Palesa Tau is a contestant from Survivor South Africa: Philippines and Survivor South Africa: Return of the Outcasts.
In Philippines, Palesa emerged as a key strategic player, leading the Luzon faction that emerged with the numbers after winning out at the rock draw on Night 6. After being switched to the new Visayas tribe, Palesa clashed with her season-long rival Tom Swartz and solidified a trio with ally Vusi Mafulela and former rival Chané Mynhardt. Palesa also became the first person to find a Hidden Immunity Idol at Tribal Council, though she ended up misplaying this idol when she lost the numbers after the merge. After winning her first individual Reward Challenge, Palesa hoped that Tom would feed her information from the majority alliance so that she could play her second idol which she found on the reward. However, this pact was not to be, and Palesa left the game with an idol in her pocket as the biggest strategic threat remaining in the minority.
After her blindside in the Philippines, Palesa returned for a second chance in Return of the Outcasts. Her early game started tumultuously as she was left out of PK Phetoe's blindside, but her luck picked up after she was switched to the Yontau tribe. Riding the middle between the Breakfast Club majority and the minority comprised of original Yontau members, she found herself in a comfortable position as a double agent. Unfortunately, during a surprise Joint Tribal Council twist, Palesa had the fewest connections and no advantages to protect her, causing her to be sacrificed by both tribes as an easy vote right before the merge.
Profile[]
Retrieved from m-net.dstv.com
PALESA (28) Radio presenter from Johannesburg
Palesa is a tough cookie who has risen above adversity in her life so many times that she feels that Survivor SA will be a walk in the park for her. This highly competitive mother of one describes herself as the friend you wish to have, and the enemy you don't. As a radio presenter her strength lies in being to speak confidently and convincingly, but her confidence could pose a threat if not moderated. The first thing Palesa packed in her bag for the island was a supportive bikini top "to hold the girls in place" during challenges.[1]
Name: Palesa Tau
Previous season: Survivor South Africa: Philippines S6
Age: 31
Hometown: Johannesburg
Palesa Tau works as a radio presenter and producer, hosting her own health talk show and is also a voice-over artist. She comes from a close-knit family and spends a lot of time with her sister and mother.
Her appearance on Survivor SA: Philippines boosted her confidence personally and professionally, seeing her being nominated for a number of radio industry awards over the last few years.
Tau came into her season of Survivor SA without much knowledge of the game – with no pre-determined strategy, preferring to play instinctively. This time around, she's aiming to be more social and try to be more intentional and proactive.[2]Survivor South Africa[]
Philippines[]
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| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luzon | Race to Shore | Reward | No | Lost |
| Breakout | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 2 | Ferryman | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Styx | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 3 | By the Numbers | Reward | No | Won | |
| Got to Choose | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| Switched Tribes, Day 9 | |||||
| 4 | Visayas | Shakedown Street | Reward | No | Lost |
| Block in a Hard Place | Immunity | No | 2nd | ||
| 5 | Log Handler | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost | |
| 6 | Chain Reaction | Reward/Immunity | No | Won | |
| 7 | Barrel Bridge | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Baba Buoys | Immunity | No | 2nd | ||
| 8 | Head Long Flight | Reward | Yes | 1st | |
| House of the Holey | Immunity | No | 1st | ||
| Tribes Merged, Day 22 | |||||
| 9 | Araw | Bermuda Triangles | Immunity | Lost | |
| 10 | Rove, Rove, Rove Your Boat | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Splash Back | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 11 | Centrifuge | Reward | Won | ||
| Got a Hunch | Immunity | Lost | |||
| Voted Out, Day 29 | |||||
| Episode | Palesa's Votes |
Voted Against Palesa |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom | - |
| 2 | Annalize; Annalize1 |
- |
| 3 | Luzon Tribe Immune | |
| 4 | Visayas Tribe Immune | |
| 5 | Murishca | - |
| 6 | Visayas Tribe Immune | |
| 7 | Visayas Tribe Immune | |
| 8 | Visayas Tribe Immune | |
| 9 | Katinka | PK, Toni |
| 10 | Tom2 |
-2 |
| 11 | Katinka | Annalize, Jeanne, Katinka, Tom, Toni, Werner |
| Voted Out, Day 29 | ||
| Voted for Sole Survivor |
Tom | |
^1 In "Episode 2", the vote ended with a 4-4 tie between Annalize and Josie, forcing a revote. Palesa did not change her vote on the revote.
^2 In "Episode 10", Palesa used a Hidden Immunity Idol, but did not negate any votes against her. Also, Werner used a Hidden Immunity Idol, negating Palesa's vote against him. Also, the vote ended with a 1-1-0-0 tie between Chané and Tom, forcing a revote. Palesa changed her vote to Tom on the revote.
Return of the Outcasts[]
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| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masu | Water Slaughter | Reward | No | Won |
| 2 | Ladder Daze | Immunity | No | Lost | |
| 3 | Catch of the Day | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost | |
| 4 | Nut Bucket | Reward/Immunity | No | Won | |
| 5 | In the Trenches | Reward/Immunity | No | Won | |
| 6 | Reinventing the Wheel | Reward | No | Lost | |
| TBA | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| Switched Tribes, Day 12 | |||||
| 7 | Yontau | Bog Roll | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost |
| 8 | |||||
| 9 | Blind Leading the Blind | Reward/Immunity | No | Won | |
| 10 | Swing Break | Reward/Immunity | No | Won | |
| 11 | Will Power | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost | |
| Voted Out, Day 19 | |||||
| Episode | Palesa's Votes |
Voted Against Palesa |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chappies | -1 |
| 3 | Marian | - |
| 4 | Masu Tribe Immune | |
| 5 | Masu Tribe Immune | |
| 6 | Masu Tribe Immune | |
| 8 | - | |
| 9 | Yontau Tribe Immune | |
| 10 | Yontau Tribe Immune | |
| 12 | Meryl | Danté, Dino, Felix, Killarney, Marian, Meryl, Phil, Shane, Steffi, Tejan |
| Voted Out, Day 19 | ||
^1 In "Survivor 101", Tevin used a Hidden Immunity Idol on Palesa, but did not negate any votes against her.
^2 In "This is Gonna Be a Life Long Torture", Dino used a Hidden Immunity Idol, negating Palesa's vote against him.
Post-Survivor[]
Trivia[]
- Palesa is the first woman in Survivor South Africa to be voted out while in the possession of a Hidden Immunity Idol.
- Palesa holds the Survivor South Africa record for most votes received at a single Tribal Council, excluding revotes, with 10 during her elimination Tribal Council in Return of the Outcasts.
- Palesa is the first person in Survivor South Africa to misplay a Hidden Immunity Idol in two separate seasons.
References[]
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