South Africa’s biggest singing competition, Idols SA, announced its top 10 finalists at the Hatfield Arena on Sunday, heralding a phase that is expected to be tougher for contestants.
Sunday World had a chance for one-on-one conversations with the finalists to find out what drove them to enter for the competition.
Mpilwenhle Mokopu from Katlehong has always loved music, but singing in front of huge crowds was her biggest nightmare, until she sang in church and received positive feedback.
“I went to Central Johannesburg College where I ventured into music. When I auditioned for Idols, I did not expect to go this far, but here I am in the top 10,” she shared, adding that her Idols journey has been stressful.
Born and raised in Stanger in Kwadukuza, Ceejay Canvas said: “While I was in high school, I was part of a male acapella group called The Canvas, which is why I go by Canvas.
“The Canvas had a huge impact on who I am today, as it was the starting point for my music career.”
The group separated and he went solo following his admission to University of Zululand. However, he struggle to get a breakthrough due to financial challenges.
Canvas explained: “This is my second time entering Idols. When I first entered in 2020, I did not get the golden ticket. I tried again in 2021 and I was part of the top 32.
“This did not make me stop, I entered again this year with the hope that I will do better, and here I am in the top 10. My resilience has finally paid off.”
Twenty-eight-year old Lerato Matsabu stopped singing after her audition went horrible when she was 16.
“After my audition, I overlooked my love for music, 12 years later here I am,” said Matsabu. “My voice was not mature enough at that time, now I have gained a lot of confidence and I am thoroughly prepared for my audition.”
Matsabu said when things are not going her way in the competition, she turns to God, as it is Him who has brought her this far. She also reminds herself of why she started the Idols journey.
“My biggest achievement is giving myself the second chance at music again, it has brought me this far and it is the most fulfilling moment in my life.”
A psychologist by profession in the SA Police Service in North West, Thapelo Molomo, said being on Idols has made him miss the chance to see his two-month-old baby girl grow.
“I have a daughter, and being here means that I cannot see her grow, but I am happy because I am here for her. This will pay off one day when she looks back on why I wasn’t there during her crucial stage of growing,” said Molomo.
“There is so much pressure but I am able to contain myself, and I am using this opportunity to explore different genres of music.”
Born and raised in Cape Town, Zee Arnolds’ biggest challenge has been coming out of the box. “I have struggled with self-confidence for a very long time and this competition wants someone who is very confident,” said the 18-year old, adding that her biggest achievement is being in the top 10 of the competition.
Kabelo Makhetha from Pietermaritzburg said his audition was unintentional.
“I have always loved music but life is not kind to us at times. I found myself at a call centre and that made me feel like I have lost the hunger I have always had for music,” he said, sharing that after his audition, he lost his phone and did not know whether he had made it through or not.
“Luckily I had logged my Gmail account into my friend’s phone and the e-mail went through to him. He then told me that I have made it through, I was in disbelief,” said Makhetha.
“Being on Idols has been difficult, a lot goes on behind the scenes for us to have a few minutes on stage, but it pays off as we are able to deliver.”
He said his main goal was to make it to the top 16, but seeing that he has made it to the top 10, he rates that as being one of his biggest achievements.
Noxolo Mthethwa from Durban received a call to inform him that he has made it after his younger brother entered the competition for him.
“It has been tricky for me as it is my first time performing for a large audience. I only sing in church, but it has shown who I am,” said the 25-year-old.
She said she is music as it is the first thing she thinks of when she wakes up every morning. “I am a very sensitive person, hence the negative comments and criticism are something that I do not take lightly, but I have learnt to not take everything to heart and to focus on the good.”
Nozipho “Nozi” Sibiya said it is her second time auditioning for the competition.
“After I received a callback, I did not know what to do as I was rejected before. I had to mature soon after I got the news as no one had forced me to do this,” she said.
In a joint interview, Tesmin Robyn and Ty Loner told Sunday World that being on Idols has been a learning curve, difficult yet enjoyable. The pair did not expect to go this far.
“One of the challenges is being sick and being away from your support system. We suffer mentally but luckily, the housemates are a great support system, which makes the journey bearable,” said Robyn.
Loner said he has learnt a lot from being part of the competition. “I am experiencing much more than I did outside the competition. I take what the judges say into consideration, but I choose what to take in and what to overlook,” said Loner.
“The other finalists are amazing, we have become a family as we spend most of our time together. Seeing that I have made it to the top 10 shows that my friends and family, and South Africa as a whole believe in us, hence they keep voting for us.”
All the finalists received prizes from the sponsors including Standard Bank, Spotify, Truworths and Yamaha.
Standard Bank head of youth and main market, Itumeleng Matlaila, said the banking group has chosen to partner with Idols to make sure that young people achieve their dreams.
“Today, with the R50 000 that we gave in total to the top 10 winners, we hope this is an encouragement to our young contestants to continue on their path to realising their dreams,” said Matlaila.
Here’s what the @IdolsSA top 10 finalists had to say about being in the competition.@SundayWorldZA @IdolsSA @Mzansimagic #idolssa pic.twitter.com/YjgRsuRBle
— MaNdaba👑✨ (@Anelisa_Sibanda) September 15, 2022
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