Idols SA Season 11
Idols SA season 11 took place in 2015, the winner was Karabo Mogane and the runner-up was Mmatema Moremi.
It was hosted by ProVerb, the judges were Gareth Cliff, Somizi Mhlongo, Unathi Nkayi, and Randall Abrahams.
The live performances took place at the State Theatre in Pretoria, courtesy of the Idols South Africa vehicle sponsor, Ford South Africa.
The duration of each episode was increased to two hours instead of the usual hour and a half, starting at 17:00.
Somizi Mhlongo was added to the judging panel and he was revealed as a fourth judge at the first auditions in Pretoria on Saturday 31 January 2015.
Idols SA Season 11 Season Guide
| Host: | ProVerb |
| Judges: | Gareth Cliff, Somizi Mhlongo, Unathi Nkayi, and Randall Abrahams |
| Winner: | Karabo Mogane |
| Runner-up: | Mmatema Moremi |
| Original Network: | M-Net (DStv channel 101) and Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) |
| Start Date: | Sunday 12 July 2015 |
| End Date: | Sunday 22 November 2015 |
List of Contents
Auditions
The Idols SA Season 11 auditions kicked off at the end of January and ended at the beginning of March.
As usual, auditions were held in four cities namely; Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Pretoria.
| Audition Date | Audition City | Audition Venue | Golden Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 31 January 2015 | Pretoria | State Theatre | 19 |
| Saturday 7 February 2015 | Cape Town | Grand West | 18 |
| Saturday 21 February 2015 | Durban | The Playhouse Theatre | 16 |
| Sunday 1 March 2015 | Johannesburg | Carnival City | 25 |
Idols SA Season 11 Theatre Week
Top 29
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 29 contestants were revealed on Sunday 9 August 2015 after standing out amongst thousands in the regional auditions all across South Africa and surviving the disastrous Groups Phase at Sun City.
They performed live on Sunday 16 Aug 2015 in order to get spots in the Top 16.
These solo performances were done in the presence of the judges, the media, and hard-core Idols South Africa fans from across the country.
| Contestant | Age | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Antony | 21 | Port Elizabeth |
| Amy Lombard | 29 | Cape Town |
| Bridgitt Leahy | 18 | Creighton |
| Busisiwe Mthembu | 22 | Springs |
| Chrystal Worship | 26 | Cape Town |
| Daniel Minnie | 19 | Port Elizabeth |
| Dineo Moseki | 21 | Vryburg |
| Elwira Standili | 22 | Worcester |
| John Niel | 24 | Pretoria |
| Karabo Mogane | 23 | Nelspruit |
| Lihle Buthelezi | 27 | Ladysmith |
| Loyiso Gijana | 16 | Uitenhage |
| Lungisa Xhamela | 24 | Cape Town |
| Mandla Bacela | 29 | Butterworth |
| Matthew Kent | 22 | Cape Town |
| Mlondi Mkhize | 25 | Illovo |
| Mmatema Moremi | 22 | Pretoria |
| Nadia Herbst | 20 | Paarl |
| Ndumiso Mahlangu | 21 | Carolina |
| Nina Terblanche | 17 | Nelspruit |
| Nonhle Mhlongo | 29 | Durban |
| Phila Madlingozi | 25 | Johannesburg |
| Rhema Varrie | 20 | Alberton |
| Ruan Grobbelaar | 24 | Cape Town |
| Shenay O’ Brien | 24 | Johannesburg |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | 24 | Durban |
| Sizwe Mthalane | 20 | Cato Ridge |
| Tebogo Louw | 23 | Stellenbosch |
| Thami Shobede | 26 | Johannesburg |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 16
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 16 contestants were revealed on Sunday 23 August 2015.
NOTE: Ages stated at the time of the contest on 23 August 2015.
