With a looming swap or tribe mix up of some kind, we have our first edition of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets power rankings.
After six episodes of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets, five castaways still haven’t attended Tribal Council! That’s definitely one reason why this season is so difficult to understand where everyone stands. Based on the first 14 days and the social relationships built so far, here are our rankings of the remaining 15 castaways heading into episode 7.
15) Danté De Villiers
Based on Day 1 tribal lines, Danté is one of four players still in the game from the original Ta’alo tribe. Unlike Jacques or Cobus, it doesn’t look like Danté has put a ton of effort in building relationships with his new tribe members. Add in the fact that he has a confrontational attitude and is sabotaging camp life and you have a castaway that can be an easy vote.
14) Mmaba Molefe
Mmaba is a tough one to get a read on, especially since she hasn’t had a whole lot of confessionals. That alone is not a good sign. Besides being part of Mike and Geoffrey’s alliance, what do we know about her? I’m not saying she’ll be targeted soon, but her shot of playing a winning game isn’t looking good.
13) Cobus Hugo
Similar to Danté, Cobus is in the minority in terms of original tribal lines. That said, it looked like he was gaining ground with Mike, Geoffrey and Mmaba, so depending on the new tribes, Cobus could find his way in a majority alliance.
12) Laetitia Le Roux
The oldest player of the season is on the brink of safety. What I mean by that is once she makes the merge, the target will switch to the alpha males. If she can survive the next few votes, which is a big if, she can make it far.
11) Rocco van Rooyen
Can Rocco shake the prototypical challenge beast persona? His tribes haven’t attended Tribal Council yet, thanks to his physical ability. Other than Laetitia, not many seem willing to work with Rocco, so it might be immunity or bust for him.
10) Durão Mariano
Similar to Mmaba, Durão is another one who didn’t start off with a good edit, but that changed after going to three straight Tribal Councils. He does have the allies to potentially make it far, but his relations with his original tribe never seemed particularly strong.
9) Meryl Szolkeiwicz
The one thing that is saving Meryl is her Hidden Immunity. Although super fans may have cringed when she revealed her idol, that might just be enough to save her and possibly build trust with other castaways.
8) Nathan Castle
Here’s our first appearance of the Amigos! From his foot injury to his negativity, Nathan has been drawing attention to himself. He has the relationships to take control and play a good quality game, but an unfavorable swap could do him in.
7) Steffi Brink
This past episode left me unsure on where Steffi stands with the Amigos. Although she might be on the outs of the alliance, that might not be a bad thing if it collapses. Either way, Steffi needs to up her social game if she wants to stay around.
6) Jacques Burger
At this point, it looks like Jacques has completely recovered from his incorrect idol play. Yes, he told everyone about his second idol and his Extra Vote, but he went about it in a way that builds trust, similar to Werner Joubert last season. That’s especially true with the honest and open manner he approached the Tania vote. Jacques is slowly moving his way into another alliance with plenty of ammo.
5) Mike Ventor
Mike is a difficult one to put my finger on, mostly because we haven’t seen him attend a Tribal Council. He comes off as a strong and smart alliance leader that can pull off some big moves, plus he has the numbers to do so if original tribal lines remain intact.
4) Seipei Mashugane
Going from a shaky start to a strong position in the game, Seipei has played a great social game. Her decision to send Nathan and Nicole to the Island of Secrets cemented her place within the Amigos, while she also has done a great job of building her own relationships on Laumei. She will be dangerous once merge comes.
3) Geoffrey Cooke-Tonneson
Much like his closest ally Mike, Geoffrey has the numbers, so a swap probably won’t hurt him. He also seems to be a little more laid back and level-headed than Mike, which will allow him to float under the radar. Geoffrey proved with his candy jar explanation that he’s strategically minded and understands how to play this game.
2) Rob Bentele
Rob might be one of the biggest targets in the game, but he’s got an idol for protection. On top of that, Rob has shown his strong ability to connect with other castaways. He is a respected ally and holds power over the Amigos alliance, putting him in a position to take control of this game.
1) Nicole Capper
It’s true that the Amigos are starting to get noticed, but Nicole is sitting in a great position. She has an idol in her pocket and isn’t as big of a target as Rob or Nathan. Nicole has been playing a strong social game and I think she will gel well with the crew Seipei is bonding with once they come together at the merge.