Kwarantyn

How do you feel about your family? Are you still close after the nationwide lockdown? How would you feel about spending two months in quarantine together with the entire nation watching?

Two families will find out in kykNET’s brand-new reality show, Kwarantyn. 

On 10 June, the Le Roux and Scheepers families entered a 50-day quarantine in the hopes of winning viewers’ votes to help them win R250 000. The catch? They’re filmed 24/7 and viewers can tune in to see what they’re up to at any time of the day on the brand-new Kwarantyn pop-up channel (DStv 149).

Fun facts about Kwarantyn

• The two houses are situated in a neighbourhood in Johannesburg.
• It took the production team six weeks to get the houses ready, including renovating and interior decorating.
• There are 56 cameras in the two houses.
• The families are being watched 24/7 on 20 monitors in the control room.
• The families are being watched 24/7 in three shifts within 24 hours. Nine team members work during one shift.
• More than 100 production team members are involved in Kwarantyn.
• Although the Kwarantyn houses are situated in Johannesburg, The Caretaker, Ferdinand Rabie, is situated in Cape Town. This is made possible using modern technology.

The Le Roux family wins S1!

On Wednesday 29 July, in the nail-biting final of kykNET’s reality show, Kwarantyn, the Le Roux family were announced as the winners of the first season.

The family – Braam, Manie, Lisa, Adriaan and Heinrich, were beyond excited when The Caretaker, Ferdinand Rabie, announced that they were the winners of Kwarantyn. They receive R250 000 in cash.

Viewers had the chance to vote for their favourite family on a weekly basis. All the votes over the past few weeks were tallied to determine which family had received the most votes.

In the past two months, the Le Roux and Scheepers families entertained viewers 24/7 on the pop-up channel for Kwarantyn, DStv Channel 148. From food challenges, art projects and early morning workouts to karaoke, late-night fun and visits from celebrities – there wasn’t time for a moment of boredom.

“There were various highlights during our time on Kwarantyn – Lisa’s birthday that we celebrated with balloons and cake, Francois van Coke’s call, the fun in the evenings and the games we played. We’re going to miss Kwarantyn,” say the Le Roux family. One of the highlights for the Scheepers family was meeting celebrities such as Cindy Swanepoel and Stephanie Baardman.

The dogs of Kwarantyn became much-loved among viewers. Vlooi, who is part of the Le Roux family, kept an eye from the couch, and Max was part of the Scheepers family for a few weeks. “With Max, the Kwarantyn house felt like home – we really enjoyed his stay with us,” says Caryn.

Both families agreed that Kwarantyn exceeded their expectations – it was a bigger challenge than they had ever imagined. “We never expected it to be so emotional,” says Jade. “I didn’t think it would be so stressful – it definitely wasn’t a holiday,” Manie adds. “I didn’t expect there to be so many cameras on us!” says Lisa.

Although the Scheepers family didn’t win, they didn’t leave empty-handed – Caryn wins the prize for being the most authentic and honest contestant and receives R10 000 in cash. This prize was awarded by the Kwarantyn team who kept an eye on the two families 24/7. The Le Roux and Scheepers families received R41 000 and R40 000 respectively in vouchers during the series.

Another surprise awaits the Scheepers family – the pieces of art which the families created in the past week was put on auction and a total of R156 000 was made in this way. The money will be donated to the Scheepers family.

Emo Adams also offered to help Austin with his first online show and will support him with a possible singing career. Watch the moment when Emo phoned Austin here.

Both families learnt a lot during their time on Kwarantyn. The Le Roux family learnt more about each other and how to work together as a team. “I learnt to not underestimate my capabilities,” says Avril. “Some of the challenges seemed impossible, but once I started with it, I realised I could do it!”

The two families would like to thank the viewers. “Thank you for your support and votes – we love you!” is the Le Roux family’s message. And the Scheepers say: “We are grateful for your support and the fact that you motivated us.”

Karen Meiring, M-Net Director: Afrikaans channels, says: “Kwarantyn took us through a spectrum of experiences: from darker moments to great joys. The show was more than a social experiment. It entertained and brought cultures closer together. Thank you to Team Scheepers and Le Roux that we could be part of the love and loss. Enjoy your well-deserved life away from Kwarantyn.”

The cameras have been switched off and it’s time for the families to enjoy some rest before continuing their lives. Kwarantyn is an experience that will stay with them, and the viewers, forever. In the words of the families: “Emotional, stressful, insane, challenging, exciting and fun.” It was a rollercoaster ride from day one until the end. From Braam’s "Tjom", Caryn’s "Hectic" and Heinrich aka "Mr Legs’" we are going to miss you!

Visit kykNET.tv for all the highlights of Kwarantyn.

How to watch Kwarantyn online

Sign up for DStv Now, a free service for all DStv subscribers. With DStv Now, the same channels you watch on your decoder at home are available for you to stream online or by using the DStv Now app on your phone.