’s plot to oust him by working to send her home, too.
This week’s Reward Challenge saw the Castaways ‘high-stepping’ their way through a swaying frame and attempting to stack a series of wooden blocks with the aim of tipping them over, domino-style, to ring a gong. The lead changed hands several times, but it was Tom who eventually kept his wits about him to ring the gong first. His reward was an afternoon spa experience – to be shared with a partner of his choice - and a Huawei P20 Pro mobile phone of his own. He chose Jeanne to be his spa buddy, sending Annalize and Werner back to Araw, empty-handed. While the two luxuriated in their first hot shower for 37 days and enjoyed a relaxing massage, Jeanne capitalized on the opportunity to plant the seed in Tom’s mind that they had to send Werner packing at the first opportunity. When she subsequently won Immunity at the next challenge, she put her plan into action and quickly convinced Annalize and Tom to send ‘The Don’ to Ponderosa.
Only one more challenge awaits the Castaways ahead of next week’s two-hour final episode – and on offer is possibly the biggest advantage of the season so far... The winner will not only guarantee themselves a spot in the final, but they’ll also be able to jettison one member of the Jury ahead of their concluding motivation for the R1 Million prize and ‘Sole Survivor’ title.
If you think this week’s episode produced the most surprising twist of the season, you won’t want to miss the two-hour finale episode of Survivor South Africa: Philippines next week (Thursday 16 August, 19:00 on M-Net 101).
Also make a note to catch the fun-filled YouTube episode of Live After: Survivor South Africa on the DStv Online YouTube page, where the voted-off castaway will be in conversation with host Phil Mphela at 20:05 each week, directly after Survivor SA airs on M-Net 101. Want to ask a castaway a burning question? Tweet using #LiveAfter and @survivor_sa and Phil could have it answered on your behalf in the ‘Ask Me Anything’ segment of the show.
There are also some magnificent prizes up for grabs on the Survivor SA: Philippines website:
- A Huawei P20 Pro phone valued at R15 499.
- A 1-year supply of Bio-Strath products valued at R10 000.
- A delicious Steers Wacky Wednesdays voucher for one year, valued at R2800.
- A brand new DStv Explora 2.
All you have to do is to go to www.mnet.tv/survivorsa and answer the weekly quiz question. Every entry then also goes into the draw for the grand prize of a tropical island holiday experience for four, brought to you by Cathay Pacific and Club Med. And, if you’d like to earn additional points, explore the island and find the Huawei P20 Pro phone in our 360 VR experience and explore the Survivor SA islands, living area,s as well as each challenge site, as the weeks progress.
Survivor South Africa: Philippines is also streamed live on DStv Now and is available on DStv Catch Up within 24 hours of the live show. You can also catch the repeat on Sunday afternoons at 17:00 on M-Net Channel 101.
Survivor SA is powered by the Huawei P20 Pro and is produced by Afrokaans Film & Television.
Survivor SA: Philippines airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Thursdays at 19:00. Join the conversation on the Survivor Facebook Page or on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #SurvivorSA.