"How do we build a rainbow nation if TV shows only feature a certain race?"

Within hours of Love Island SA debut #LoveIslandOrania was trending - in reference to the famous 'whites-only' Northern Cape town.

Televisions show in South Africa must be representative of the citizens of the country if we are to move away from the segregation of the past and towards a more multicultural society.

That's according to Lutendo Nendauni, lecturer and language editor at North-West University.

In 2016 Nenduani wrote a paper critiquing the cultural and racial representation in South African soapies.

He joined CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit on Thursday to talk about the allegations of lack of representation in the MNet series Love Island SA.

The first episode of the show premiered on Sunday night and South African viewers were not impressed.

The local spin-off of the reality dating show has come under fire for its poor production quality and lack of representation.

80% of the population is black, but then here comes a television programme and 90% of the contestants are white.

Lutendo Nendauni, Lecturer and Language Editor - North-West University

We are coming from an apartheid era, we are trying to dissect from that, moving on, building a united nation.

Lutendo Nendauni, Lecturer and Language Editor - North-West University

How do we do them embrace multiculturalism that if a television programme is only reflecting a certain race?

Lutendo Nendauni, Lecturer and Language Editor - North-West University

Introducing ten tantalising Islanders 😍 Got a favourite already? Too soon to tell? Carry on watching tomorrow at 21:30 on @MNet 💛 🏝️ #LoveIslandSA

— Love Island SA (@LoveIsland_SA) February 28, 2021

M-Net issued an apology on Tuesday afternoon acknowledging the online backlash aimed at the show.

"You called us out on the lack of diversity and production quality in our first episode of Love Island SA. We're sorry - we didn't meet our usual standard on both counts", M-Net said in a short statement.

But the apology came too late for Lotto Star which announced that it was withdrawing its sponsorship from the show.

pic.twitter.com/qF23HqIWXi

— M-Net (@MNet) March 2, 2021

RELATED: Love Island SA slammed for lack of diversity

Meanwhile satirist Lesego Thlabi has used her alter-ego Coconut Kelz to send up the scandal, taking to Twitter as her 'Every White Person's BFF' persona.

Addressing why there are so few black contestants on the show Kelz suggests, "It's called Love Island, not Love 'Robben' Island..."

"Also they can't swim so they don't want to be stuck on an island" she concludes.

This show looks like my friendship group so where’s the racism? #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/MLEFtDpvBL

— Coconut Kelz (@CoconutKelz) March 3, 2021

RELATED: 'We're sorry' - M-Net apologises for Love Island SA debut flop

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