| Contestant | Age | Gender | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Antony | 22 | Female | Port Elizabeth |
| Bridgitt Leahy | 18 | Female | Creighton |
| Dineo Moseki | 21 | Female | Vryburg |
| Elwira Standili | 22 | Female | Worcester |
| Karabo Mogane | 24 | Male | Nelspruit |
| Loyiso Gijana | 16 | Male | Uitenhage |
| Lungisa Xhamela | 24 | Male | Langa, Cape Town |
| Mmatema Moremi | 23 | Female | Pretoria |
| Nadia Herbst | 20 | Female | Paarl |
| Nina Terblanche | 17 | Female | Nelspruit |
| Phila Madlingozi | 25 | Male | Johannesburg |
| Rhema Varrie | 21 | Male | Alberton |
| Ruan Grobbelaar | 24 | Male | Somerset West |
| Shenay O’Brien | 25 | Female | Johannesburg |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | 24 | Male | Durban |
| Thami Shobede | 27 | Male | Johannesburg |
Main Article: Idols SA Season 11 Top 16 Contestants And Their Profiles
NOTE: 29-year-old Nonhle Mhlongo from Durban was supposed to be in the Top 16 but she withdrew from the competition because of a clash of commitments. She had signed a recording contract a couple of months before auditioning for Idols South Africa and wasn’t able to organize a temporary release from it to pursue Idols SA. The judges conferred and unanimously decided to give her spot to 21-year-old Amanda Antony from Port Elizabeth.
Main Article: Nonhle Mhlongo Withdraws From Idols SA
The Top 16 contestants were then divided into two groups, Group One which consisted of eight male contestants, and Group Two which consisted of eight female contestants.
They were all singing for a spot in the Top 10, which would automatically win them R10,000 – a new addition to the show this season.
Group One (Top 8 Males)
Contestants in Group One performed live on Sunday 30 August 2015.
Guest Performer: Maleh performed her smash hit “You Make My Heart Go”.
Group Performance: Group One (Top 8 males) performed “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “Cheerleader” by OMI | Advanced |
| Phila Madlingozi | “Ungowami” by Uhuru Ft. Speedy, Wizkid & Donald | Eliminated |
| Thami Shobede | “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran | Eliminated |
| Karabo Mogane | “I’m Not The Only One” by Sam Smith | Advanced |
| Rhema Varrie | “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran | Advanced |
| Lungisa Xhamela | “Touchin, Lovin” by Trey Songz Ft. Nicki Minaj | Advanced |
| Loyiso Gijana | “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith Ft. John Legend | Advanced |
| Ruan Grobbelaar | “Blame It On Me” by George Ezra | Eliminated |
Group Two (Top 8 Females)
Contestants in Group Two performed live on Sunday 6 September 2015.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Mmatema Moremi | “Ghost” by Ella Henderson | Advanced |
| Nina Terblanche | “Better In The Morning” by Blackbyrd | Eliminated |
| Amanda Antony | “Drunk In Love” by Beyoncé Ft. Jay Z | Advanced |
| Elwira Standili | “Style” by Taylor Swift | Advanced |
| Bridgitt Leahy | “Lips Are Movin” by Meghan Trainor | Eliminated |
| Nadia Herbst | “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding | Advanced |
| Dineo Moseki | “Chandelier” by Sia | Advanced |
| Shenay O’Brien | “Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj | Eliminated |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 10
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 10 contestants were revealed on Sunday 13 September 2015.
The live results show to reveal the Top 10 contestants was kicked off with a performance from DBN Nytes and Zinhle Ngidi.
Group One (Top 8 males) performed “See you Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth after which Group Two (Top 8 females) also took to the Idols SA live stage for a group performance.
Season 8’s Shekhinah Donnell and season 10’s Kyle Deutsch performed their song “Back to the Beach”. Riky Rick and Major League Djz then wrapped up their live results show with their smash hit, “Slyza Tsotsi”.
The Top 10 contestants then performed a week later on Sunday 20 September 2015.
Theme: “Judges Playlist”
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Elwira Standili | “Without You” by Mariah Carey | Advanced |
| Amanda Antony | “Say You Love Me” by Jessie Ware | Advanced |
| Karabo Mogane | “I Try” by Macy Gray | Advanced |
| Dineo Moseki | “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift | Advanced |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “Soul in Mind” by Lira | Advanced |
| Rhema Varrie | “Man In The Mirror” by Michael Jackson | Advanced |
| Lungisa Xhamela | “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by George Michael | Advanced |
| Nadia Herbst | “Take A Bow” by Rihanna | Eliminated |
| Loyiso Gijana | “Next To Me” by Emeli Sandé | Advanced |
| Mmatema Moremi | “River Deep – Mountain High” by Tina Turner | Advanced |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 10 Prizes
Just for making it to the Top 10, each of the 10 contestants was rewarded with the following amazing prizes:
- A R17,000 prize package from Telkom, including 40GB super-fast data with an LTE router, a Huawei Youth Pad, as well as a Huawei P8 with airtime to the value of R2,500
- Personalised Idols SA luggage from Ford
- R5,000 of fashion courtesy of Truworths
- The SHURE BLX-R SM58 Wireless Microphone System
- Musical equipment from Yamaha to the value of R9,000
Idols SA Season 11 Top 9
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 9 contestants were revealed on Sunday 27 September 2015, they went ahead and performed live on this same day.
