Vegan lifestyle entrepreneur Anesu fell on the wrong side of a blind-side in the last episode of “Survivor SA: Immunity Island”.
The 28-year old spent 28 days on the island before her torch was snuffed after five of the other castaways voted her off.
Speaking to IOL Entertainment Anesu said she was grateful for having the opportunity to partake in the greatest social experience on earth.
“I really wanted to make a big move. I wanted to make my mark, but unfortunately the numbers didn’t go that way,” she said about the blind-side.
A super fan for close to 18 years, Anesu started watching “Survivor“ around the age of 10 with her dad, who is also a huge fan.
“My mom and I used to role our eyes and say ’gosh, he is watching these crazy people on the beach again’.
“But the more I watched with him, and the older I got, the more I started to recognise the nuisances.
“I was looking for a challenge, I am an adventurous person and I felt like ’Survivor’ was the ultimate challenge for me,” said Anesu.
She said the game challenged her physical body, her mind and allowed her to strategise.
“I never thought I would be able to hang tightly to a pole for three hours, but I did. It was a holistic challenge and that’s what I really wanted. Upon entering to be a contestant, I wanted to see what person I would become on the island,” said Anesu.
She said that although she had an expectation of heading international to film, filming locally was just as exciting.
“I felt like being at the Wild Coast, Eastern Cape was divinely orchestrated. Last year I spent a lot of time doing research into my heritage and ancestry, and a large part of my ancestors actually originate from that area in KwaZulu-Natal and kind of migrated into Zimbabwe.
“ So it felt like I was going to a sacred site that meant something to me,” she said.
One of the biggest challenges for Anesu was the terrible cold and rainy weather.
“I expected to have some rain, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so cold. I didn’t pack any warm gear.
“It ended up being super cold. We were freezing, and in the end I almost had to consider the cold as another element of the game that I had to overcome,” she said.
She said that she will be rooting for the girls who are left in this season.
“I hope they do well. I know that we have an added baggage that we have to carry as female castaways.
“I felt like I had to be more discreet. Female castaways that are strategic, are often considered to be bigger threats, more so than males,” she said.
“Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island” airs on Thursdays at 7.30pm on M-Net or available on Catch Up.