Category: Media Office

Johannesburg, 19 June 2024 – S3 announces the return of the prestigious Miss South Africa pageant that will broadcast live on the channel on the 10th of August 2024 at 20:00, preceded by the red carpet at 19:30.

For the second time in a row, Crown Chasers will lead the viewers to the main event, placing Miss South Africa contestants in real-life scenarios for the next six weeks. The weekly challenges are based on the four pillars of Miss South Africa – duty, championship, empowerment and beauty, introducing a challenge winner after every episode.

As a lead-up to the main event, the channel launches this year’s Miss South Africa reality show, Crown Chasers will start on Saturday, 29 June 2024, at 20:30, to be hosted by the reigning Miss South Africa, Natasha Joubert.

“I am delighted that my first opportunity to host a television show is with Crown Chasers. I have always wanted to step into the hosting and presenting space – one day I would love to be a sports presenter – so my goal has always been to get experience in the television field. Although hosting has not always been easy and has been challenging at times, I am growing more confident as filming progresses, and I am becoming more comfortable. This is something I am going to pursue after my reign ends in August.” – Natasha Joubert.

In addition, at the end of each thrilling episode, the judges will vote off one of the contestants, with those remaining going through to participate in the live grand finale at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria in August.

Leandie Du  Randt returns as a resident judge, with media personality Lerato Kganyago as a co-judge. The two will be joined by a celebrity guest judge every week.

Du Randt is delighted to return to the series: “It is such an honour. I love this reality show because it gives those taking part the opportunity to see what will be expected of them if they are crowned Miss South Africa. The challenges and tests they will go through during the show is a true test of what will be expected of them.”

Her excitement is matched by new judge Kganyago: “It feels amazing and surreal to be a resident judge for Crown Chasers. It is like coming full circle for me, having taken part in pageants myself. Being part of a show that celebrates and empowers women is something I hold very close to my heart. I’m thrilled and humbled to help guide these incredible contestants on their journey. I hope to positively contribute to the show with my experience as someone who’s been in their shoes. I understand the pressures and the dreams these women have. I will offer support, honest feedback and a lot of heart. My goal is to help the contestants to find their true potential and shine as their authentic selves,” she says.

“Last year, S3 introduced Crown Chasers, a lead into the Miss South Africa pageant to the channel offering, which saw the channel reaching the 1 million viewers mark, a commendable achievement. We look forward to better achievements this year and have a few surprises in store for the S3 audiences with the new season. S3 wishes all the Miss SA hopefuls good luck with their journey, and can not wait to see who reaches the finals”. – S3 Channel Head: Sane Zondi.

For more information and interview opportunities, contact the S3 Publicity office.

Channel your inner strength with Crown Chasers on Saturdays at 20:30,  The live broadcast of Miss South Africa 2024 is on the 10th  of August at 20:00, kicking off with the Red Carpet at 19:30. The Miss SA Crown Chasers and the Miss SA main event will also be available on SABC Plus. SABC+ is available for download from Apple and Android App Stores.

For media enquiries

Caroline Phalakatshela

Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment

072 382 2032/ phalakatshelamc@sabc.co.za

Johannesburg, 5 June 2024 – In an ongoing partnership between S3 and BBC, the channel announces the titles set to broadcast from the 6th of June 2024.  

The shows form part of the new offering from a hand-picked selection of award-winning dramas, factual entertainment and documentaries.  

S3 viewers can look forward to more intense drama in Critical, featuring award-winning actor and screenwriter Lennie James starring alongside Catherine Walker, Sheri Sadd, Peter Sullivan and Kimberley Nixon in this thirteen-part series set in a gleaming new Major Trauma Centre that only deals with the most serious cases. Critical will broadcast on Mondays to Wednesdays at 21:00 from the 11th of June 2024.

Lennie James is Glen Boyle, a trauma surgeon with a background in combat medicine called by Fiona Lomas, a middle-level emergency doctor, to a beautiful modern hospital to save its ultra high-tech but malfunctioning trauma unit.  Critical is an emotional roller-coaster ride as an emergency medical team battles through the vital first hour of care to save lives that hang in the balance. Glen and Fiona are challenged across the series to weld a disparate bunch of personalities into a crack life-saving team against the opposition of senior doctor Clive Archerfield. Their task is hugely complicated. Glen and Fiona are on the verge of marriage to a senior obstetrician in the hospital and have a dark and secret romantic past.