Theme: “Songs With Strings”, inspired by The Parlotones
Guest Mentors & Performers: TiMO ODV and Sarah Jackson
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Karabo Mogane | “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele | Advanced |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “Nizalwa Ngobani” by Thandiswa Mazwai | Advanced |
| Loyiso Gijana | “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles | Advanced |
| Elwira Standili | “Hurt” by Christina Aguilera | Eliminated |
| Lungisa Xhamela | “Hurricane” by Eric Benét | Advanced |
| Mmatema Moremi | “Warrior” by Demi Lovato | Advanced |
| Dineo Moseki | “Broken-Hearted Girl” by Beyoncé | Advanced |
| Amanda Antony | “Because Of You” by Kelly Clarkson | Advanced |
| Rhema Varrie | “This Time” by John Legend | Advanced |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 8
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 8 contestants were revealed on Sunday 4 October 2015 after which they performed live.
Theme: “The ’80s Hits”
Guest Mentor & Performer: Jennifer Rush
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Loyiso Gijana | “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin | Advanced |
| Amanda Antony | “Paradise Road” by Joy | Advanced |
| Lungisa Xhamela | “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper | Eliminated |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie | Advanced |
| Rhema Varrie | “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” by Simply Red | Advanced |
| Dineo Moseki | “Heaven” by Bryan Adams | Advanced |
| Karabo Mogane | “Last Christmas” by Wham! | Advanced |
| Mmatema Moremi | “Weekend Special” by Brenda Fassie | Advanced |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 7
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 7 contestants were revealed on Sunday 11 October 2015, they then performed live on this same day.
Theme: “Showstopper” with special choreography by Lee-Ché
Guest Mentor & Performer: ChianoSky, performed the song, “Dancing with VAM”
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Antony | “Forget You” by CeeLo Green | Eliminated |
| Rhema Varrie | “Fine China” by Chris Brown | Advanced |
| Mmatema Moremi | “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston | Advanced |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “Somandla” by Mpumi | Advanced |
| Loyiso Gijana | “Don’t Look Down” by Martin Garrix Ft. Usher | Advanced |
| Dineo Moseki | “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande | Advanced |
| Karabo Mogane | “Blame” by Calvin Harris Ft. John Newman | Advanced |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 6
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 6 contestants were revealed on Sunday 18 October 2015, they also performed live on this very day.
Theme: “The ’90s vs Today”
| Contestant | First Song | Second Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karabo Mogane | “Water Runs Dry” by Boyz II Men | “Someone New” by Hozier | Advanced |
| Dineo Moseki | “Ex-Factor” by Lauryn Hill | “Rafael” by Beatenberg | Eliminated |
| Rhema Varrie | “High and Dry” by Radiohead | “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic | Advanced |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “I Can Love You Like That” by All-4-One | “Nomvula” by Nathi | Advanced |
| Mmatema Moremi | “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” by Deborah Cox | “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne | Advanced |
| Loyiso Gijana | “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men | “Hold Back The River” by James Bay | Advanced |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 5
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 5 contestants were revealed on Sunday 25 October 2015, and they also performed live on this very day.
Themes:
– “How It Should Be Done”
– “Viewers’ Choice”
Guest Performer: Carly Rae Jepsen performed her hit smash, “Run Away With Me”
| Contestant | First Song | Second Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhema Varrie | “Billionaire” by Bruno Mars Ft. Travie McCoy | “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge | Advanced |
| Karabo Mogane | “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys | “Ekuseni” by Ringo Madlingozi | Advanced |
| Mmatema Moremi | “Can’t Give Up Now” by Mary Mary | “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston | Advanced |
| Loyiso Gijana | “Ndiza” by Zahara | “One Love” by Bob Marley & The Wailers | Eliminated |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “So High” by John Legend | “Inkomo” by The Soil | Advanced |
Idols SA Season 11 Top 4
Idols SA Season 11 Top 4 contestants were revealed on Sunday 1 November 2015, they also performed live on this day.
