Thato Makape (23) the runner-up of the 14th season of Idols that ended on Sunday night on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) has a big dream to create an arts academy for his small town of Postmasburg in the Northern Cape and is planning to go on a nationwide tour in April 2019.
In the record-breaking 14th season of the show produced by [sic] Entertainment that once again saw huge ratings on M-Net's Mzansi Magic channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service on Sunday nights and again shattered the voting-record with more than 142 million overall votes cast, Thato Makape as the oldest contestant this season in the Top 10, faced off against Yanga Sobetswa as the youngest.
Thato Makape from the small town of Postmasburg in the Northern Cape, is a young barber who left school in Grade 11 to help his sick mom and probably holds the record for longest traveller to an Idols audition after he journeyed a staggering 1 250km over days - using buses and taxis and all his money - to get to Cape Town for the auditions in February after also doing a try-out in Durban.
On Sunday night the level-headed and well-liked Thato Makape restored the tradition when he appeared before the media at the Idols finale post-show press conference with the winner, to answer questions.
In the previous 13th season the runner-up balked and for the first time in the history of Idols refused to face the media or do participate in the prize handover ceremony, leading to controversy.
On Sunday night however Thato Makepe had a bright smile and spoke about his big plans for the future - and for his town of Postmasburg.
"Taking the first prize doesn't say you're the only winner. The runner-up who came second out of thousands of people in the country is also a winner," said Thato Makape.
To fans and people living in Postmasburg and everywhere else who believed in him and supported him, he had a message.
"I want to tell everybody in my small town of Postmasburg - I remember my first audition and in it I was asked does a place like Postmasburg even exist. Now I believe everybody knows Postmasburg."
"And all of us in Postmasburg are winners because we came second in the greatest music show platform in the country."
"Postmasburg being the small town that it is - and the R1 million that I didn't win but it is coming - it was always my aim to uplift Postmasburg and the young stars in Postmasburg."
"I've always seen this arts academy in Postmasburg, not just in music but in arts where everybody can showcase their craft in whatever they're talented and gifted in."
"People would be able to come there, learn more about it, like a school, you get a certificate. That's my plan for Postmasburg and it's coming."
TVwithThinus asked Thato Makape why he got on so well with everybody and with Yanga Sobetwa.
"When you get among people you compete with, you all in one house. A house is a place for family. The stage is a place for competition. So when you're on stage you compete, but at the house I'm family to everybody."
"It doesn't help I stay with you all and I'm all mean with everybody. I mean, who's going to put some Epson salt in the food? Yanga and I ended up being like brother and sister," he said.
"To Gavin Wratten, the director and co-executive producer, I would like to say thank you very much for the opportunity of this greatest music platform in the country. My performance tour is going to start in April 2019 to various provinces and hopefully some Southern African country or countries outside South Africa."
TVwithThinus also asked Thato Makape what his family has meant to him during the competition and how it felt bringing them with him into this new TV and entertainment industry he became part of.
"Going to the Idols auditions in Durban was okay, but going to Cape Town was a problem. My mom said 'Who's going to pay for your transport? It's super far from here. So at your own risk boetie.' But then making it to the Idols Top 16 and I'm an only child, it became a job for her to support me."
"She would travel every Sunday to come to Idols. That's why you would always have seen me looking to my left when I was on stage because I was always looking to this beautiful woman that I know and love so much - my mom - who makes me carry all that joy on stage."
"Seeing my family support me from the beginning of this competition until the end, I can't even explain how it feel to me because it's beyond happiness, joy, honour and privilege, I can't express it in words. I'm so proud that they're proud of me."
ALSO READ: Idols winner Yanga Sobetwa on her life’s vision, big dreams including a PhD and starting a music academy – and 'freezing' her R1 million prize money.
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ALSO READ: 142 million votes: Why the record-breaking Idols keeps growing as the [sic] Entertainment produced singing reality competition show on Mzansi Magic prepares for its 15th season.
