It takes a great deal of courage to pick yourself up and try again after getting turned away and that's exactly what Thokozile did. As fate would have it, her second stab at Idols glory would prove fruitful as she beat out thousands of other hopefuls to emerge a Season 13 finalist. When we caught up with her on Sunday night, she was visibly shaken but full of gratitude and fired up to take things to the next level. Let's take a trip back in time and see her amazing journey.
Thokozile auditioned in Pretoria, strutting into the room in a bright-pink, vintage number that immediately didn't go down well with Randall who thought it was "hideous". As we've come to know however, Thokozile's a girl who rolls with the punches and she soldiered on, blowing away the Judges with a stunning cover of 'Ngifuna Lo' by Karabo whom she's also sung back up for. Definitely worth another listen.
She didn't stop there either, taking charge as a group leader in Theatre Week and picking 'Don't Let Go' by En Vogue for her crew. One stellar performance and a few forgotten lyrics later, she was through to the solo round. It was there that she brought out the big guns performing Kelly Clarkson's, 'Beautiful Disaster'. The Judges were floored with Unathi applauding her consistency. Juxtaposed against the fact that Theatre Week was characterised by a lot of crumbling under pressure this season, her composure seems even more remarkable.
And who could forget that intoxicating melisma she served up while performing Beyonce's, 'Dangerously In Love' in what many considered the performance of the night? She didn't just hit all the right notes either. She's a pro at punctuating every note with elaborate gestures, strong expression and emotion. A true performer if we ever did see one but you don't have to take our word for it.
And it's for this reason that she'll sorely missed . .
One would almost be at pains to point out all the stars that owe their careers to Idols but never made it all the way to the end so it goes without saying that getting this far is a massive accomplishment. Couple that with Thokozile's drive and we'd wager that she's all set for big things to come. Have a look at her final thoughts on her journey below and show her mad love as we bid her adieu.
Idols SA airs on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) every Sunday at 17:00. VOTE or register to VOTE for your favourtie Idols contestant here and don't forget to stay connected and up to date by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram