http://www.drum.co.za 1 AUGUST 2019| (^71)
M-NET,
SUPPLIED
extracardio,enduranceandresistance
trainingatthegym,eventhoughhewas
already in great shape.
He also started preparing for the
mental and emotional aspects of
the game.
“I did a lot of meditation,” he says. “I’m
very much into spirituality.”
However his biggest inspiration going
into the game were his parents, Josi (51)
and Herbert (60), who told him just to
be himself in Samoa.
Josi, who’s Zulu and works as a wed-
ding planner, and Herbert, a cabinet-
maker from Austria, were married in
1987 at a time when their relationship,
although legal, was considered wrong
in apartheid South Africa.
He says the biggest lesson they taught
him and his three siblings was always
to be true to themselves.
From the get-go in the game he clicked
with Cape Town media producer Nathan
Castle (25) and they quickly formed a TV
bromance, which was cut short when
Nate was voted out just before the merge.
“A lot of people wondered whether we
knew each other before coming on the
show because we were so close. Him
leaving was a shock because he was the
person I’d invested in from day one in
this game. I’d put a lot of my energy and
eggs into that Nate basket and it just
dropped,” he says.
“He was that one person I could rely on
above everyone and the one person I
knew would never lie to me because we’d
built a bond that was so strong. We have
a lot of things in common and I saw a lot
of myself in Nate.”
At this stage of the game his biggest
threat is Danté de Villiers (31), a coffee
shop owner form Dwarskersbos on the
Cape West Coast.
“Danté is a very physical guy,” he says.
W
HILE SouthAfricans
eagerly wait to find out
how things pan out, Rob
is happy to be back in
South Africa, reunited
with his family and the
comforts of home.
“I love nyama [meat] and I really
missed it. Give me meat and I’m happy.”
He says competing in the game was
tougher than he’d expected.
“You’re missing your family and try-
ing to stay positive when everything is
breaking around you but, for me, hunger
was the toughest thing,” he says.
“There are two things in life that mean
a lot and that’s nutrition and love. In this
game you learn to appreciate those
things the most. It puts everything into
perspective,” he tells us.
Every Thursday he watches Survivor
and as the action plays out he’s proud of
how he’s played thus far and there’s
nothinghewishes he’d done differently.He says it never occurred to him that
taking part in the game would turn him
into a celebrity, although it doesn’t seem
as if there’s any risk of his newfound
fame going to his head. He still sees him-
self as an ordinary guy from a small town.
Rob says he’s generally at his happiest
when he’s doing outdoor activities such
as camping with his father or bungee
jumping off bridges.
“I also like my alone time, watching
movies or just being at home. You defi-
nitely won’t find me out in a club,” he says.
It will be music to many ears that he’s
single but if you’re hoping to catch his
eye, a love for the outdoors is essential –
asis anappreciationforDisneymovies.
“I’ma massiveDisneyfan,”hesays,
before bursting into song with a hearty
rendition of the Moana theme song
How Far I’ll Go.
His singing is actually pretty good.
Perhaps when Survivor is over he should
audition for The Voice South Africa.LEFT:Robduringa challengeforhisformer
Ta’alotribe.ABOVE:Hehada short-lived
bromance with Nathan Castle. RIGHT: Rob
formed an alliance with Nathan and Nicole
Capper from his initial Sa’ula tribe.RIGHT: One
of the things
Rob missed
most while
filming
Survivor
SouthAfrica:
Islandof
Secrets in
Samoawas
hisclose-
knitfamily.
Here,from
left,are
Rob,elder
sisterRobin,
momJosi,
dadHerbert
and younger
brothers
Alex and
Lucky.