By Jamal Grootboom2h ago
Love Island SA made its premiere on Sunday and South African fans are unhappy about the first episode.
In the show 10 love hopefuls must couple up and live together all in the name of love and the chance to win R1 million in the process.
Throughout the series, the Islanders will be forced to re-couple where they can choose (or be chosen) to remain in their current couple or swap and change, whilst also undergoing several dates, tasks and challenges, in the quest to avoid being dumped from the Villa.
Since the announcement of the popular UK reality TV show, South African fans have been waiting patiently to see how the local version of the show stacks up against the original version.
The online quickly shifted from excitement to confusion and ended in disappointment.
The debut episode received various criticism, the initial being the lack of diversity with the initial SA Islanders with the initial 10 cast members only have two coloured and two black contestants.
I knew #LoveIslandSA was gonna be whitewashed, i just didnt want to believe it pic.twitter.com/UjHqaPAP45
— KE STAR (@teawithkakes) February 28, 2021
Wow so much diversity. This is a true representation of what I thought SA looks like. https://t.co/0y10V68BQP
— S (@blaquereign_) March 1, 2021
how you gonna whitewash AFRICA?? https://t.co/RJvIAfmBtU
— Linden (@Lxndxnx_) March 1, 2021
This cast. One black gent, one black hun. The Mobicel camera quality. The iMovie editing. The random sound cuts. Just pain. #LoveIslandSApic.twitter.com/Nv0YqW23VY
— Rihannas Man. (@stylin_sirr) February 28, 2021
White people with White peopleColoureds with ColouredsBlack people with Black people
YAY RAINBOW NATION! #LoveIslandSA
— Harper (@WayneH__) February 28, 2021
Fans also took a jab at the men in the show with the lack of height seeming to be a hot topic both in the show and online.
“Tall…”
SA gents: #LoveIslandSApic.twitter.com/BwXKV5pEeG
— Mitch Matyana (@MitchMatyana) February 28, 2021
Rochelle : “Maybe when the next one comes, he can bring the height”#LoveIslandSApic.twitter.com/jGclzmL9vn
— Rushé (@Rushe_C) February 28, 2021
The Bachelorette SA Qiniso Van Damme also threw in a joke about South African men being short and said: What an intriguing start to #LoveIslandSA… eish, height is a challenge in our country, hey…
What an intriguing start to #LoveIslandSA… eish, height is a challenge in our country, hey…
— Qiniso Van Damme (@qinisovandamme) February 28, 2021
The episode itself also faced several production issues such as the music not being queued up properly, with one cast member walking out in silence.
Audio from the on-set production team was heard, scenes ended abruptly with the end-credits being rolled in silence.
And the overall video and sound quality being subpar were some of the issues that fans called out.
Dear #LoveIslandSA
Do you want to be loud or soft?Do you like music or not?
Please decide
— Yaaseen Barnes (@Ya_a_seen_Him) February 28, 2021
The cast is sauceless. The sound is terrible. And the narrator is MIA. Its going to be a long 6 weeks. #LoveIslandSA
— Sibongile Mafu (@sboshmafu) February 28, 2021
Im choosing to believe there are two files: one with a properly edited episode and one with that mess. They must have played the wrong one. Because no ways #LoveIslandSA
— Ann Marie Lastrassi stan (@naledimashishi) February 28, 2021
guys… did we just hear production talking? #LoveIslandSApic.twitter.com/w4C9HafgwI
— Helen Of Troy (@kendrahunsley) February 28, 2021
how it felt watching #LoveIslandSApic.twitter.com/GHf3JoyQit
— Delena (@tumelomagomola) February 28, 2021
Can we have an official arrest of these individuals. What we experiences today should be illegal man.#LoveIslandSApic.twitter.com/MZMkt8o8Fn
— Rihannas Man. (@stylin_sirr) February 28, 2021
Not the credits playing in absolute silence #LoveIslandSApic.twitter.com/r5ChKUgEB7
— Kayla Arends (@kayla_arends) February 28, 2021
‘Love Island SA’ made its premiere on Sunday and South African fans aren’t happy with what they watched on the first episode.
