The Celeb Line-Up Is Already Giving Main Character Energy
Earlier this year, the highly anticipated Season 12 cast was announced, featuring a squad of well-known South African stars including:
Nadia Nakai
Caster Semenya
Francois Hougaard
Leandie du Randt
Sandile Mahlangu
Amanda Du-Pont
Lalela Mswane
Wiseman Mncube
In other words, the island is about to have more star power than a Durban New Year’s Eve fireworks show.
But before these celebs start competing for the prize, someone has to find the perfect island playground.
Zanele Potelwa Is Basically Living Everyone’s Dream Job
Taking the lead on this international island hunt is media personality Zanele Potelwa, who will be travelling across the globe with former contestants to scout the most jaw-dropping locations.
Imagine getting paid to fly around the world checking beaches, luxury resorts and adventure spots. Yoh. Somewhere out there, someone reading this is thinking: “Where do I send my CV?”
The Island Scouting Squad
Joining Zanele on this mission is a group of former contestants who know exactly what island life (and reality TV chaos) is all about:
Hungani Ndlovu
Shashi Naidoo
Bobby Van Jaarsveld
Nay Maps
Jonathan Boynton-Lee
Nqobile Khwezi
Chad Jones
With this squad involved, the scouting process will be part travel show, part reunion special and part “let’s see who still remembers how to survive island challenges.”
The Search Goes Global 🌍
The team won’t just be visiting one or two destinations — they’re going full passport mode across some of the world’s most stunning tropical locations, including:
Mauritius
Antalya
Phuket
Bali
Mombasa
La Réunion
Vietnam
Each episode will see the crew exploring beaches, local cultures, resorts and hidden gems while asking the big question: “Would this island survive the chaos of Tropika challenges?”
Because let’s be honest — a place might look beautiful on Instagram, but can it handle contestants running through sand while chasing clues and shouting, “Sharp sharp! Hurry!”?
The Search Is Part of the Adventure
According to Miantha Roux from Clover, the show is about opening the curtain and letting fans see what goes into choosing the perfect island.
Meanwhile Sveti Kovatcheva says the global search celebrates the “Smoooth family” that the show has built over the years.
Translation: the journey is just as exciting as the destination.
Want to Be on the Island? Here’s Your Chance
While the celebrities prepare for island life, eight lucky members of the public could join them.
Auditions for Season 12 are officially open, and hopeful contestants can upload their audition videos to TikTok, Facebook, X or Instagram by tagging @MyTropika and using the hashtag #Tropika.
The prize? A share of R1 million, plus a R10,000 shopping voucher from PEP to make sure you arrive on the island looking fresh.
Auditions close 5 May 2026 — so if you’ve ever watched the show and shouted at the TV like, “I could do that challenge easily!”, now is the time to prove it.
When and Where to Watch
You can catch Tropika Island Search every Monday from 16 March at 18:00 on SABC 3, with repeats every Friday at 17:00 on SABC 1.
So grab your smoothie, sit back and enjoy the ride — because this season, the adventure starts long before anyone even sets foot on the island.