Survivor SA Panama kicked off on Sunday, September 3 in M-Net's Open Time and
Mark Bayly is destined to be as popular a celebrity as Colin Moss and Mark Pilgrim. He’s 36 years old; a businessman with experience in marketing, tourism and running small hotels; he loves sailing, surf skiing and he knows how to make Port in the traditional Portuguese way.

Survivor SA Panama kicked off on Sunday, September 3 in M-Net's Open Time and
Mark Bayly is destined to be as popular a celebrity as Colin Moss and Mark Pilgrim. He’s 36 years old; a businessman with experience in marketing, tourism and running small hotels; he loves sailing, surf skiing and he knows how to make Port in the traditional Portuguese way.

Remember the funny ads? One was a Microsoft ad, in which a busy father picks up the wrong kid and the other was an ad for SA Home loans, in which a family are enjoying a picnic next to the pool. When the real home owners return, the picnic squatters have to bail over the wall. The guy in both ads was Mark Bayly.

Apart the odd television ad, he’s also notched up three small movie roles – he was the nasty Minister in The Groomsmen, a Pentagon security guard in The Global Effect, and a Senior Officer in Charlie.

The signs were there all along, right from school days: he was a Rotary exchange student – voted leader and spokesperson; Chairman of the debating society and winner of public speaking competitions. He went on to obtain his Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in English. He always dreamed of showbiz but took the sensible route – until they found him!

With his good looks and deep voice, he’s a natural. The camera loves him. Through the tough months of filming in Panama, he felt as though he belonged on location and, despite the early warnings about a career in show business, he’s daring to dream.

"After wanting this for so long, and putting it out of my mind for practical reasons, it just feels right."

When Survivor Panama hits the screens, thousands of people are going to agree that it is right. Mark Bayly is going to be a hit and chances are Survivor SA is just the beginning…