Fear Factor South Africa is a stunt-based show that tests contestants' ability to overcome their fears and to accept extreme challenges and has been produced for broadcast on the free-to-air channel by Endemol South Africa.
Challenges range from eating cockroaches and animal testicles, to being tied by the ankles to a 4X4 and dragged through sand and mud, surviving fast-rising water while being chained inside a tank, and wading through elephant dung to find hidden objects.
During the call-to-entry phase over six thousand applications were received from a wide cross-section of South Africans keen to compete in the show. Of these, twenty contestants were selected to participate in a range of stunts that were revealed only when the contestants arrived on location to perform them.
The difference to the international series is that contestants compete against each other to win a grand prize of R250 000, sponsored by Insurance Services from Standard Bank.
Every episode will see a contestant eliminated from the show for failing to perform a stunt successfully, or quickly enough. Another point of difference is that all the contestants stayed in a boot camp for the duration of the shooting of the series in order to
increase the competition element of the show, build tension between contestants and more clearly display the contestants' personalities to the viewers.
Bronwyn Keene-Young, e.tv's Channel Director, says: "Fear Factor South Africa is a welcome addition to e.tv's prime time schedule. It has proved itself internationally as a highly successful format and is perfectly suited to e.tv."
Harrie Linders, MD of Endemol South Africa, says: "All over the world this show has always performed very well and I'm convinced that together with e.tv we will make sure that the South African version will be of exceptional and exciting entertainment value that will please e.tv's viewers."
Standard Bank decided to sponsor Fear Factor because not all South Africans know that Standard Bank offers insurances services. Standard Bank believes that Fear Factor offers an excellent opportunity to showcase some of these services offered.
