Idols South Africa is a singing television competition created by Simon Fuller, it is the South African version of Pop Idol.
The show started airing on 10 March 2002 on M-Net but was later changed to Mzansi Magic.
The premise of the show is to determine the best young South African singer without a signed contract.
The winner is determined by a live vote across South Africa.
Contents
Presenters
The show was co-hosted by Candy Litchfield and Matthew Stewardson for the first half of season 1.
Midway through season 1, Matthew Stewardson was fired and replaced by Sami Sabiti who co-hosted the remainder of season 1 with Litchfield.
Colin Moss and Letoya Makhene co-hosted season 2.
Colin Moss hosted season 3 and season 4 alone.
Liezel van der Westhuizen hosted season 5 alone and co-hosted season 6 with ProVerb.
ProVerb has hosted every season since season 7.
Below is a table summarizing all the Idols South Africa presenters since season 1 in 2002.
| Presenter Name | Seasons | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Candy Litchfield | 1 | 2002 |
| Matthew Stewardson | 1 | 2002 |
| Sami Sabiti | 1 | 2002 |
| Letoya Makhene | 2 | 2003 |
| Colin Moss | 2, 3, 4 | 2003 – 2007 |
| Liezel van der Westhuizen | 5, 6 | 2009 – 2010 |
| ProVerb | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 | 2010 – Present |
Judges
The judges for the show include Marcus Brewster and Penny Lebyane for season one.
Dave Thompson for the first five seasons, Randall Abrahams for the first seventeen seasons and Marah Louw from season two to six.
Gareth Cliff from season two to twelve and Unathi Nkayi from season seven to seventeen.
Somizi Mhlongo from season eleven onwards.
Thembi Seete and JR from season eighteen onwards.
Below is a summary of all the Idols South Africa judges since season 1 in 2002.
| Judge Name | Seasons | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Thompson | 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 | 2002 – 2009 |
| Marcus Brewster | 1 | 2002 |
| Randall Abrahams | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 | 2002 – 2021 |
| Penny Lebyane | 1 | 2002 |
| Marah Louw | 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 | 2003 – 2010 |
| Gareth Cliff | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 | 2003 – 2016 |
| Unathi Nkayi | 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 | 2011 – 2021 |
| Somizi Mhlongo | 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 | 2015 – Present |
| Thembi Seete | 18 | 2022 – |
| JR Bogopa | 18 | 2022 – |
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15
Season 16
Season 17
Season 18
Idols SA Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Idols South Africa?
FremantleMedia a company based in Britain is the format holders of Idols South Africa. Gavin Wratten and his fellow producers of Idols SA normally deal with the British producers because that is where FremantleMedia is based.
Who started Idols South Africa?
Idols South Africa was started by British artist manager, entrepreneur, and film and television producer, Simon Fuller.
What does the winner of Idols SA get?
The winner of Idols SA gets a cash prize, a recording deal, musical equipment from Yamaha and a fashion voucher from Truworths.
How much does the winner of Idols SA get?
The winner of Idols SA gets a cash prize that ranges between R1 million and R2 million.
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