Theme: “My Idols”
Guest Mentor: Ben Haenow
Guest Performer: Busiswa performed her smash hit, “Lahla”
Group Performance: Top 5 performed “Something I Need” by OneRepublic
| Contestant | First Song | Second Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mmatema Moremi | “Because You Loved Me” by Céline Dion | “Lose to Win” by Fantasia | Advanced |
| Siphelele Ngcobo | “Feel Good” by Lira | “Kum naKum” by Ringo Madlingozi | Eliminated |
| Karabo Mogane | “So Amazing” by Luther Vandross | “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown | Advanced |
| Rhema Varrie | “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James | “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye | Advanced |
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 4 contestants got a little break from the tension with a fully expenses paid trip to London for a surprise musical experience, courtesy of Virgin Atlantic.
Idols SA Season 11 Top 3
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 3 contestants were revealed on Sunday 8 November 2015, they also performed live on this same day.
Theme: “Inspired by Groups and Bands”
Guest Performers:
– Gangs of Ballet performed “Always”
– Khuli Chana and Patoranking performed “No Lie”
| Contestant | First Song | Second Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhema Varrie | “Adorn” by Miguel | “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 | Eliminated |
| Karabo Mogane | “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green | “Umthwalo” by Zahara | Advanced |
| Mmatema Moremi | “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan | “Happiness” by Mafikizolo Ft. May D | Advanced |
Duets:
– Mmatema Moremi and Rhema Varrie performed “Love Me Harder” by Ariana Grande & The Weeknd
– Karabo Mogane and Siphelele Ngcobo performed “Thando” by Lloyd Cele Ft. Loyiso Bala
Idols SA Season 11 Top 2
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 2 contestants were revealed on Sunday 15 November 2015, they then performed live on this same day.
Themes:
– “Producers’ Choice”
– “New Single”
– “Showstopper Song”
| Contestant | First Song | Second Song (New Single) | Third Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karabo Mogane | “Home” by Michael Bublé | “Ding Dong” | “Blame” by Calvin Harris Ft. John Newman | Winner |
| Mmatema Moremi | “Hello” by Adele | “Because Of You” | “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston | Runner-up |
Group Performance: Top 10 performed “Lean On” by Major Lazer & DJ Snake Ft. MØ
Guest Performances:
– DJ Fisherman, NaakMusiQ, DJ Tira, DreamTeam & Danger performed “Call Out”
– Danny K and Anatii performed “For The Girls”
The Idols SA Season 11 Top 2 contestants Karabo Mogane and Mmatema Moremi toured Cape Town and Durban as part of their final drive for votes before the Grand Finale.
They arrived in Cape Town at night on Tuesday 17 November 2015 and performed live at Canal Walk the next day on Wednesday 18 November 2015 at 15:00, they then departed for Durban immediately afterward.
The Top 2 then arrived at King Shaka International Airport in Durban at 22:00 on Wednesday night and performed at The Workshop on Thursday 19 November 2015 at 13:00.
Voting for the Idols SA Season 11 winner closed on Friday 20 November 2015 at 22:00.
Idols SA Season 11 Grand Finale
The Idols SA Season 11 Grand Finale took place on Sunday 22 November 2015.
For the very first time, the Idols South Africa grand finale was broadcast in 5.1 surround sound.
Performances
Duets
– Mmatema Moremi and J’Something performed “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrel
– Karabo Mogane and Judith Sephuma performed “I Knew You Were Waiting” by George Michael & Aretha Franklin
Other Performances
– Top 10 contestants performed “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
– Top 10 contestants performed “Freedom” by Pharrell Williams
– Emtee and DJ Citi Lyts performed “Roll Up”
– Nakhane Toure and Somizi performed “We Dance Again”
– Mi Casa performed “Chocolat”
– Vincent Bones was joined on stage by local hip hop star Kwesta during a performance that saw Bones perform two songs from his debut album, ‘Shaded Soul’, which was released in May 2015
– Karabo Mogane performed “Ding Dong”
Winner and Runner-up Announcement
Karabo Mogane was announced as the winner of Idols SA Season 11 after he secured the lion’s share of the more than 16 million votes cast for him and runner-up Mmatema Moremi during the Grand Finale week.
For the first time ever, the new Idols SA winner’s song “Ding Dong” was also available within two weeks of the Grand Finale, in time to land in Christmas stockings across South Africa.
Idols SA Season 11 Voting Results
The Idols SA Season 11 voting results were released to the public on Monday 7 December 2015.
Main article: Idols South Africa Season 11 voting results
Season chronology:
« ( Season 10 ) Previous | Next ( Season 12 ) »
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