Category: Media Office

The seventh South African superstar showing face on S3’s spectacular mystery singing contest, The Masked Singer South Africa, was Banayana Banyana and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini.

The famous shot-stopper, also fondly known as “Sticks”, kept her identity intact right until the studio audience gave host Mpho Popps the green light to see who was at the end of this radiant Rainbow, sporting the most beautiful voice. 

Even though Skhumba and Somizi dribbled on the soccer field, neither these two distinguished detectives nor their bloodhound colleagues, J’Something and Sithelo Shozi, could unravel Rainbow’s true colours when locking in their final guesses.

Despite mentioning Andile’s “spiritual sister” and mentor, former Banyana Banyana captain Amanda Dlamini, as a possibility, Skhumba settled on Rainbow being muso Toya Delazy. At the same time, Somizi picked our current national team leader, Thembi Kgatlana. However, Sithelo and J’Something’s guesses, Pabi Moloi and Nandi Madida, entirely missed the sticks.

After two rounds of undercover song and dance, this week’s episode marked a milestone on The Masked Singer South Africa calendar, showcasing five of the top ten masked celebrities. In this phase of the competition, there are no more head-to-heads. Instead, the celebrities hiding inside the dazzling costumes all fight on equal terms in their quest to stay anonymous. 

So, Rainbow tried to outshine Diamond, Butterfly, Giraffe and Mielie, while next week’s showdown will see Gold, Ice Cream, Blue Crane, and Owl battling it out to keep their identity under wraps.

From the moment Rainbow lit up the stage at the start of the season with a rendition of “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, this exceptional singer tangled the detective panel’s minds. For starters, although the voice seemingly belonged to a female star, Rainbow’s mannerisms appeared masculine.

Rainbow’s second performance of “Rock3t” by Madism and J’Something’s Micasa raised the detetives’ state of confusion even higher. Added to the binary mix, Rainbow’s clue package contained references to food, a home with multiple stars and a supportive mother.

Then, after Rainbow’s swan song this week, detective Sithelo sighed that in this complex case, “the guessing game just gets worse” as more clues are revealed. Skhumba also acknowledged that Rainbow was the most difficult Mask they faced in the history of The Masked Singer South Africa.  

In the video filled with clues leading in Rainbow’s electrifying performance of “So sick” by Neo, the multi-coloured creature, filmed pumping iron in a gym, shared info about being a leader who works well in a team, resulting in being able to work with many of her heroes. Yet, the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela, was – and is – her ultimate hero. Whilst receiving some medals, Rainbow conveyed that she’s regarded as one of the best in her field.

Sithelo ascertained from these hints that Rainbow was a fitness bunny, and Somizi was dead sure they were dealing with an athlete. Still, Somizi couldn’t marry the name that popped up for him at this stage, namely Caster Semenya, with Rainbow’s angelic voice.

Helping the clues detectives out of their misery, Rainbow’s brother – with his face concealed, of course – appeared on screen with more facts about his sibling. He spoke about Rainbow’s competitive nature, preparing obsessively for everything she sets out to do. But what was the significance of the hair dryer in Brother Rainbow’s video?

In the end, when the studio audience voted for their favourites, Giraffe and Diamond came out tops. The detectives saved Mielie afterwards, leaving Butterfly and Rainbow awaiting their fate.

As Andile dropped her Rainbow mask, Somizi, raving about her voice, immediately encouraged her to record music. J’Something agreed about being blown away by her performance of his song, “Rocket”.

With that, J’Something joined Andile on stage to perform the hit song.

Afterwards, Andile confessed backstage that sharing the spotlight with J’Something was a dream come true ,and she even shed some tears of joy.

The celebrated goalkeeper plans to follow J’Something and Somizi’s advice to further her singing career. “I am glad I could have such an amazing journey with this beautiful mask representing my community,” Andile said. “It also showed my flipside. Besides my soccer talent, I am also a musician. The show has been an incredible platform to explore and showcase my other talent.”

The Masked Singer South Africa Season 2, proudly sponsored by AndolexÒ, is screened on S3 on Saturdays at 18:30. The rebroadcasts are on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and S3 on Fridays at 18:00.

