by Thinus Ferreira
On Sunday evening Thalepo Molomo (29) from Pretoria in Gauteng was declared the winner of the 18th season of the reality singing competition Idols broadcast live on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) from Tshwane's Heartfelt Arena.
During the season finale, the announcement was made that Idols has been renewed for a 19th season in 2023, with auditions which will start early next year.
Thapelo Molomo, a registered trauma counsellor with the South African police service in Pretoria, got the biggest part of more than 22 million votes during the past week from viewers.
It left Nozi Sibiya from Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal as the runner-up in this season of the [SIC] Entertainment-produced show, done according to the Fremantle format.
Thapelo Molomo's mic failed to work when presenter ProVerb asked him how he felt after he was announced as the winner of season 18, making it impossible for either the arena audience or DStv subscribers watching, to hear what Thapelo had to say.
Thapelo Molomo who hails from Mokopane in Limpopo, wins a recording contract with Kalawa Jazmee Records.
Thapelo Molomo joined South Africa's police service as a warrant officer in 2018 as an intern. He is now also working as a trauma counsellor and helps with the debriefing of SAPS staffers after they have been exposed to traumatic scenes. Thapelo Molomo joined a gospel group in 2012.
General Bkehi Cele, South Africa's minister of police, said "We are proud of him and wish him all the best. We cannot wait to have him back in office to continue serving our men and women in blue".
Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, in a Mzansi Magic statement, said "This has been another spectacular edition of Idols - 18 seasons is quite a feat, and we're proud of how well this rendition was received".
"We would like to congratulate Thapelo, and wish him well on his post-Idols journey."
"At Mzansi Magic, we are proud that we have provided a stage which has proved to be a launch pad for many careers, and we are confident that this year's contestants will grab this opportunity with both hands."
For its 18th season, South Africa's Idols continued its shocking ratings dive as it shed hundreds of thousands of viewers right from its debut.
Idols viewership on Sunday evenings on Mzansi Magic sank lower and lower every month this year, falling further from the 17th season in 2021 which also suddenly experienced a massive loss of viewers.
