Simphiwe Gwegwe

Age: 23

Hometown: Port Nolloth

Occupation: Performer

It took guts and determination for Simphiwe just to get to audition for Idols SA.

He took a bus from Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape to Johannesburg for the Sandton auditions but arrived too late, so he had to find accommodation for a week and make his way to Durban a week later for the second rounds of auditions. But it was all worth it when he became the only performer from the Northern Cape to make it to the Top 18.

Simphiwe reckons he inherited that quality of determination from his mother. “My mother is a single parent and she raised us all by herself,” he says.

“Me and my family are very close and my mom is my best friend. She’s a community activist, so the house is always full of people, and she also has three choirs, so there’s always some activity taking place in the household, whether it’s people coming to visit or something to do with music.” So a love of music has always been ingrained in Simphiwe.