Read the unedited press statement from the producers below:

The producers of Big Brother Africa IX would like to state that contrary to information on various Ghanaian media platforms, the Big Brother Season 9 candidates have not been rejected by MultiChoice Africa or Endemol due to the Ebola scare.
The candidates applied for visas to travel to South Africa for the final stage of auditioning and but unfortunately their visas were not able to be processed and issued in time. The SA Home Affairs now requires all applicants to submit their own applications personally and the visa process takes a minimum of ten working days.

The South African High Commission in Ghana was following the necessary processes but unfortunately there were delays in producing additional documentations such as bank statements, which meant that Endemol had to take the necessary measures to ensure Ghana is represented in BBA 9 and does not miss out of the show

The production company had no option but to find alternative Ghanaian candidates to audition in South Africa, as they could not hold up the processes that lead up to the show.

Produced by Endemol South Africa, Big Brother Hotshots kicks off on 7 September at 19:00 CAT and run 24/7 on DStv channels 197 and 198, with the best of the live highlights shown on GOtv.

With less than four weeks to go, follow the action in the lead-up to the Premiere on social media by following @BigBroAfrica, liking facebook.com/BigBrotherAfrica or go to the official website at www.bigbrotherafrica.com .