SABC3 and Top Billing's Presenter Search on 3 returning for a 4th TV turn in May, will once again look for new on-air talent to join the channel's shows.

SABC3 and Top Billing's Presenter Search on 3 will return from May for a 4th time, once again looking to add new South African TV talent to joins shows like Top Billing, Expresso or Afternoon Express.

The Presenter Search on 3 will once again be produced by Tswelopele Productions with the search for a new presenter or presenters to join various SABC3 shows that is taking place to co-incide with the 25th anniversary of the venerable weekly gloss entertainment and lifestyle magazine show Top Billing that started on the SABC in 1992.

Previous seasons of the highly popular Presenter Search on 3 have made bona fide TV stars and celebrities of Simba Mhere and Jonathan Boynton-Lee with thousands of hopefuls who queued across the country in 2010 and in 2012 when it known as My Top Billing Dream.

The last season of Presenter Search on 3 was held in 2015 with the winners who were Zoe Brown who joined Expresso, Danilo Acquisto who joined Afternoon Express and Jade Hubner who joined Top Billing.

The show was however also a star vehicle launching pad for Chris Jaftha who made the Top 5 and was picked up soon afterwards by Top Billing as a presenter as well anyway, and who is currently also the co-presenter of Dancing with the Stars South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101).

Likewise Mishka Patel was picked up to join Tswelopele Productions' weekly Afrikaans magazine show Pasella on SABC2.

The presenter of the new Presenter Search on 3 will include among others Jonathan Boynton-Lee, Ayanda Thabethe and the evergreen Jeannie D.

Contestants will once again be put through their paces in grueling real-life TV challenges before and behind-the-scenes with various presenting tasks taking place in-studio and shot outside on-location to not just test the telegenic mettle of those who want to be on TV but also their adaptability and how they respond to unexpected production curveballs.

SABC3's Presenter Search on 3 winners are Zoe Brown, Danilo Acquisto and Jade Hubner; will join Expresso, Afternoon Express and Top Billing.

SABC3's Presenter Search on 3 reality competition show concluded Friday night naming the three Capetonians Zoe Brown, Danilo Acquisto and Jade Hubner as the winners getting dream TV presenting gigs.

Zoe Brown (25) will join breakfast show Expresso, Danilo Acquisto (24) is added to afternoon variety and talk show Afternoon Express, and Jade Hubner (23) is the latest addition to the weekly glamarama magazine show Top Billing.

The 13-part reality show seeking new on-air talent for the three SABC3 TV shows and which previously unearthed Simba Mhere and Jonathan Boynton-Lee, ended with the three telegenic winners being announced in Zanzibar at a pool-side ceremony.

Like the previous two presenter searches also produced by Tswelopele Productions, the third iteration once again saw thousands of hopefuls line up across South Africa for the chance to audition and show their TV presenting skills.


Part of the SABC that works
Even more than before, the Presenter Search on 3 managed to incredibly successfully and in a unique way for South African television, both showcase to great effect other SABC TV shows and personalities.

Presenter Search on 3 promoted other SABC shows incredibly well while giving viewers a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of these productions ranging from shows like SABC2's Morning Live and Three Talk with Noeleen to SABC3's Expresso, Top Billing and Neill Anthony Private Chef.

While the reality show weekly kept whittling down the number of South Africans dreaming of stardom through becoming TV presenters, the Presenter Search on 3 also managed to show a not often seen and remarkable side of the local and vibrant TV production sector: the part of the SABC that actually works.

Viewers got a glimpse of the production companies and shows that are well-oiled machines, turning out thousands of minutes of TV airtime every year within the South African TV world, as well as another, almost "realer", side of well-known presenters like brilliant guest mentor Ursula Chikane who shined in her advice, hands-on approach and admonishment; and Leanne Manas revealing the secrets of success of doing early morning television.

Ordinary viewers who will never be on TV had the chance to see presenters like Ursula Chikane candidly give away secrets and coax contestants to be better on camera in various TV presenting challenges, making for fascinating Friday night viewing.


Fanning out across the SABC3 schedule
Although the original plan was to add another woman, Danilo Acquisto, the former Hectic Nine-9 presenter on SABC2, will now be added to Afternoon Express on SABC3 to try and boost the ratings of the weekday afternoon gaggle-fest with Bonang Matheba, Jeannie D and Bonnie Mbuli. The show debuted last month with flat viewership and a lukewarm reception from viewers and TV critics.

