It's Big Brother time again

NEVER change your game plan if you want to win Big Brother Africa.

These are the words of advice from one of last year's Zimbabwe's representatives to Big Brother Africa reality show - Pokello Nare - to those that will be chosen to represent the country at this year's show set to start on 7 September.

Pokello who however, failed to win the prize last year but has taken the fame from the show to push her business and social status, said the new housemates must stick to their game plan from day one.
It is not yet known who will represent the country at this year's show.

"The advice I can give to our new housemates is that they should understand their motives and develop clear strategies that will stick until the last day. If you are going to be yourself throughout the game then stick to that, if you are pretending to be another character then make sure you can maintain it because the moment you start to waiver, the viewers can pick up inconsistency faster than anything.

"As the countdown begins, I can't help but reminisce about some of my most memorable moments in the Big Brother house, good luck to the new house mates and hope they enjoy the adventure," she said.

Apart from the fame associated with the show, Pokello also found love in the house when she hooked up with a Ghanaian Elikem Kumordzie.

According to the organisers, once again intrigue, romance and deceit would be the major attractions as the continent's biggest reality show, returns for its ninth season with the housemates competing for a massive prize pot of $300 000.

This year's edition is titled Hotshots and its host will be Nigerian star IK Osakioduwa for the fifth time in a row.

Ever since its inception, the reality series has attracted some funny, dramatic, weird and wonderful characters and fans are already enthusiastic and cannot wait to be dazzled by the show which is full of drama, loads of laughter and tears.

But million questions keep on ringing over thousands of fans' minds? Who will the new housemates be? Who will find their names and their faces gracing newspapers? Who will become the subject of drive time radio, who will find themselves trending on all social media platforms? And just for 91 days, who will become the best and manage to outshine others and convince Africa that he or she is the continent's biggest Hotshot.

With all the fame Pokello and Munyaradzi "Hakeem" Mandaza who represented Zimbabwe last year have received for over a year now, it seems their reign is coming to an end as fans are now eager and ready for the Hotshots as new faces will flood media houses come Sunday.

In 2012, the only Bulawayo representative so far in the game Maneta Mazanhi disappointed lovers of the game following her dismissal from the game after she was involved in uncouth behaviour with Rockford Josphat popularly known as Roki.

With all this drama, fans wonder what the Hotshots has kept in store for them, posts and blogs on social networks clearly reveal the eagerness of thousands of fans around Africa who have become so impatient for the game to start.

Zimbabwe only won the show once in the person of Wendall Parson who scooped first prize in 2011 and before that year Munyaradzi Chidzonga was given a whopping $300 000 by President Robert Mugabe for coming second.

As posted in the BBA official page, the housemates will start the game in two ultra-glamorous houses which are built with magic, fun and mischief in mind.

They will party like A-listers, rub shoulders with celebrity guests and face formidable challenges while negotiating Biggie's famous curveballs and twists.

This year participating countries are Zimbabwe, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

MultiChoice chief executive officer Nico Meyer posted in the BBA official page expressing delight to be part and parcel of this growing trend and she said she was pleased that the show had managed to include Rwanda for the first time.

"The inclusion of Rwanda in this season is even more exciting as this displays that our reach and growth into the various sub-Saharan markets is going from strength to strength. We look forward to seeing further growth as well as the impressive social media presence that the show enjoys," she said.

BBA has managed to turn ordinary people into stars and celebrities as some of the housemates have had their talents realised and have gone on to grace TV screens; newspapers and have their profiles trending on every social media site, blog and website.

Last year BBA: THE CHASE was won by a Namibian Lady, Delish Mathews.