Springer has said the programme will be more "traditional" than his famous talk show, which is also broadcast in the African country.

There's a great romance to this place, politically, socially, geographically

Jerry Springer

The weekly programme, called Jerry Springer Saturday Night, will resemble traditional US late-night talk shows, featuring interviews with local and international celebrities, an opening monologue and a live studio audience.

"This is meeting fascinating people with a particular talent," said Springer.

New series

The series is set to begin in November on pay channel M-Net.

A spokesman for the channel said Springer's new series would eventually air in more than 40 African countries that receive the channel via satellite.

"The idea of being in South Africa is exciting," he said.

"There's a great romance to this place, politically, socially, geographically. It's too good a deal to pass up."

Springer, who has hosted similar late-night talk shows in the UK on ITV and Channel 5, admitted he knows little about South African pop culture.

'Lucky'

But he predicted that he would give the series "chemistry".

"I'm lucky for a guy with no talent," he said. "It's like, how the hell did all this happen to me?"

Springer is currently hosting three TV shows, appearing in a film and recording his first music album.

He began discussions about a South African show after hosting the Miss World event in the country last year.