Idols SA: Sneziey and Luyolo earn final spots

The final will take place at Carnival City in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 17 November.

Msomi and Yiba qualified for the grand finale following Micayla Oelofse’s ouster at the South African State Theatre in Pretoria at the weekend.

“The performances brought the competition in full circle for the Top 3 contestants, Sneziey Msomi, Micayla Oelofse and Luyolo Yiba, as they were given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences throughout the competition, singing the songs they performed during Theatre Week,” Idols SA said.

“The evening also featured some of our past contestants, who returned to remind us just how exceptional this season’s talent was. The Top 3 then gave us a preview of just what the future holds as they performed their first official singles.

“Leading this leap into the future, Msomi took us to church with her gospel single, ‘Kungumusa’.  Randall Abrahams said it was a fantastic performance, while Unathi Nkayi said Msomi was a wonderful gift to have. Somizi Mhlongo said that for the first time since he has been on the show, there was a perfect match of song and artist. ‘If you don’t win this competition, know you have won a career,’ Somizi said.”

Oelofse was next with her single ‘Tragic’. The judges, Idols SA said, all agreed the song suited her well, even though she had offered something different from her usual performances.

“Nkayi said her song was playful and soulful at the same time. Mhlongo said it was her most beautiful performance of the competition as she had showed colour – it was dynamic yet mellow, while Abrahams said it was an introspective song that worked well because she had not offered a performance like that before. ‘You did well,’ Abrahams said.”

Yiba also performed his single ‘Sunshine Through the Rain’ and Mhlongo declared that the song was proof he would be in the finale, while Abrahams said he made the competition look easy. Nkayi praised Yiba for a strong, consistent and sturdy song that mirrored his journey on Idols SA.

“With the new singles now out there for fans to enjoy, Idols SA said an emotional goodbye to Oelofse, who did not make it to the Top 2, making way for Yiba and Msomi to fight it out on stage to be the next SA Idol. Msomi sang Chaka Khan’s ‘Through the Fire’, which she initially sang during Theatre Week,” Idols SA said. “Abrahams loved the tones of her voice, while Nkayi could only encourage her to enjoy her moment of victory. Mhlongo, however, felt her performance was too relaxed and advised her to kill her second performance.

“Yiba performed Brian Temba’s ‘Zanele’, which he also performed during Theatre Week. Nkayi called him a fighter, saying ‘this is how you perform at this stage of the competition’. Mhlongo said the performance was perfect, while Abrahams admired the way he sings in a way that draws in people, saying he had every chance of winning the competition.”

Fans can vote for their favourite contestants via SMS, the DStv app or the mobile site. Votes on all platforms are limited to 100 votes per user.

Idols SA is broadcast live on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) on Sundays at 5pm.