To commemorate the seventh South African General Elections, S3 is pleased to announce the launch of The Big Debate on Thursdays at 18:00, from 9 May 2024.

This special edition of The Big Debate is South Africa’s top town hall debate, running for 15 years and the highest profile to date as it coincides with the national elections.

The Big Debate gives a platform to South Africans to talk about their experiences of 30 years of democracy, looking for solutions and accountability from our leaders. The show aims to give South Africans from every walk of life a voice in shaping our shared future. The show will give people of all cultures, ages, and identities across South Africa a chance to contribute to a national conversation from race and identity, leadership, equality and socioeconomic rights to climate change and the energy crisis.

This season of The Big Debate will be hosted by leading radio and television news anchor Thembekile Mrototo. Thembekile will drive the conversations, hosting political leaders, government ministers, social activists, and other experts.

“I’m thrilled to have been asked to host this important season of The Big Debate. As South Africa marks 30 years of democracy and we hold what could be our most important elections, this is still the best platform for dialogue to unpack and even try to find solutions to our many problems. My goal going into the season is to hold the powerful to account whilst ensuring that all voices at the table are heard.” – Thembekile Mrototo.

For more information and interview opportunities, contact S3 Publicity.

Don’t miss The Big Debate every Thursday at 18:00. Starting 9 May 2024, on S3, simulcast on SABC News channel 404 and SABC+.

It’s no secret that mixed martial arts fighter Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis can pack a punch in the world sports arena, but who would have thought that South Africa’s first-ever holder of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) belt, also sported some mighty vocal cords? Most definitely not the detectives on duty at The Masked Singer South Africa!

Since Wildebeest opened Season 2 of the fun-filled singing contest five weeks ago with a spectacular performance of “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams, the show’s supersleuths – J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe – had no clue who the celebrity behind the mask could be.

Hence, the jaws dropped when it was revealed this week that Wildebeest’s beautiful husky voice belonged to national hero Dricus.

After surviving the grueling first round of unmaskings, six costumed characters returned to The Masked Singer South Africa this week for Round 2 of trying to keep their anonymity intact. Butterfly faced Mielie, whereafter Wildebeest tackled Diamond and Rainbow took on Giraffe.

The detectives found Wildebeest’s video clue package leading into his Round 2 performance of “Counting Stars” by One Republic just as confusing as the hints he dropped previously. This time, Wildebeest confessed that he had something in common with the CEO of SpaceX and that his family roots are in the land of the croissants.

J’Something, who raved about Wildebeest’s voice throughout the season and even wondered if he might be a rock star, was perplexed by the Elon Musk comparison. Was he a CEO? And why all the references to space? So, J’Something’s wild guess was that Wildebeest was Mark Shuttleworth.

Instead of unravelling the obscure clues, Sithelo and Skhumba dissected the mask-in-question’s dance moves, concluding that they were dealing with a white Wildebeest. So, combining this info with all four of the detectives’ first-round assumption that this celebrity is a rugby player, Sithelo considered World Cup winners Francois Pienaar and Faf de Klerk. Meanwhile, Skhumba named another Springbok, Pieter-Steph du Toit.

Showcasing his “command” of the Afrikaans language hilariously, Somizi put all the supposed pieces of the puzzle together. Wildebeest plays rugby for France, the land of the croissants and the Eiffel Tower, and is called Paul Willemse.

Unfortunately, Wildebeest soon found himself far away from France in the danger zone alongside Butterfly and Rainbow.  

When the judges could rescue one of the three endangered Masks, Somizi disclosed that he had been a fan of Wildebeest. However, the foursome finally decided that Rainbow could shine for another day. 

Thereafter, the audience vote determined the fate of Butterfly and Wildebeest, with Butterfly flying to the next round.

Before Wildebeest had to drop his horns, the detectives had one more chance to guess who had been kicking up such a storm on stage.

Delving into their notebooks, looking at their scribbles from previous episodes, the detectives remembered that Wildebeest had mentioned a “nose job” before. So, J’Something and Somizi locked in Kwagga Smith. Sithelo stuck to Faf de Klerk, and Skhumba settled on Pierre Spies.

Of course, it was a massive surprise when world champ Dricus emerged from behind the mask.

