Survivor SA Island of Secrets: Winners and losers from the tribe swap

An early tribe swap shakes up the dynamics on Survivor SA: Island of Secrets, giving some vulnerable castaways another chance.

Last week’s episode of Island of Secrets showcased one of the biggest blunders in any version of Survivor in recent years. Fortunately for Jacques, he’s still in the game, now in the majority and with another idol, so we see how much this swap impacted tribe dynamics. We take a look at one winner and one loser from each tribe after the swap.

Laumei wearing purple

Winner: Tania Copeland

She went from being the next person to get voted out to atop a majority alliance. She has two allies by her side and has proven her loyalty after returning from the Island of Sticks Secrets.

Tania has also shown an increase in her game awareness. She understood that she was the target and why Ting Ting was voted out. If she can continue to adapt to the flow of the game, she could make it far with her core alliance.

Loser: Durão Mariano

Unfortunately for Durão, the only thing he has going for him is that he shares the same last name as Boston Rob. He is clearly on the wrong side of the numbers, and no fake idol gimmicks can save him. His only hope is if he can improve his performance in challenges so he can help his tribe avoid attending another Tribal Council.

Sa’ula wearing blue

Winner: Geoffrey Cooke-Tonnesen

It’s hard to find anyone else who had a better outcome at the swap than Mike and Geoffrey. Not only does this tight pair get to stick together, but they also have Mmaba with them, who was in an alliance with them as well. They have the majority, putting Geoffrey in a solid position in the pre-merge game.

Loser: Cobus Hugo

This season of Survivor SA has been shaped by loyalty. Cobus is simply on the wrong side of the numbers and doesn’t have an idol to protect him. He could possibly team up with Nathan and Steffi to force a tie with the three former Laumei, but I can’t see that happening. Odds are, Nathan and Steffi join the Laumei three to vote off Cobus if they do lose a challenge.

Ta’alo wearing purple

Winner: Nicole Capper

This is a hard tribe to judge because there’s an even split: two members from each original tribe. However, the fact Nicole and Rob were able to get their way with sending Seipei to the Island of Secrets already shows the control they have over this tribe. She’s also the the perfect mix of being solid in challenges without putting too much of a target on her back.

Loser: Danté De Villiers

From what we saw in yesterday’s episode, out of all castaways in this new tribe, Dante stuck out the most. With no original tribe forming a majority, all it could take is an aggressive personality to rub someone the wrong way, making them the next target. It’s hard to tell with so little coverage of this tribe, but Dante is starting to fit in that category.