The South African music serenader is ready to take on the challenges of the idyllic island location for the 11th season of Tropika Island Of Treasure Zanzibar which is heating up, and the biggest question on everyone’s lips is: Who will be Bobby Van Jaarsveld’s partner in paradise, but the identity of his teammate remains a mystery?.
Last season his sister Karlien Van Jaarsveld took home her share of the grand prize alongside her model partner Ruan Scheepers and this year thousands of hopefuls from across the country auditioned, showcasing their unique skills, unwavering determination and infectious personalities to be paired with the 7 celebrity contestants.
Durban’s own musical heatwave is prepped and primed to conquer the challenges of Zanzibar. Don’t be fooled by his charm and ocean blue eyes – Bobby’s got his lens on the prize: becoming the ultimate champion of Tropika Island of Treasure this season.
Will his charisma and competitive spirit lead him to victory? Who will be selected to be his sidekick in the bid to win? See attached some links to the would be partners who have recently auditioned from the Natal region.
Stay tuned as the lucky consumer contestant’s reveal. Who will join Bobby on his quest for the life-changing R1 million prize
This season, the stakes are higher than ever, each contestant who makes it to the island will receive a smoooth R10,000!
Join the conversation online and follow @Mytropika for exclusive updates and keep your eye out on Bobby’s social media pages and get in on all the action as he prepares for the wild ride that will be this season of Tropika Island of Treasure Zanzibar.
About Tropika Island of Treasure:
Tropika Island of Treasure is a South African reality competition television series that first aired in 2008 features an equal number of South African celebrities and public contestants competing in a variety of challenges on a luxurious paradise-island location for a grand prize of a shared R1 million.
Meet the Host and celebrity contestants.
Zanele Potelwa – Host:
Zanele Potelwa is a radio and TV host whose passion for the entertainment industry has been proven since her internship at 5FM in 2016. A multi-faceted young woman from the Eastern Cape, Potelwa has been part of a variety of stations such as TuksFM and 94.7. She is best known for her inspiring and bubbly personality on 5FM Monday and 5FM Friday Lunch as well as her role as TV presenter for SABC 1: Selimathunzi. Potelwa’s talent and hard work is evident after winning the “Bright Stars Award” at the Liberty Radio Awards 2019 and her nomination at the 2023 Radio Awards. She has been the host for a variety of incredible events such as the South African Music Awards red carpet in 2019 and the Feather Awards 2021. Potelwa continues to elevate in her career after being announced as the newest addition to the Expresso Morning Show hosting team and the new host for Tropika’s Island of Treasure 2024.
Hungani Ndlovu:
Hungani Ndlovu is a trained Actor, Dancer, and DJ. With a keen interest in dancing from a young age, Ndlovu spent three years in the USA studying dance and acting and working in Los Angeles and New York City. His first lead role was in ‘Memoir of an Honest Voice’, which was nominated for the Best Short Film at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2015. He is most known for his role as Romeo on Scandal! and most recently, Tbose on Skeem Saam as well as The Ndlovu’s Uncut- his YouTube channel alongside his lovely wife, Stephanie Ndlovu. Hungani excels, not only in the arts but in business, having founded an artist development studio called The Actors Playground (previously known as SANS Group) along with being the co-founder of The Ndlovu’s Uncut Productions.
Karl Kugelmann:
Karl Kugelmann is a social media influencer, music enthusiast and model. Kugelmann first entered the modelling world after high school, travelling to Hong Kong for a modelling trip and officially sparking both his career and his passion for travel. The 27-year-old rapidly rose to fame when he started making TikTok videos in 2019 in the hopes of building a following and gaining more modelling jobs. Over the last two years, Kugelmann has gained an impressive 5,9 million followers through his entertaining content and beautifully curated lifestyle and travel videos. Kugelmann has managed to make an indelible mark on the South African entertainment industry with his piercing blue eyes and passion for content creation.
Bobby Van Jaarsveld:
Bobby Van Jaarsveld is a veritable titan within the South African music and entertainment industry. Van Jaarsveld started his professional singing career in high school and quickly gained popularity, winning the Best Newcomer award at the Huisgenoot Tempo Awards in 2006. Within 3 years, Van Jaarsveld had released 4 albums which reached gold and platinum status respectively with another 2 albums going double platinum. With a successful career in music,2024 marks 20 years in the industry since his first album. Van Jaarsveld has acted in two popular South African films Liefling – Die Movie and As Jy Sing, as well as working as a coach on The Voice South Africa. Since the start of his career in 2006, Van Jaarsveld has won over 28 awards including Beste Pop-Album deur ‘n Manlike Kunstenaar – Maak ‘n Wens and Manlike Kunstenaar van die Jaar. The singer has recently embarked on another acting adventure in his new role as Stefan Claasen in kykNET anthology series Spoorloos, continuing to expand on his talents.
Chad Jones:
Chad Jones is a social media influencer and self-taught dancer who, after quitting his job in software development, gained an impressive 3.9 million following on TikTok. After admitting that he initially didn’t know what TikTok was, Jones shot to fame with a video of himself and his parents dancing to an Amapiano song. The dancer was featured on SABC1’s reality dance show Dance Yo Dumo as the dance master, preparing different dance groups to perform for the judges. He is now working with brands like Banter, SAB and Volkswagen and recently featured in an Afrikaans movie “Strooi” for KykNET which will be released later this year.
Nqobile Khwezi:
Nqobile Khwezi is an entrepreneur, brand strategist, social media influencer, TV personality and model. The Durban-born influencer has been modelling since the age of four and was crowned Miss Junior Shaka at 15 and Miss uShaka Marine World in 2016. Khwezi is consistently partnering with brands, both local and global, such as Dior, Cotton On and Foreo and has featured in the Youth X campaign by Nedbank, presented for DSTV’s Delicious festival and represented Brutal Fruit in their You Belong campaign. She has expanded her reach far beyond beauty and fashion, often presenting at sporting events such as the Netball World Cup or SuperPicks, Africa’s biggest soccer predictor game. She recently partnered with SuperSport for Season 2 of Betway SA20, the franchise cricket tournament, interviewing players, presenting, and creating content.
Ndavi Nokeri
Ndavi Nokeri is a South African model and beauty pageant titleholder. The 25-year-old model holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Investment Management and worked at an asset management firm before joining the Miss South Africa pageant. She was first crowned Miss Jozi in 2019 whilst studying, alluding to her future success as Miss South Africa in 2022. Nokeri went on to represent South Africa at Miss Universe 2022, placing in the top 16. During her reign as Miss South Africa, Nokeri launched Ed-Unite, an advocacy campaign that aims to provide young people with the opportunity to improve their intelligence, talent and skills, no matter their background. She gave an emotional farewell to the Miss South Africa family in August 2023, when she handed the crown over to the current reigning Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert. Ndavi will soon be relaunching her podcast, that aims to empower women on the pillars of faith, finance and fitness. She continues to do work to reduce education inequality through the Ndavi Nokeri foundation – where she partners up with corporates who share the same values and plays the role of a conduit between the beneficiaries and the companies. Nokeri has not neglected her passion for investments; she continues to work in the angel investment industry, with the hopes of improving the start-up ecosystem in South Africa and Africa.