Dricus described his time on The Masked Singer South Africa as “awesome” and “so much fun.”

“I love music. I sing a lot in the shower, and I sing a lot in the car, so I thought, ‘let me get out of my comfort zone and take this car singing to the world’. And I loved being Wildebeest. It was a spot-on outfit for me,” he said.

The Masked Singer South Africa, proudly sponsored by Andolex®, airs on S3 on Saturdays at 18:30. There are rebroadcasts on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and on S3 on Fridays at 18:00

Cheetah purred on The Masked Singer South Africa stage, hiding radio dynamo Khutso Theledi

For the second time in a row, The Masked Singer South Africa Season 2’s supersleuth Somizi Mhlongo was the only detective figuring out the true identity of a disguised celebrity. Somizi was spot on when asserting that the show’s cheeky Cheetah was multiple award-winning Metro FM radio host Khutso Theledi. 

Somizi’s correct guess stemmed from the clues he picked up from Cheetah’s body language as well as her admission that she can speak Italian. 

The Masked Singer South Africa S2’s third episode introduced four more spectacular Masks who duelled to proceed to the massively popular show’s next round. Ice Cream and Cheetah took to the stage first, whereafter Blue Crane battled Gold. 

This week, the distinguished detective panel – J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe – were joined by Jason Goliath, also known as the previous season’s jolly jumbo, Elephant. 

During their first sighting of The Masked Singer South Africa’s Cheetah, the investigators noted her stylish appearance. Skhumba focused on her soft blond weave, which looked suspiciously familiar, while Sithelo called Cheetah “fashion forward”. She raved about the glitz and glam of the wild cat outfit, which Cheetah paraded so confidently. 

Later, Cheetah’s obscure clue package baffled the episode’s squad of celebrity bloodhounds. While dancing with the quirky “Masked Singer Men and Women in Black”, Cheetah revealed that “I’m Every Woman” had been her favourite tune for many reasons. Furthermore, she shared that her Cheetah coalition protected her as a cub, which made up for her daddy missing out, and she became a consistent high performer in a high-stakes world. Gone are the days of others trying to define her because this Cheetah is on a mission to show other little girls that they could be whatever matched their dreams. 

From these revelations, Somizi gathered that Cheetah was undoubtedly a triple threat – a singer, dancer, and actress. Meanwhile, Sithelo cottoned on to Cheetah being protected by her siblings, and Skhumba reckoned she was a breadwinner. However, J-Something was confused about why killer red heels were popping up in the clue video.   

After Cheetah’s “purrfect” performance of Rihanna’s “What’s My Name”, Skhumba’s wild guess was that this breadwinner and role model might be double-platinum singer-songwriter Zonke, but J’Something disagreed respectfully. 

Somizi was more interested in Cheetah’s “forwardness” and physical movement than her voice, resulting in a toss-up between Pearl Thusi, Khutso Theledi, Jo-Ann Reyneke and Nomzamo Mbatha. But then all the puzzle pieces fell into place. When Somizi asked Cheetah how many languages she could speak, she replied, “I recently added Italian to my repertoire.”

For Signore Somizi, all the signs pointed straight to Khutso. At this stage, J’Something locked in cricket commentator Kass Naidoo, Jason put forward Nomcebo Zikode from the hit song “Jerusalema”, Sithelo thought the “triple threat” was Candice Modisele, and Skhuma was positive about Zola Nombona.  

Unfortunately, sweet sensation Ice Cream chased Cheetah to the danger zone in the vote, where Blue Crane joined her after Gold had raised the bar exceptionally high. Then, in the final vote determining who should take off their mask, Blue Crane spread her wings to the next round. 

Before Cheetah lifted her weaved mane, guest detective Jason changed his mind to Nomzamo Mbatha, but the others all stuck with their original names. 

So, when Khutso showed, Somizi giggled about how she duped him during their time together on air on Metro FM earlier in the day. What unlocked the secret for Somizi on The Masked Singer South Africa was knowing about Khutso’s Italian husband and her mannerisms – especially how Cheetah bowed and put her hands together, resembling her usual way of showing respect as a Tsonga woman. 

