THE highly anticipated Big Brother Africa season nine, dubbed ‘Hotshots’ will begin early next month.
The show which failed to start on September 7 2014 due to a fire at the Big Brother house in Johannesburg will premiere on October 5.
Due to these disruptions, ‘Hotshots’ will be the shortest series lasting only 63 days.
Some of the names of the contestants and their respective countries have already been released
Zimbabwe is being represented by Power Fm DJ Tariro Mharapara better known as ‘Butterphly’, and Jerome known as ‘JJ’.
JJ entered Big Brother last season as a fake housemate.
Since its inception in 2003, Big Brother Africa’s audience has grown over the years despite many arguing that the show is designed to erode African culture and tradition.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries that have expressed loyalty to the show by sending representatives or housemates each season.
In past editions, the reality show has been received with mixed feelings due to some of the behaviour exhibited by participants.
The journey of Zimbabwe in Big Brother Africa is traced back to 2003 when the first participant from the country, Tapiwa Mhere, best remembered for her tactics and antics, saw her coming third.
Together with the winner Cherise Makubale from Zambia, Mhere spent all the 106 days in house, raising the bar high for future housemates from Zimbabwe.
Season two of Big Brother Africa saw Bertha Zakeo entering the game.
She gave her best before being evicted on day 63 becoming the sixth housemate to leave the house in a show won by Tanzanian Richard Dyle Bezuidenhout.
Munyaradzi Chidzonga can be labelled the most unfortunate Zimbabwean housemate.
He delivered a sterling performance, was a favourite of many in the region, but failed to land the coveted prize.
After Chidzonga, there was Itai Makumbe who was evicted on day 84.
The climax of the show was when Zimbabwe’s Wendall Parsons was crowned the winner of Big Brother Africa in season six.
Season seven saw Roki and Maneta disqualified while Teclar was evicted on the eighth day of the game.
Pokello Nare and Munyaradzi Hakeem Mandaza represented the country in the last edition.
Many had no sympathy for Hakeem.
The country wept not when he was evicted from the Big Brother game after 42 days.
Having begun strongly and with the support not only of the country, but the continent as well, Hakeem lost the plot of the game.
He forgot that he was in a game in which the ultimate prize was the money on offer.
Instead he pursued matters of the heart and in the process abandoned the game resulting in him losing the support.
Falling in love with Zambian Cleo spelt his doom and the sad thing is that the lady lost no sleep over him when he departed.
He became obsessed with Cleo to the extent of asking her to choose between him and the prize money exhibiting a low appreciation of the game.
He became unpopular with Zimbabweans when he shockingly revealed in the popular diary session that he would never be friends with fellow countrywoman Pokello.
It remains to be seen whether ‘Butterfly’ and ‘JJ’ will be able to bring the money back home?
The only way they can do this is by simply being African.