The show follows the same general format as the other editions of
Survivor. To begin, the players are split into two or three tribes, are taken to a remote isolated location and are forced to live off the land with meagre supplies for a period of several weeks. Frequent physical and mental
challenges are used to pit the tribes against each other for rewards, such as food or luxuries, or for
immunity, forcing the other tribe to attend
Tribal Council, where they must vote one of their tribemates out of the game by
secret ballot. About halfway through the game, the tribes are
merged into a single tribe, and challenges are on an individual basis; winning immunity prevents that player from being voted out. Most players that are voted out during this stage become members of the Tribal Council Jury. When only two or three players remain, the
Final Tribal Council is held. The finalists plead their case to the Jury as to why they should win the game. The jurors then have the opportunity to interrogate the finalists before casting their vote for which finalist should be awarded the title of "Ultimate Survivor" and wins the grand prize of R1 Million (the returning player edition
Return of the Outcasts offered a R2 Million prize). In addition to being eliminated by a Tribal Council Vote, the Castaways can also elect to leave the game at any time, either if they are finding the game or the experience too difficult, or to attend to a personal emergency outside of the game. Castaways who are injured can be removed from the game if the medical staff assess their condition and decides that they are not fit to continue in the game. Like other editions of the show, the South Africa edition has introduced numerous adaptations, or twists, on the core rules to prevent players from over-relying on strategies that succeeded in prior seasons or other editions of the show. The titular
Island of Secrets and the
Immunity Island as well as The Outpost on
Return of the Outcasts exile players for a predetermined amount of time while offering dilemmas and decisions that may help or hinder their game. Other twists include the non-playing Captains in
Champions, kidnappings, tribe expansions and shuffles. There may also be twists that affect the game format for a particular round (such as the
Tied Destinies twist included on
Immunity Island, in which the players had to play in pairs) Voting advantages and disadvantages, and in the first season,
Panama included Deadman's Island where contestants voted out after the merge was isolated from the game until an opportunity to return arose. == Seasons ==