Apply Now for 2012 Big Brother Africa Season 7

This year’s edition (the seventh season) of the Africa’s biggest TV shows; Big Brother Africa, is coming back for Africans viewing pleasure by May 2012. The announcement has come this early to give individuals who are interested in partaking ample amount of time to get set for the incredible journey.

The Managing Director of M-Net Africa, Producers of the show, Biola Alabi, says BBA’s audience should expect something different from past editions. MNet's Big Brother Africa  pulls off another huge surprise and this year. The producers  this season are doing something different. Those applying  must DOUBLE-UP to compete and it  means that if you want to enter for this year's season, you must partner with another person to enter as a pair. You can pick your classmate as your partner, your best friend, your sister, brother, family friend, cousin, your husband/wife if possible, your neighbor if you trust him/her etc.

M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi says, “We are thrilled to be offering a huge, new, USD 300 000 prize and to include two new countries who were chosen to participate based on their ongoing
interest in the series and their growing DStv audiences. And while Ethiopia won’t have a housemate this year, we’ll look to include them and other non-housemate countries in other ways if the opportunity arises, as we do every season. We are and have always been proudly committed to making this a truly African show. And as for Mozambique, they will be included with a housemate – but that’s all we are saying at the moment. Of course, the really big news this season is that entrants must enter as pairs. In the past we’ve seen a natural and continuous cross-over between individuals and their families, their friends. So this year, we decided to include that as part of the game. It will definitely make a dramatic addition to the series so we urge people to enter and experience what will be a uniquely different Big Brother Africa”.


This year, if you want to enter Big Brother Africa you can do so if you and your partner are citizens from one of the following participating countries: Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Both partners must come from the same country, must be 21 years or older, must be fluent in English and must have a valid passport.

How to Apply
Interested persons can pick up the entry form from the nearest MultiChoice office in their country anytime from February 5. Alternatively you can also enter online -  www.mnetafrica.com/bigbrother and complete an entry form online. Or download an entry form from the website, complete and email it back to bba@endemol.co.za. All online entry forms will also be available from February 5. Whatever you choose to do, do it fast because the deadline for entries is February 27, 2012


Produced for M-Net by Endemol South Africa, the new season of Big Brother Africa will be headline sponsored by Coca-Cola for the second consecutive year and will be screened to 47 countries across the continent, live 24/7 for 91 days on DStv channel 198. The series starts Sunday May 6 2012.

67: The Self-Empowered Woman: Beka Ntsanwisi

Dear Followers,

These days it seems that everyone is paying close attention to soccer's World Cup Competition in South Africa. So I thought - in the spirit of Self-Empowered Women everywhere - that you might like to meet an amazing woman named Rebecca Beka Ntsanwisi.

She was born in 1968 at Nkowankowa Village outside Tzaneen in Limpopo, a province of South Africa. Her father was an educator, and as a youngster she was encouraged to work hard at school and help improve her community (2: An Early Sense of Direction). After graduating from high school she attended the University of Venda, where she studied music (9: Music).

In the 1990s, she began working at a radio station, and soon became the head of its social responsibility program. She has been particularly effective at helping those in rural areas, especially impoverished people.

In 2003, Beka was diagnosed with colon cancer and two years later was wheelchair dependant (12: Hard Times). During her illness she worked with the Department of Health to a) form support groups for people with cancer and b) fight the belief in witchcraft that still exists in some communities.

During her own treatment, she often visited public hospitals and was saddened by how many elderly female patients were treated. Many of them seemed lonely, depressed and/or confused, but Beka felt that exercise (particularly soccer) just might give these women the lift they needed.

Today, the group that Beka founded in 2005 is known as Vakhegula Vakhegula (Grannies Grannies) and includes 35 players from 49 to 84 years old. The team has become so well known that it has been invited to come to America in August to compete in the Veteran's Cup (for teams with players 30 and over) in Lancaster, Mass. (13: More Than Meets the Eye).

After Beka's husband died the Grannies helped her deal with grief, and another player who lost eight of her twelve children found that the soccer team became an extended, supportive family. When the Grannies were young girls playing on a soccer team simply wasn't an option, but today - thanks to Beka - these women have an acceptable athletic outlet (8: Turning No Into Yes).

Beka has won numerous awards including (five tines) the Black Management Forum Limpopo Woman of Excellence Award, the Limpopo Achievers Award, the Premier's Award and the Nkowakowa branch of the South African National Civic Organization honored her for her work to help the helpless.

Today, Beka's cancer is in remission, but she considers her work for the poor and Grannies Grannies to be her legacy.

Looking forward to your comments...