Malawi’s ‘Survivor’ series on

In what can be termed as a spin-off of the globally acclaimed tough-life reality show, Survivor, a local edition called Man Versus Mountain with Colby and Celebrities starts mid March.

The show will see 10 well-known personalities from the media, music and politics, among others, taking up challenges such as wild camping and survival skills.

Featured celebrities will undertake a number of tasks like hiking on mountains in various locations and other challenges, according to the brains behind the show, Colby Mughogho.

“They will be taken for camping in the wild, farms, mountains or on an island. There will also be several other activities.

“These activities and others will test their strength and endurance, while showcasing Malawi’s beautiful scenery,” he said.

Mughogho said since this is an intense activity, the featured celebrities will undergo physical training in the build-up to the filming of the episodes.

All these will be turned into a television documentary show of about 40 minutes episodes featuring the contestants doing the outdoor activities, according to Mughogho.

“One contestant will be recognised at the end of the season,” he said.

Mughogho said a set of cross-cutting criteria will be developed to assess the contestants’ performance in each episode. Prizes will go to everyone, but the main winner will be the one that people will vote for at a later stage.

The confirmed contestants are musicians Phyzix, Hyphen, Barry Uno and Suffix, body builder Dee Fit, Capital FM presenter Nicole Kamwendo, videographer Ron CZ, film producer Hastings Golosi and literary critic and politician Ken Lipenga.

“Through the show, viewers will learn about environmental conservation, survival skills and different animal species, flora and fauna as well as appreciate Malawi’s tourist attraction sites,” he said.

Some of the sites the contestants will be taken to include Muloza Pools in Mulanje, Ntchisi Forest Lodge, Nkhudzi Beach in Mangochi, Mponda Island in Mangochi, Seven Hill of Senga in Salima, Sapitwa and Luwawa Forest in Mzimba.

In a separate interview, Kamwendo, who is one of the two women taking up the challenge, said the show is one way of increasing Malawi’s tourism visibility.

“I hope it’s the beginning of more tourism-related activities. It’s such an exciting challenge,” she said.