On Thursdays at 21:00, the channel continues with its BBC Prime documentaries, Men For Sale: Life Of A Male Escort on the 6th, following an exposé on the unseen world of male escorts, where wealthy single women pay younger men for companionship and sexual relations. Meet the young men vying for the attention of well-off women online. It is a competitive arena where women promise to lavish their male escorts with expensive gifts and lots of money in return for intercourse, dates and devotion. Some of the men seem to be in control of the power dynamic. Others are just desperate to pay their bills. How binding are the contracts these young men sign; what happens if an escort cheats on his ‘sugar mummy,’ is there any room for romance?

This World: Frat Boys on Thursday the 13th looks into America’s college fraternities that are notorious for hard drinking and hard partying but also being accused of fostering a culture of brutality and sexual assault. During one term at the University of Central Florida, the programme follows the life of a group of frat boys as they embark on the pledging process when recruits have to prove themselves before they can become fraternity brothers. Most are joining because fraternities provide access to an influential network of alumnus throughout the US. But each year, students die or get injured in barbaric initiation rituals, known as hazing, and some argue that the fraternity system allows sexual assaults to occur during drunken campus parties.

On the 20th of June, the documentary The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side Of Cool investigates allegations of exploitation and abuse at the top of one of America’s big fashion brands. Former CEO Mike Jeffries transformed Abercrombie and Fitch from a failing retail chain to a multi-billion-dollar empire and the epitome of cool. Now, after months of painstaking investigation, Panorama speaks to men on being recruited into a dark world, created to satisfy the sexual fantasies of Jeffries and his British partner Matthew Smith. Silenced for years by the fear of breaking non-disclosure agreements, these men describe feeling exploited and traumatised by their experiences. One high-profile American lawyer has called for prosecutors to investigate.

Nigeria’s Female Suicide Bombers explores one of the world’s deadliest terrorist groups, Boko Haram. Its shocking tactics include the mass kidnapping of schoolgirls and the use of female suicide bombers. In North East Nigeria, Stacey Dooley meets a woman kidnapped by Boko Haram at the age of 13 and forced to marry three times before being sent on a bombing mission. Astonishingly, she escaped to tell her painful story. Another believed in Boko Haram’s ideology and volunteered for a suicide-bombing mission. Fate intervened, and she survived. Now separated from Boko Haram, she is trying to re-integrate into a society of people she was once willing to kill.

The second block of  BBC Primetime every Thursday at 22:00 will close off with award-winning filmmaker Louis Theroux’s series of investigative features.

In Louis Theroux: Selling Sex on the 6th of June, Louis Theroux interviews women legally providing sexual services in exchange for money. Louis looks at how they use technology to share photos, make bookings and vet potential clients – making the exchange more accessible and, some argue, safer than the illegal alternatives. Many still believe selling sex is exploitative and damaging. Others feel it can be a valid, empowering choice. In this film, Louis explores whether selling sexual act can ever be a healthy way to make money.

Louis Theroux: Life On The Edge takes viewers through 25 years of documentary-making with this candid and fascinating retrospective. The documentary will revisit the best and strangest moments in Louis Theroux’s celebrated TV career. Utilising his own home movie footage and news archives, Louis also tracks past contributors to find out whether their lives have settled down – or spiralled off in even more surprising directions. And for the very first time, Louis puts himself in the spotlight. With his trademark wit, the famous filmmaker discusses the unique challenges of documentary making and the invaluable lessons he’s learned about human psychology.

S3 viewers will embark on a trip of a lifetime, as the BBC’s acclaimed Natural History Unit takes us on a spectacular polar expedition into a breathtaking landscape most humans will never experience in Frozen Planet on Sundays at 18:30 from the 9^th of June 2024. Ambitious and epic in scale, this landmark series is the ultimate portrait of the great wildernesses of the Arctic and Antarctic before they change forever. Narrated by world renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Frozen Planet has taken new technology to the most extreme and remote parts of our planet, capturing groundbreaking imagery as camera teams go deep under the ice into a magical world of giants, plunge into the heart of an erupting polar volcano and fly to the South Pole across the Antarctic ice cap. Get closer than ever before to the lives of charismatic animal characters and witness extraordinary examples of survival against the odds.

Channel your inner detective with the new BBC Primetime content block on S3 weekdays.