About her experience hidden in the mask, Khutso said: “It’s something else. You feel that you’ve been swallowed, but at the same time, you’re filled with excitement, happiness and joy. I’ll do it again!” 

The Masked Singer South Africa, proudly sponsored by Andolex®, airs on S3 on Saturdays at 18:30. There are rebroadcasts on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and on S3 on Fridays at 18:00

Elephant returns as a guest detective

Comedian Jason Goliath joins The Mask Singer South Africa sleuths this week.

The third episode of The Mask Singer South Africa Season 2 promises to be a jolly affair. Comedian Jason Goliath, who trumpeted on stage in the first season of Mzansi’s craziest singing contest as the larger-than-life Elephant, will be on the detective panel to unravel who the celebs behind the new masks are.

At this stage, the show’s four detectives – J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe – need all the help they can get. None of them had an inkling that Springbok was legendary actress Nthati Moshesh, and in the previous episode, only Somizi managed to identify Tortoise correctly as comedienne and actress Celeste Ntuli.

On Saturday, 20 April, The Masked Singer South Africa viewers will meet the third group of the initial 16 disguised celebrity contenders singing off for a spot in the next round.

Ice cream will put a sweet foot forward to melt some hearts while fashionable feline Cheetah is ready to deliver a spot-on performance. Fans will also see The Masked Singer South Africa ‘s beautiful version our national bird,  Blue Crane, in action and can look forward to a priceless act by a shining star called Gold,

Who are the famous South Africans hiding in these exquisite costumes, and who will have to take off their mask this week?

Everybody’s favourite guessing game is screened on S3 (formerly known as SABC 3) on Saturdays at 18:30. The rebroadcasts are on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and S3 on Fridays at 18:00.

Join the conversation on social media using #MaskedSingerSA.

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Earlier this week, Rorisang Thandekiso gave away the top cash prize of R100 000 on the local version of the legendary quiz show Wheel of Fortune. Now, the effervescent quiz show host is geared to win big money herself by moving into the Deal or No Deal Celebrity hot seat. 

In this glitzy weekly hour-long Deal or No Deal spin-off, aired on SABC 1 on Saturdays at 18:00, famous Mzansi stars put their hearts on the line to battle the show’s notorious banker for the benefit of a worthy cause. 

The former YOTV presenter, actress, musician and radio presenter is adamant in her quest to bankrupt the banker on behalf of Paediatric Care Africa. In support of this NGO, which supplies free medical and specialist medical care to children whose parents can’t afford it, Rorisang has even picked a special outfit for the occasion that matches the word “Africa” in the charity’s name. 

Rori has a huge respect for the incredible work done by Paediatric Care – from their outreach programmes ensuring kids in secluded areas receive proper medical attention to facilitating life-saving surgery. 

“We love to say things like children are the future, but sometimes forget how vulnerable babies and small kids in many communities are when it comes to health care,” she says. 

As is the case with the hugely popular Deal or No Deal South Africa, which transforms the lives of individuals from all across South Africa, the A-listers playing the celebrity version can win anything between R1 and R250 000 based on the deal they strike when the banker offers to buy the briefcase they chose at the start of the game. 

Tune into SABC 1 on Saturday, 20 April, at 18:00 to see how much Rori manages to donate to Paediatric Care Africa. Deal or No Deal Celebrity is proudly sponsored by LottoStar, and the rebroadcast is on S3 on Sundays at 12:00 and SABC 1 on Tuesdays at 22:00. 

LottoStar is Licensed by the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator. No U18. National Responsible Gambling Programme 0800 006 008. Ts & Cs apply. All games are fixed-odds betting events.

Calm and collected chess champion is first-ever six-digit winner on Wheel of Fortune South Africa

Neil Horne, a chess champion from Gugulethu, Cape Town, made local television history on his 52nd birthday (15 April) by becoming the first contestant to win more than R100 000 on Wheel of Fortune South Africa.

In the legendary game show, which has been airing in the US since 1975 and finally made it to our shores on 8 April 2024, three contestants spin a giant carnival wheel and solve word puzzles to win cash or fabulous prizes.

