The four Ghanaians shortlisted for the final selection process for this year’s ‘Big Brother Africa’ in South Africa, have been granted visas, Myjoyonline.com has learnt.
Although the 2014 edition of Africa’s biggest reality show is set to kick off on September 7, the Ghanaian finalists are however still in Ghana.
Fourteen countries – Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe – will be participating in this year’s show.
Myjoyonline.com has gathered that with the exception of Ghana and Sierra Leone, four finalists each from the competing countries are already in South Africa for the final selection process which will see two candidates make it to the Big Brother House.
Sources close to the organisers of the reality show had dismissed as unfounded, claims that the doors have been shut to Ghana this year due to the Ebola pandemic in West Africa.
Reports on several news websites claim that the organizers have rejected the candidates selected to represent Ghana at the contest due to the Ebola scare.
But Myjoyonline.com’s investigations have revealed that two of the four finalists received their visas last Tuesday while the final two had theirs last Friday.
The challenge here now is that each visa applicant was given a maximum of 30 days stay in South Africa at a time and since two of them may or will stay for more than 30 days for the 91-day reality show, they needed a special permit for that.
A source who spoke to Myjoyonline.com disclosed that organizers of the reality show failed to indicate during the visa application process that the four persons may stay more than 30 days.
New visa application laws do not allow individuals to apply for an extension in South Africa, the source explained.
Organizers together with the South African High Commission, are working on getting them a permit to enable them stay for more than 30 days, a source said.