Zoe Brown with a degree in international relations from the University of Stellenbosch will join SABC3's perky live weekday breakfast show Expresso, while Jade Hubner will be doing recorded inserts for the style and lifestyle show Top Billing.

Besides the presenting work, the three get to each drive a Mercedes-Benz for a year, R10 000 in cash, and a R50 000 Woolworths gift card to buy a better wardrobe.


Excited for the future
"Our top three finalists have really exceeded our expectations this year," says Aisha Mohamed, SABC3 channel head. "It's not easy finding a presenter, let alone three who have all the qualities to appeal to our vast audience.

"We wish Zoe, Jade and Danilo much success as they pursue their dreams on Expresso, Top Billing and Afternoon Express. May their careers continue to grow from strength to strength".

"Winning still feels surreal," says Zoe Brown, thanking viewers for their support. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would make it all the way to the end."

"I am grateful to be a new presenter on Afternoon Express," says Danilo Acquisto. "I look forward to making magic on SABC3. A big thank you to all the South Africans from all walks of life who supported and encouraged me."

"It's hard to believe this is actually happening," says Jade Hubner. "I used to joke that if you had to match my personality to a job, it would be as a Top Billing presenter. Well, as it turns out it wasn't a joke. It was my destiny. I'm overwhelmed with joy and humbled and grateful. I'm so excited for the future and can't wait to get started."

Presenter Search on 3 reveals the Top 11 contestants who will now battle it out to become TV presenters across various SABC3 shows.

SABC3's reality TV competition show looking to find new TV presenters has revealed a Top 11, not Top 10, Friday night on Presenter Search on 3.

The list of telegenics includes eight TV competitors from Cape Town, two from Johannesburg and one from Pretoria.

Khanya Siyengo (Cape Town), Ziphozakhe Zokufa (Johannesburg), Mishka Patel (Cape Town), Danilo Acquisto (Cape Town), Leon Nieuwoudt (Pretoria), Sanda Shandu (Cape Town), Christopher Jaftha (Johannesburg), Jade Hubner (Cape Town), Caley van der Kolk (Cape Town), Nambitha Ben-Mazwi (Cape Town) and Zoe Brown (Cape Town) all made the cut.

None of the Port Elizabeth or Durban contestants made it.

The Top 11 will be whittled down over the next few weeks to find presenters to join SABC3's Top Billing, Expresso and a new lifestyle magazine TV show.

The Top 11 were unveiled at Cape Town's Fire & Ice hotel this past Friday. They will continue to battle it out with real TV presenter tests and challenges until the finale is broadcast on Friday 29 May and which will be recorded in Zanzibar.

Several of the Top 11 contestants have already found a level of fame. 

Danilo Acquisto is known as one of the Hectic Nine-9 presenters on SABC2 and is a DJ on Goodhope FM, Christopher Jaftha has won several best looking man awards, Mishka Patel was a Miss South Africa 2014 finalist and Ziphozakhe Zokufa as first princess took up the crown as Miss South Africa 2014 after Rolene Strauss became Miss World.

Nambitha Ben-Mazwi, who already tried her hand at TV presenting, acting and singing, was added as the wild card addition to make the Presenter Search on 3's Top 10 a Top 11.

Leon Nieuwoudt has worked as an international model, banker Khanya Siyengo is a basketball coach and radio presenter and Zoe Brown has a degree in international relations.

The UCT economics graduate Sanda Shandu is a musician and actor, entrepreneur and tomboy Jade Hubner is good at athletics and music, and Caley van der Volk who was born in Willowvale in the Transkei has already travelled the world.

The Presenter Search on 3, the third iteration of the show, has already with the latest season showed and successfully harnassed what real cross-platform potential and true media property synergy opportunities there exists within the SABC – something rarely tapped to the extent that it really can be by the public broadcaster.

Presenter Search on 3 contestants already visited SABC2's Morning Live and SABC3's Expresso and received advice and did interesting TV challenges behind-the-scenes.

SABC on-air talent ranging from Neill Anthony of Neill Anthony Private Chef, Three Talk with Noeleen’s Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu, Minnie Dlamini from SABC1's Soccerzone, former Eastern Mosaic’s presenter and Lotus FM DJ Jailoshini Naidoo and Morning Live’s Leanne Manas already appeared to give the contestants challenges and advice, all while giving viewers a fascinating glimpse every Friday night of the SABC's industrial TV complex at work and the hard work that happens behind the shiny lights.