Besides a snazzy red Suzuki Grand Vitara and other mystery prizes, the highest amount of cash up for grabs in Wheel of Fortune South Africa’s bonus round, played by the winner of the previous rounds, is the R100 000 Neil managed to clinch with his incredible word skills – and some assistance from Lady Luck.

In addition to the top cash prize, Neil also pocketed R2 600 earlier in the game, bringing his total winnings to R102 600.

Usually, big-money winners on big-name game shows leap out of their skins when surprised with such huge sums of money. However, Neil contained his emotions with a straight face. Even host Rorisang Thandekiso, jumping with joy, commented that she seemed more excited than him.

However, this unemotional approach matched Neil’s unflappable style throughout the episode.

Playing against Ruben Smith, a High School Computer and Business teacher from Pretoria, and the effervescent Tshiamo Tshabalala, a Political Science graduate from Brits, it was a slow and disappointing start for chess champion and word master Neil.

Ruben won the first “Toss-up”, where fast fingers counted. The category was “Quotes from movies”, and after the show, Neil confessed that he was bummed about Ruben solving the puzzle first: “The answer was ‘May the force be with you’. I thought to myself, ‘Ruben was probably not even born when the first Star Wars movie came out’!”

Then, Tshiamo won the first round. But Neil stayed calm and collected – a strategy that also served him in good stead as the reigning Bellville chess champion.

The next “Toss-up” was an easy solve for Neil. Yet again, it was almost game over when Tshiamo had one letter remaining to crack the second round. Lucky for him, she chose the wrong letter.

So, proceeding to the bonus round, Neil had to spin the wheel to land on one of 24 envelopes, not knowing the content inside. From the three categories presented to him, he picked “Around the house” and nailed the puzzle.

The mystery prize inside the envelope turned out to be the whopping R100 000!

Despite his composed composition on the show, Neil says, “Being on Wheel of Fortune South Africa was bundles of fun. I was also in awe of the aesthetics of the studio and set.”

Furthermore, Neil attributes his Wheel of Fortune success to his scrabble prowess, knowing the permutations of letters to compose a word and “just being lucky”.

Neil has won several Scrabble tournaments, including the prestigious Western Province Masters. He also plays Killer Sudoko daily.

Wheel of Fortune South Africa is made possible by Cell C and airs on S3 Mondays to Fridays at 19:30. There are daily rebroadcasts on SABC 2 the following day at 09:30 and an omnibus on S3 on Saturdays from 09:00-12:30. 

Superstar comedienne Celeste Ntuli got out of Tortoise’s sassy shell in The Masked Singer South Africa Season 2

The second episode of the all-new season The Masked Singer South Africa, Mzansi’s most fun-filled and famed singing contest, turned out to be a battle of note with four strong-voiced A-listers disguised in spectacular costumes which hide their identity from top to toe.

First, sassy Tortoise took on suave Giraffe, whereafter Diamond sparkled in her exquisite attire in a sing-off against brawny Mielie.

Unfortunately, the panel of detectives – J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe – and the studio audience had to pick a favourite after each battle. So, Tortoise slowly marched to the danger zone, where Diamond later outdazzled her in the final vote.

Only supersleuth Somizi guessed correctly that superstar comedienne and actress Celeste Ntuli was the superb entertainer disguised as Tortoise. 

The mysterious case of Tortoise started with a fun clue package shot in an all-pink salon, where the show’s Men and Women in Black pampered the confident turtle girl. Between the powder-puffing, toenail-buffing, and exchanging a seemingly useless hair straightening iron for a hair dryer, Tortoise shared some vague snippets about herself.

“I might still be a little slower than most, but my career isn’t,” Tortoise revealed. She also mentioned that she misplaced an essential gadget while travelling abroad, which almost ruined her entire holiday. Furthermore, she changed career paths and counted meeting her favourite entertainer of all time as a highlight among her many different life experiences.

From these obscure clues and Tortoise’s mind-blowing performance of Lebo Mathosa’s “Free”, detective Skhumba highlighted this glam queen’s love for cosmetics. But why did she put so much emphasis on her hair dryer, and what was the significance of the magic hat when she referred to meeting her entertainer idol?

Skhumba wondered if it meant she had dreadlocks and her music was her magic. Based on his findings, Skhumba guessed that Tortoise might be Thandiswa Mazwai, Thembi Seete or even Sophie Ndaba.

