Cool news with bite!

TVSA has been asking for it for since 2009 and it's eventually happened. M-Net has secured the rights to the world's most exciting entrepreneurial show Shark Tank.

It's made multi-millionaires out of people who've entered it in America and Australia and now it's Our Time.

The format is very similar to the awesome Dragons' Den (it's based on Dragons' Den), except it has more razzle dazzle and glitz and the investor Shark's have sharp teeth. It also has real sharks in tanks. They circle and swirl and get frenzied when they smell entrepreneurial blood in the water.

Word from M-Net is that Shark Tank SA materialised from Dragons' Den SA, which aired on Mzansi Magic in 2014. It was never renewed on Mzansi Magic so M-Net was interested in picking it up but wanted a unique angle on it and therefore chose to do Shark Tank instead.

The format's are very similar: entrepreneurs present their business ideas to a panel of investors (Dragons/Sharks) who decide on whether or not they want to invest in each business.

The Shark Tank format has been created by Survivor creator Mark Burnett and has become a cultural and business phenomenon in America and Australia. The sharks have become celebrities and the show has changed the lives of entrepreneurs in both countries.

Rapid Blue (who produced Dragons' Den) will be producing it for South Africa and it's going to air in M-Net on Sundays at 18h00 from October.

Here's a trailer for the second season of the US version which gives a very clear idea of what it's like:

(Double click video to enlarge for PCs)



Our sharks haven't been named yet, we'll keep you posted when they are.

If you're an entrepreneur who wants investment in your business or savvy business partners to take your enterprise to the next level, this show is for you.

How to enter

You can enter by visiting the show's entry page on the M-Net website here: Entry forms.

You'll need to submit a 60-second video with a concise version of your business pitch to the Sharks. The video can be filmed on a camera or on your phone and doesn’t have to be of high production quality. The most important thing is to give a short elevator-type pitch that illustrates that you really mean business. 
 
Must-knows

You need to be 18 or over to enter and must be a South African citizen.

Closing date for entries: Sunday, 24 July.

Successful candidates will be informed by Thursday, 4 August.

Filming starts in mid-August.