ROB BENTELE from Richard’s Bay, Durban was announced as Survivor SA: Island of Secrets grand winner during the Thursday live finale. While viewers described season 7 of M-Net Survivor SA as not only thrilling but the toughest in the show’s history, it was Bentele who was able to outwit, outplay and outlast 20 castaways in a series of grueling challenges.
Well-built yet soft and ridiculously likable, the 29-year old video producer is no-doubt among the greatest strategists to ever grace the competition, and has received praises from as far as the US and UK. Likewise, he attributes his win to the ability to play mind games and form solid alliances with the right people. He knew that information is power in the game of Survivor. He leveraged it to not only keep his tribe mates ever hooked and trusting, but to predict every vote.
Toughest mama’s boy in Survivor history
With multiple individual immunity wins under his belt, his mother, he revealed, was not only his number one cheerleader, but his pillar of strength and inspiration.
Having embarked on a solid three months regimen before competing, he understood how serious the game was and came well armed – mentally and physically. “In preparation for the island, I ate twice daily, had a protein shake before bed. I also made cardio and resistance training the key staples of my workout plan,” he told Men’s Health, adding: “However, the most important part of my training was honing my mental stamina through meditation.”
In addition to the 1 million rand prize money, he also walked away with a brand new Mahindra to the value of R205,000 and a R10,000 voucher from Cape Union Mart.