Somizi also commented on Tortoise’s glam squad and her favourite entertainer. However, Somizi had visions of comedian Cedric the Entertainer, indicating that Tortoise also made a living from her funny bones. In addition, Somizi noticed that Tortoise is a self-aware and overconfident lady, which resulted in her being single

and loving it. So, Somizi believed that either Relebogile Mabotja or Celeste Ntuli was hiding inside Tortoise’s shell. 

Raving about Tortoise’s performance, Sithelo’s gut feeling was that Tortoise was a childhood star or someone whose career took off very fast. The names crossing her mind were Hulisani Ravele, Tumi Morake or Thuso Mbedu.

However, J’Something latched onto the supersized pencil he spotted at the end of Tortoise’s clue package and her passion for everything pink. So, the beloved muso gauged that Tortoise was an author, and because even her book was pink, it might be Bonang Matheba. Another glam girl who matched J’Something’s deduction was Ayanda Thabethe.

Once J’Something was allowed to ask Tortoise one direct question, her reply provided more clarity – or not. Upon enquiring if we had seen her on stage before, Tortoise replied, “Big screens, small screens, stage, I’ve done it all.”

That’s why J’Something decided on Bonang Matheba. Somizi named Celeste Ntuli. Sithelo picked Thuso Mbedu, and Skhumba was “absolutely positive” that the hidden celeb was Thandiswa Mazwai.

After all the evening’s sterling performances, the votes were in, and host Mpho Popps announced it was time for Tortoise to show her face, the detectives had to lock in their final guesses.

Despite his initial assertion that Tortoise was Bonang, J’Something couldn’t forget that colossal pencil and changed his mind to distinguished storyteller and songwriter Buhle Mda from The Soil.

Meanwhile, Sithelo noticed Tortoise’s mannerisms and how she held her hands while waiting to show her face. As Sithelo gauged that the to-be-unmasked celebrity was “a little bit older”,  she settled on Tumi Morake. Skhumba agreed, but Somizi went with Celeste Ntuli.

Somizi nailed it!

However, Skhumba shared that he had an inkling that it might be Celeste when Tortoise crawled to the danger zone lair but he was fooled by thinking she was currently overseas.

Celeste confessed she was disappointed not to be part of The Masked Singer South Africa’sfirst season and had great fun on stage. “I’m a comedian and love making people laugh. Also an actress. But this made me feel like I’m a character and a singer.”

She also came clean with some clues. She lost an iPhone and a boyfriend abroad; luckily, the phone returned. The famous entertainer she met was multiple award-winning international actor and comedian Dave Chapelle.

The Masked Singer South Africa, proudly sponsored by Andolex®, airs on S3 on Saturdays at 18:30. There are rebroadcasts on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and on S3 on Fridays at 18:00

The gregarious host of SABC 2’s fun-filled Monday-to-Friday cooking show Ready Steady Cook South  Africa has a date with Mzansi’s most notorious television banker this weekend. On Saturday, 13 April, at 18:00, the always-fabulous Moshe Ndiki will be in the hot seat to raise money for a charity close to his heart on SABC 1’s Deal or No Deal Celebrity. 

In the glitzy spin-off of the show that has enriched the lives of many ordinary South Africans, Mzansi’s A-listers – from actors and radio presenters to comedians and sports stars – play the nerve-wracking game to win anything between R1 and R250 000 for a charity of their choice. It all depends on the sequence in which they choose to open 20 briefcases held by gorgeous “Money Models”.

Since hitting our screens in March, five famous personalities have cashed in money to donate to worthy causes, with Generations The Legacy actress Manaka Ranaka bagging the biggest amount. The beloved actress and soap star won R35 230 for Hearts of Hope. Comedian Tumi Morake clinched R20 000 for Palesa Pads, with 947 radio presenter Mo Flava hot on her heels with his R19 250 for Character Company. Furthermore, podcaster MacG took home R16 200 for Door of Hope and muso Vusi Nova R5000 for Grace Baby Haven.

Will Moshe be the first celebrity to break the bank hitting the R250,000 jackpot? 

