Five savvy business sharks are gearing up to give Mzansi a remarkable show with a difference on M-Net.
From Sunday, watch how entrepreneurs try to woo investors by selling their business ideas, or a stake in an existing business.
Shark Tank South Africa stars business heavyweights Romeo Kumalo, former Vodacom executive and radio star; Dawn Nathan-Jones, CEO and major shareholder of Washirika; Gil Oved of The Creative Counsel and co-founder of Silicon Cape; Vinny Lingham and Marnus Broodryk, the affluent CEO of The Beancounter, who became a self-made millionaire at 24.
The show is popular in Australia, Portugal, Italy and the UK, where it is known as Dragons' Den.
Viewers will see contestants coming up with exciting business ideas but failing to convince the four investors how they would work in the cut-throat business world.
The businessmen put their own money into the ideas and therefore would have to buy into something they really believe in.
In the first episode, the sharks are presented with four propositions: a decor range, a chocolate silk-screen business, a product that may revolutionise nail care and a range of low-carb food products.
After one of these pitches, the sharks lose their cool and another one prompts them to doubt the enterprise's financial viability. But then someone arrives who manages to charm them out of cash.
Kee-Leen Irvine of the show's producers, Rapid Blue, is enthused with the new show.
"What adds the cherry on top is when the entertainment facilitates life-changing events for the participants, which is what Shark Tank does," she said.
"Another bonus was being able to shoot in Soweto, which throbs with hustle and industry."
Kumalo believes the show will encourage people to start their own businesses. He said there were too many youngsters with degrees who can't find jobs.
"There is no culture of entrepreneurship in the country, and this show will create just that. It also expands people's thoughts beyond the same businesses that everyone keeps coming up with. This is a platform that shows people that they can dream and come up with exciting ideas that could change the course of history."
Oved said: "Even if we don't buy into the business, the sparked interest would have got us to ask questions that will get the entrepreneur to go through their idea, improve on it, and hopefully turn it into a workable proposition."
l Catch Shark Tank South Africa on M-Net from Sunday at 6pm.
Contestants fed to sharks in TV show
Five savvy business sharks are gearing up to give Mzansi a remarkable show with a difference on M-Net.
From Sunday, watch how entrepreneurs try to woo investors by selling their business ideas, or a stake in an existing business.
Shark Tank South Africa stars business heavyweights Romeo Kumalo, former Vodacom executive and radio star; Dawn Nathan-Jones, CEO and major shareholder of Washirika; Gil Oved of The Creative Counsel and co-founder of Silicon Cape; Vinny Lingham and Marnus Broodryk, the affluent CEO of The Beancounter, who became a self-made millionaire at 24.
The show is popular in Australia, Portugal, Italy and the UK, where it is known as Dragons' Den.
Viewers will see contestants coming up with exciting business ideas but failing to convince the four investors how they would work in the cut-throat business world.
The businessmen put their own money into the ideas and therefore would have to buy into something they really believe in.
In the first episode, the sharks are presented with four propositions: a decor range, a chocolate silk-screen business, a product that may revolutionise nail care and a range of low-carb food products.
After one of these pitches, the sharks lose their cool and another one prompts them to doubt the enterprise's financial viability. But then someone arrives who manages to charm them out of cash.
Kee-Leen Irvine of the show's producers, Rapid Blue, is enthused with the new show.
"What adds the cherry on top is when the entertainment facilitates life-changing events for the participants, which is what Shark Tank does," she said.
"Another bonus was being able to shoot in Soweto, which throbs with hustle and industry."
Kumalo believes the show will encourage people to start their own businesses. He said there were too many youngsters with degrees who can't find jobs.
"There is no culture of entrepreneurship in the country, and this show will create just that. It also expands people's thoughts beyond the same businesses that everyone keeps coming up with. This is a platform that shows people that they can dream and come up with exciting ideas that could change the course of history."
Oved said: "Even if we don't buy into the business, the sparked interest would have got us to ask questions that will get the entrepreneur to go through their idea, improve on it, and hopefully turn it into a workable proposition."
l Catch Shark Tank South Africa on M-Net from Sunday at 6pm.
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