Big Brother Africa IV: The Revolution is on · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Big Brother Africa 4:The Revolution is the fourth series of the Big Brother Africa reality television series, which began on September 6, 2009. The fourth series will air for 91 days and the winner will walk home with $200,000.
The show has already generated discussions online as it happened with Big Brother III.
Accra Conscious posts basic information about the show:
Bedtime will never be same again as all 14 contestants vie for a peaceful night of scheming on how to get their hands on the US$200.000.00 prize!
More information on the new BBA Revolution.
• The prize money for this year’s Big Brother Africa has been doubled – it is now US$200 000, a ‘winner takes all’ fortune.
• The new season has almost twice as much sight and sound capability as seasons 1, 2 or 3: there will be 40 ‘all-seeing, all-knowing’ cameras, and 100 microphones.
• The old rules banning conspiracy in the house have been lifted and contestants will be free to forge alliances, discuss strategy openly and play the game in an entirely different way.
• This year, audiences will be asked to vote for the housemates they want to see remain in the series rather than the housemates they want to see leave the house.
• This year there will be 14 housemates, compared to the 12 of the past; this year will include housemates from Mozambique and Ethiopia. The other 12 countries are: Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Rafiq writes about free SMS service for voting for housemates:
When it comes time to vote on Big Brother Africa 4: The Revolution sending many SMS messages or phoning could be pretty pricey expensive. Luckily there are alternatives you are able to vote for Big Brother Africa housemates via the web and… *drum roll* MXit.
This is a quick and easy way for the 14million and change MXit users to vote for their favourite  for Big Brother Africa 4 housemate. I see this as huge win for MXit on their never ending quest to reach more users throughout the African continent. I am going to try and get some before after stats from all the 14 countries the Big Brother Africa contestants are from and see if the MXit numbers really grow within those regions.
David Ajao is not happy with celebration of promiscuity on the show:
My reservation about Big Brother Africa has always been its celebration of promiscuity.
Noni thinks that this edition of Big Brother sucks:
BIG BROTHER SUCKS THIS YEAR! THE BOYS ARE UGLY! WHY BIG BRO MUST U DISSAPOINT US? NOT EVEN AT LEAST 2 OR 3 GOOD LUKIN BOYS IN DA HOUSE! IM DISSAPOINTED
Mika analyses house members:
Jeremy from Kenya looks cute, and Itai from Zimbabwe looks like he has a huge pipi… Cant wait for shower hour. Hannington from Uganda looks like a queen, he describes himself in 5 words as “I am a god among men”…Ummm Okay sister! I wonder how many other guys are gay? Closet case…? Anyways, Quinn, from South Africa was in the top 4 search for YFM’s White Boy DJ.
So does Rafshizzle, a blogger from Uganda:
Hannington Kuteesa Kavuma – he’s a son of Judge Steven Kavuma and Member of Parliament Ruth Kavuma. He has just returned from Malaysia where he has been doing a course in IT. You can’t believe we were with this chap at the Kampala Rugby Club and he couldn’t tell us anything, well, good luck to him.Meanwhile, the other Ugandan is called Filbert Okure and we’re still collecting information about him so keep it right here. (They tell us, Hannington will leave, mbu).Anyways, Zimbabwe has sent Itai Makumbe – the 31-year-old loves politics. And you guessed right, most politicians bore except for guys like Ken Lukyamuzi, President Museveni and Idd Amin (RIP).Kenya also has two in Edward Muthusi aka Teddy and Jeremy Ndirangu.Nigeria has sent Kevin Chuwang – who is a 27-year-old unemployed chap.From Botswana: is Kaone Ramontshonyana – I honestly failed to understand the chap.First-timers Ethiopia is being represented by Yacob Yehdego – he promised to be himself, a thing that almost every Ethiopian says. His nickname is Yac. Need to wait…The hosts South Africa have a Mzungu called Quinn Silder – at 21 years of age, the charming white is the youngest in the house; plus he’s a DJ and radio presenter so he should be in the know of how to entertain people.Other first-timers Mozambique sent 23-year-old Leonel Estevda.
Pen Powder criticises this year's Revolution concept:
I was starting to enjoy the exciting twists in the Big Brother Africa Revolution but after seeing the elimination of Ras Wayo and no introduction of a Ghanaian female housemate, I think the concept of the revolution was not fully thought through and rather unfortunate.Some of the twists are pointless to the core: why are there more housemates from certain countries than others when in fact the idea of having a continental show was to bring the various countries together. With the introduction of 12 female housemates into the house on Sunday, there are now 4 Nigerians, 2 Kenyans and other multiple entries for some other countries while Ghana has no rep at the moment. Is this all in the interest of exciting viewership? Or are some countries better represented in the house because M-net/DStv stands to gain more from those countries?One funny thing is that Big Brother has allowed ‘voting conspiracy’ this season and most likely alliances are going to be formed along nationalities. This would most likely create a lot of antagonism among housemates and yet M-net came out boldly to say that they changed the voting rules this year so people would vote to save their favourite instead of voting out their least favourite to promote ‘positivity’ instead of negativity.In a surprise announcement, Ghana's representative, Ras Wayo became the second Housemate to leave the BBA House during the show's first Eviction Show. Wayoe entered the stage to a crowd chanting his name to a Reggae tune. He told IK, the host, that he was not surprised to have left the House and does not think his Rastafarian way of life played a part in viewers not voting for him.Well Ghanaians aren't surprised either because his Jamaican patois became an issue immediately when he was introduced into the house. So why was Ras Wayo chosen to represent Ghana in the first place? M-net and the producers of the show chose someone whom in their view would over the best entertainment value for viewers from all participating countries.
Narcissus asks, “is it just me or is anyone else of the opinion Itai’s totally gay?”:
These little factlets sent my gaydar to full readings: One of his favourite shows is, wait for it, America’s Next Top Model (I know!). One of his bad habits include, stealing glances of himself in the mirror (helloo narcissism, ahem). Lastly, and by no means least, should he win the grand lotto, he intends to use it to finance trips to London, Paris, New York and LA, seriously? Come on!
These two are the only reason I ‘may’ watch the show. I do hope the house stocked up on plenty of lotion, and Geisha which ‘’lasts and lasts’’, coz it’s going to be a long week for the boys, lol. Quite frankly though, I did expect more of a ‘’revolution’’, and not a re-enactment of an idea already applied in Spain on their version of Big Brother.
Ms B considers herself a “shameless fan of this manufactured reality show.” She talks about female members’ make-up:
The make-up was ridiculous,no black woman on mother earth has rosy cheeks!!!None!!I dare you to find one!!!The drag queen had eyelashes that could swat a fly and Nonhle had yellow nail polish on which had nothing to do with her outfit.I know fashionista's sometimes mismatch to match but she just looked like she wasn't sure what to wear.Sigh,we cant all be Rihanna now can we?
I hate it when women do that!aint nothing attractive (to me anyway) about looking like a clown.Make-up is supposed to enhance your beauty,not hide it.Keep it simple stupid!!!!And these women are representing other African women when they go out there,oh lawwwwd!!!