Obakeng Ramaboa

Age: 26

Hometown: Munsieville

Occupation: Singer

Before making it to the Top 18, Obakeng spent his entire life in the small village of Munsieville, where he lives with his mom, stepdad and two siblings, who are still in school.

At 21, Obakeng became a father which, he says, made it difficult for him to follow his musical dreams, “because now I had a mouth to feed”, making a living as a backing vocalist, selling songs and doing studio sessions for other artists.

“I tried going the ‘safe’ route with my career choices and even thought about doing music part-time,” he admits, “but the songs in my heart and the musician in me always made sure I come back home. I have always known I wanted to sing. Nothing else on earth is as fulfilling to me.”

Obakeng honours his parents for encouraging him not to give up. “They have this ‘never say die’ attitude,” he says. “They always found a way to make it work in very difficult situations.”