For media enquiries

Caroline Phalakatshela

Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment

072 382 2032/ phalakatshemamcsabc.co.za  

Leading lady Jessica Nkosi is well-known for holding audiences in the palm of her hand, playing tenacious telenovela characters – whether it’s the regal Qondi in Isibaya or The Queen’s ruthless crime world royal, Thando. For her latest television stint, however, the multiple award-winning actress and presenter picked a fun character designed to have kids – and adults with a sweet tooth – scream with joy.

Jessica was indeed the A-list celebrity pretending to be The Masked Singer, South Africa’s cute supercool Ice Cream.

In the latest edition of Mzansi’s craziest guessing game and singing contest, Owl, Ice Cream, Bue Crane, Boombox and Gold belted it out for a spot in the next round, the Top 8. Meanwhile, the show’s detective panel – J’Something, Sithelo Shozi, Somizi Mhlongo and Skhumba Hlophe – brought in an extra pair of eyes to help them identify the culprits behind the masks. These piercing peepers belonged to the country’s top investigative journalist, Devi Sankaree Govender, who gained first-hand experience in Masked Singer deception tricks as Season 1’s Watermelon.

Yet, if it were up to Devi, Ice Cream would remain a cold case. Instead, supersleuths Sithelo and Somizi detected that Jessica was the one melting hearts from inside the supersized soft-serve cone. Devi and J’Something guessed that Ice Cream was Thando Thabethe, while Skhumba mentioned comedian Tumi Morake. 

In fact, Ice Cream brought Sithelo a double scoop of delight this week. Not only was Sithelo the first detective to put forward Jessica’s name, but Ice Cream entertained the audience with “Forever”, the song DJ Sithelo wrote and performed with Skye Wanda in 2019. “That’s my girl!” Sithelo shouted while Ice Cream bopped to her energetic tune.

From Ice Cream’s obscure clue package leading to her performance, the detectives could only gauge that Ice Cream was possibly an actress who could play many parts but that she was probably also a mother whose most fulfilling role was looking after her children. That’s why Devi initially thought Ice Cream might be Cindy Mahlangu from Scandal.

At this stage, body language expert Somizi was still hovering between Linda Mtoba and Jessica, as he was convinced that Ice Cream’s dance moves originated in KZN.

But then, an additional Ice Cream set of clues, presented in Cognito by the frozen dessert’s manager, left the detectives with a brain freeze. Ice Cream’s manager pointed out that her favourite time of the year is Christmas when she goes all out with the celebrations. Furthermore, they heard that Ice Cream might be in high demand in her career, but her family is the softest part of her heart.

Once all five masked singers set the stage alight, it was the studio audience’s turn to vote for their favourite. With that, Blue Crane spread her beautiful wings to the next round alongside precious Gold. Then, the detective panel huddled to decide which of the remaining three costumed characters they would save. They granted Owl the opportunity to hoot for another day, leaving Boombox and Ice Cream in the danger zone.

Eventually, Ice Cream had to pop out of her costume, but first, the detectives had one more chance to lock in their final guesses.

Still slightly confused, they delved deep into their notes from all of Ice Cream’s heart-melting performances and the clues she dripped along the way.

Of course, Sithelo put all the pieces of the delicious puzzle together. In a previous episode, Ice Cream let slip that she has received many accolades, including a prize at the horses. She also hailed from the valley of the Thousand Hills and was a doting mother. For Sithelo, all these clues screamed one name: Jessica Nkosi.

Somizi was on the same Jessica page, but Devi joined J’Someehing in deducting that Ice Cream was Thando Thabethe. Devi changed her mind following the hints of Ice Cream’s Christmas celebrations. Still, Skhumba stuck to Tumi Morake, the name he had written down several times during the competition.

Once Ice-Cream was unmasked, KZN girl Sithelo confessed: “I could feel her. I could feel Durban.”

Jessica thanked a defeated J’Something, who never came close to guessing that she was Ice Cream, for praising the tone of her voice and couldn’t wait for her kids to find out that she was on The Masked Singer South Africa. “My daughter was obsessed with the show’s first season, and she’ll be so surprised that Ice Cream was her mommy.”

Jessica’s daughter and fans will see her on television again soon. On Saturday, she will be the celebrity in the hot seat playing for charity on Deal or No Deal South Africa.

Proudly sponsored by AndolexÒ, The Masked Singer South Africa 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. 

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.