Moshe will play for Ikamva Youth, an organisation with different branches nationwide that sets learners up for a fruitful future. Their after-school programme is designed to assist learners in achieving better grades to enter tertiary education or stand a better chance of employment.

Moshe chose the charity because education is hugely important to him. “Everyone deserves an equal chance in making their dreams come true,” Moshe says.

Deal or No Deal Celebrity is produced by Homebrew Films in collaboration with Primedia Studios and is proudly sponsored by LottoStar.  The premiere screenings are on SABC 1 on Saturdays at 18:00, and the rebroadcasts of the hour-long show are on S3 on Sundays at 16:30 and SABC 1 on Tuesdays at 22:00.

LottoStar is Licensed by the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator. No U18. National Responsible Gambling Programme 0800 006 008. Ts & Cs apply. All games are fixed-odds betting events.

with host Rorisang Thandekiso

When South Africa’s adaptation of the legendary game show Wheel of Fortune kicks off on S3 on Monday, 8 April at 19:30, Rorisang Thandekiso will rewrite global television history. Rorisang is the first female ever to anchor an edition of the big-name game show franchise, produced in more than 40 countries.

These localized versions of the original US show, created by TV host and media mogul Merv Griffin, are renowned for their formidable hosts and co-hosts. Pat Sajak and his graceful sidekick Vanna White, who have appeared on the US’s Wheel of Fortune since its inception in 1975, are American television royalty. With Pat retiring soon, sought-after television presenter Ryan Seacrest will steer the iconic Wheel of Fortune’s upcoming season.

In another host coup, Wheel of Fortune returned to the UK earlier this year with five-time Bafta-winner Graham Norton at the helm.

“I am incredibly honoured to follow in these giant footsteps and be the first Wheel of Fortune South Africa hostand the lucky person introducing the show to Africa,” says Rorisang, whose impressive resumé spans from entering the industry as a YOTV presenter to establishing herself as an esteemed radio and television personality.

She is also one of the country’s most esteemed MCs and motivational speakers and has an angelic voice, as proved by being the lead vocalist of Muzart. Furthermore, she captivated viewers with her acting in several television series.

“Rorisang radiates all the attributes required to hold the reins of this world-famous word-quiz game show, said Lala Tuku, Acting Group Executive of Video Entertainment at the SABC. “Rori comes with gravitas and years of experience in front of the camera but also embodies a unique mix of sparkle, confidence, and calmness. Furthermore, we’re thrilled to break the mould with a powerful female host. It fits in with SABC’s mission to celebrate diversity and put the spotlight on women.”

Wheel of Fortune South Africa, proudly sponsored by Cell C, is a collaboration between Primedia Studios and the acclaimed production company Homebrew Films. 

Cell C Chief Marketing Officer Melanie Forbes said, “We are thrilled to support such an iconic game show as Wheel of Fortune and to have a remarkable figure in entertainment like Rorisang as the host is the icing on the cake to bring excitement and opportunities for winning big to viewers across South Africa. We are proud to be able to change people’s fortunes and bring joy and entertainment at the same time.”

In each 30-minute Monday to Friday episode of Wheel of Fortune South Africa, Rorisang will be joined by three contestants who will be swept away by a whirlwind of word riddles and a giant carnival wheel determining what they will take home.

“It’s like Hangman meets Roulette, but on an ample dose of healthy television steroids,” Rorisang raves. “Like the rest of the world, South Africans will love it. This is the kind of game show that will keep the entire family glued to their screens – whether they’re trying to solve the word puzzles themselves or are routing for the contestants to rake in more money or fabulous prizes.”

Among the prizes on the show is a snazzy Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid.

So, South Africa’s first Wheel of Fortune host invites everyone who loves word games like the classic Hangman – and a bit of an adrenaline rush from the prospect of winning big – to come and spin The Wheel of Fortune themselves.

If you want to spin, solve the puzzle and win on Wheel of Fortune South Africa’s state-of-the-art set, complete the application form on wheeloffortunesa.tv.

Besides Wheel of Fortune South Africa’s Monday-to-Friday premiere screenings on S3 at 19:30, there will be daily rebroadcasts on SABC 2 at 09:30 and an omnibus on S3 on Saturdays from 10:30 to 13:00.