God bless you guys, it is because of your vote I made it this far. I am really grateful for all that you have done for me.”

Thapelo Molomo is the new Idols SA winner 2022. The 29-year-old from Diretsaneng village, Mokopane walked away with the crown at a glitzy Idols 2022 finale held in Tshwane’s Heartfelt Arena on Sunday night.

After his name was called out, the 29-year-old knelt and prayed onstage. He then performed his debut solo single, Phanda.

Molomo owned this season of Idols, he instantly became the fan’s favourite from his first audition – when he performed John Legend and Common’s Glory. The South African Police Service (SAPS) member delivered a captivating performance with his baritone. Limpopo is beaming with pride!

In a previous interview with SA POSITIVE NEWS Thapelo said he is grateful for the outpouring of love he received from viewers since his first appearance on the show… “I’m a people’s person, I’m a good listener, easy to flow, easy to be around, I’m that type of a person. Those aspects continuously push me to do even more better,” he said.

Week after week Thapelo topped twitter trends with his larger than life performances. His performance with the award-winning ensemble joyous celebration cemented his place in the competition, after that fire cracker showstopper performance, viewers believed that Molomo deserves the title.

Thapelo emerged the winner in one of the most hotly contested seasons of the show yet. He beat fellow contestant, Nozi Sibiya from KwaZulu-Natal.

As runner-up, Nozi Sibiya wins a recording contract with Kalawa Jazmee, as well as: R50,000 in a Standard Bank MyMo account; a fashion voucher from Truworths and her live show outfits, all to the value of R50,000; and R30,000 from Spotify.

Congratulating him, the Minister of Police Bheki Cele – who attended the finale, said Molomo serves as an inspiration to police officers across the country to believe in their talents as they serve and protect the nation.

“The member serves as a beacon of hope for many police officers who are on a daily basis faced with psychosocial challenges. He has illustrated to thousands of officers that hard work, determination and perseverance is the foundation of any successful human being”, said Cele.

The finale was quite the night to remember, Thapelo and Nozi performed their Showstoppers — Master KG and Makhadzi’s Di Boya Limpopo and Rihanna’s Don’t Stop the Music, respectively. The two then performed a duet on Rihanna’s Lift Me Up, with the previously eliminated top 8 contestants as backup singers.

“This has been another spectacular edition of Idols South Africa — 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 SA journey,” says Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels at M-Net.

Molomo has become an instant millionaire, starting with a R1 million cash prize that includes the coveted recording deal with Kalawa Jazmee Records, a car from Toyota, R300,000 from Spotify, R300,000 from Mzansi Magic, fashion vouchers worth R100,000 and much more.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has voted for me”, Molomo said in a video shortly after he was crowned the winner.

He concluded: “God bless you guys, it is because of your vote I made it this far. I am really grateful for all that you have done for me.”

Concluding the season the best way he knows how, Idols SA host and Executive Producer ProVerb said: “Tonight has been an amazing celebration. Your support of up-and-coming talent has been amazing. Your votes have brought Thapelo to this life-changing moment.”

Congratulations are in order to Thapelo Molomo. Limpopo stand up!

By Sinenzolo Mondi – Nduku