Season 12 of Tropika Island of Treasure returns with star-studded celebrity lineup

Season 12 of the reality competition Tropika Island of Treasure is back and promises to be bigger and better than before.

The celebrity contestants have officially been revealed, featuring big names across multiple disciplines from Olympic champion Caster Semenya to rapper Nadia Nakai and former Miss South Africa and Miss Supranational titleholder Lalela Mswane.

Returning award-winning presenter Zanele Potelwa said the competition will be intense on the luxury island, which is still to be announced.

“We've gone with our personalities for our smooth celebs. It is so exciting,” she said.

“I think that in itself should tell you just how big Tropika Island of Treasure is going to be. But on top of that, they are all incredibly competitive from Caster to Nadia to Lalela. Everyone wants to win.”

The show previously received recognition from the South African Film and Television Awards, winning Best Competition Reality for its Zanzibar edition and receiving two nominations for its most recent season.

Clover head of beverages Miantha Roux said during the show’s launch on Thursday that the production has raised the stakes for this season.

“I think this season is going to be phenomenal because we have an amazing cast lined up,” Roux said.

“We have the likes of South African hero Caster Semenya, Leandie du Randt, Nadia Nakai, Amanda du-Pont, and many others, and we're really excited that this group of people is going to bring new challenges and new excitement to the brand.”

As the public prepares to submit their entries from Friday, Nadia shared that she might need to step up her training to compete against athletes like Semenya.

“This is the first time we've all come out together at an event,” she said.

“And I'm like, oh my gosh, I might actually have to hit the gym for a month straight.”

She added that while she is nervous, she is also excited about the experience.

“I'm nervous, but I keep reminding myself that the point is to have a good time. Don't take it too seriously, but take it seriously enough to win. At the end of the day, we're all supposed to just be having fun.”

Contestants will face a series of rigorous challenges in pursuit of the grand prize of R1 million.