The judges have had their final say and picked who they think best represents the talent at Theatre Week. There were moments of elation and moments of pure heartache. Unfortunately, not everyone can be a winner and our Top 16 are going to have to fight to the last if they’re to have any chance of coming out on top.
Amanda Antony (22)
For whom Idols SA has been a true rollercoaster ride. In 2013 she famously made it to Sun City when Unathi gave her a Golden Ticket in PE after Algoa FM had spotted her great singing talent, but then she bombed out during Hell Week. She has recently completed her Music Studies at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
Bridgitt Leahy (18)
Who blew the judges away with her original song at the Durban auditions. She hails from Creighton in the Southern Drakensberg and currently lives with her mom in Pietermaritzburg, where she is being home-schooled.
Dineo Moseki (21)
Who lives in Vryburg with her sisters and nieces and nephews, where she works as a full-time professional singer. The pint-sized Dineo has been singing for all of her life, in school choirs and church choirs, and turned professional in 2012.
Elwira Standili (22)
From Worcester gave up her Management Assistance studies once she won that coveted Golden Ticket at the Idols SA auditions in Cape Town this February.
Karabo Mogane (24)
From Nelspruit who studied Geoinformatics at the University of Stellenbosch before getting into the Idols SA Season 11 Top 16.
Loyiso Gijana (16)
From Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape is the youngest singer in the competition. Up until now he was a learner at Muir College in Uitenhage.
Lungisa Xhamela (24)
From Langa in the Cape gave up his studies in medical bioscience at the University of the Western Cape to pursue his musical dreams full-time, for the sake of his two-year-old daughter.
Mmatema Moreni (23)
From Limpopo qualified as a professional linguist who speaks four languages. Before she entered Idols she also worked as a part-time marketing assistant and worked for her church on the side.
Nadia Herbst (20)
Business Management student from Paarl has already won the title of Miss Teen Cape Town and Miss Teen Western Cape, and now she has a third title in her sights: South Africa’s new Idol!
Nina Terblanche (17)
Nina hails from Nelspruit, where she is a Grade 10 scholar who has Music as a school subject, and she also sings in the school choir and competes in Eisteddfods.
Phila Madlingozi
Phila’s name may sound familiar, because at age 25 he has starred in drama series like “Intersexions” and “Mutual Friends”, and has posted many of his own music videos on YouTube.
Rhema Varrie (21)
Rhema was encouraged to go into music by his father, a Pastor, who spotted his potential at an early age. Rhema is currently a financial advisor who supports his extended family.
Ruan Grobbelaar (24)
From Somerset West was studying software development at the University of Stellenbosch when he got his Golden Ticket at the Cape Town auditions in February.
Shenay O’Brien (25)
Shenay is making history as the competition’s first drag queen in the voting rounds. Prior to Idols, Shenay shared a home in Roodepoort with her creator, former Tshwane University of Technology drama student and performer Thiart Li.
Siphelele Ngcobo (24)
From Durban has been making his living as a singer since 2012. He studied classical singing in school and since matriculating he’s been focusing on gospel and jazz in his hometown of Inanda, near Durban, where he lives with his mother and siblings.
Thami Shobede (27)
Thami hails from Mthubathuba but is currently based in Johannesburg, where he worked for Transnet before making it into the Top 16 of Idols SA 11. He also plays the bagpipes – a skill he learned while being in the Defence Force.
From next week these talented young singers will compete for your votes during the Idols Group Shows. On Sunday, 30 August the eight guys will strut their stuff and on Sunday, 6 September it will be the ladies’ turn. Idols SA is broadcast live on M-Net, channel 101, and Mzansi Magic, channel 161, and until the Group Shows start, you can still watch all the auditions on channel 199 on DStv,
