We breakdown where the twelve remaining Survivor SA: Island of Secrets castaways stand after an early merge and a narrow vote.
Even though there was a Survivor SA record of 13 players making the merge, the first tribal council was relatively controlled. The majority alliance allowed the vote to be split between two people with Meryl as the lead target.
However, as we see in this week’s promo, this large majority is bound to crack, so I would expect lively Tribal Councils on the way. Here’s where the twelve castaways stand heading into episode 10.
12) Danté De Villiers
For the second straight vote, Danté has been on the wrong side of the numbers. He’s now without his number one ally with Meryl gone and is still sitting in the minority. Right now, Danté needs to win immunity or hope someone wants to make a play on another threat.
11) Steffi Brink
The past few episodes have seen Steffi wander onto shaky ground. The worst part about it is that she doesn’t even know that her alliance members doubt her. Steffi’s decision to send herself to the Island of Secrets hurt her social game as it prevented her from building crucial relationships fresh after the merge. She also missed the chance to be a part of a critical vote without having to worry about her own fate.
10) Laetitia Le Roux
The reason Laetitia is this low isn’t because of her threat level. She appears to be in the minority again, and it didn’t look like she was developing any strong social relationships with other castaways once the merge hit.
9) Nicole Capper
The Nathan blindside has negatively affected man players on this list. It was almost painful to watch Nicole trying to find a logical way to explain why she voted for Nathan. Her behavior during the Immunity Challenge only made her stand out more. That said, she isn’t viewed as a primary target, and her decision to give half the idol to Seipei might help in gaining back the Amigos trust.
8) Geoffrey Cooke-Tonneson
It’s hard to believe that Geoffrey received six votes at one Tribal Council, but is still in the game! His move to blindside Nathan has painted a massive target on him, but at least now he’s aware of it. This week’s episode will tell us if Geoffrey’s social relationships are strong enough to evade Rob’s fury.
7) Mmaba Molefe
Although Mmaba hasn’t received as much heat as Geoffrey and Nicole, the Nathan blindside has still put her in harm’s way. If Mike is able to convince Rob to keep Geoffrey, then it might be Mmaba who’s caught in the crossfire.
6) Cobus Hugo
Over the past few episodes, Cobus has taken his game to the next level. He went from being an outsider to now being in the know and a part of a majority alliance. His social game has been coming on strong, allowing him to earn the trust of Rob, Seipei, and Jacques.
5) Durão Mariano
Durão is still sitting in a pretty position after the merge. Although he doesn’t seem to have a measurable power over who goes home, he’s on good terms with almost everyone still in the game, and you can’t really say that about a lot of players. Sooner or later though, Durão will have to pick a side and develop a core alliance.
4) Seipei Mashugane
The events following the merge proved how Seipei is the heart and soul of the Amigos alliance. Ever since the first tribe swap, Seipei has been my dark horse pick to win it all because of her strong social game. Her ability to build relationships outside of the Amigos will be key for her to play a winning game.
3) Mike Ventor
Mike dropped from our top spot, thanks mostly to the instability of his Day 1 alliance with Geoffrey and Mmaba. He has done a great job of building up his numbers and getting close to Rob, but that relationship could end very soon. With Rob wanting to take out Geoffrey, Mike will have to decide which alliance he intends to stick with.
2) Jacques Burger
If I had to pick an MVP from the merge episode, it would be Jacques. He did a masterful job of reconnecting with his old tribe members in Dante and Meryl, while still staying true to Rob’s majority alliance. Jacques has been playing both sides, but in an honest way that doesn’t raise a target on his back.
1) Rob Bentele
It’s amazing to watch someone with the massive threat level of Rob continue to have the power to decide who goes home. Even with Nathan out of the picture, Rob is still in the majority with an idol in his pocket. In addition to the four-person Amigos alliance, Rob has become strong allies with Mike, Cobus, and even Jacques. So far, he’s been playing a flawless social and strategic game, earning him the top spot on our power rankings.