The competition is truly hotting up with record-breaking numbers of VOTES flooding in weekly. It's therefore imperative that you wrap your head around how voting works on all platforms so you can exploit every single avenue available to you without running into any hiccups. Don't see your issue below? Hit us up on any of our social media platforms (linked at the foot of the page) and we'll be more than happy to help out! 😉
HOW DO YOU VOTE ON IDOLS?
Voting is available via four official platforms. The first is our website (which you are reading this on). Simply navigate to the "VOTE" page in the main menu to cast your vote. If you are using a desktop browser on your laptop/desktop computer you get 100 free votes. If you log into the same account on your smartphone/tablet you get another 100, free mobile site votes. The third option is voting via SMS. Just send your favourite contestant's number to 37400, (free SMSs do not apply). Lastly, if you are an active, DStv subscriber in South Africa, you can download the DStv app and click on the vote banner inside it to access a further, 100 free votes.
Here is a DETAILED How to Vote guide if you still have any questions. You'll also need to register first before you vote, so get acquainted with that process here.
DO I NEED TO RE-REGISTER EVERY YEAR?
No. You only need to register once. Your logins remain the same from one season to the next.
I VOTED ON A DIFFERENT M-NET PRODUCTION, DO I STILL NEED TO REGISTER?
If you've already registered for voting via website or mobile site on other M-Net productions your logins remain the same. Use those to sign in and vote for your fave. No registration required.
I'M NOT GETTING AN OTP WHEN I REQUEST ONE
1) Make sure to check your SMS settings to ensure that you can receive promotional messaging.
2) Sometimes the OTP gets stuck in transit so you can also try switching your phone off and back on.
3) Lastly, the network could be congested so if you're still not seeing an OTP, wait 5 minutes and try again.
HELP, I CAN'T REMEMBER MY PASSWORD!
No need to create a new account if you can't remember your logins. Simply click on the "SIGN IN" button. The login page will load, next, click on the "FORGOT PASSWORD" option.
A form with a phone number and password field will then load. Enter the phone number you used before and pick a new password. Upon submission of these details, an OTP will be sent to the chosen phone number to confirm your new password.
CAN I VOTE IF I'M NOT IN SOUTH AFRICA?
Yes, viewers outside South Africa can VOTE as Idols South Africa is a massive production that is broadcast across the SADC region. Before you can Register or VOTE, you'll need to head to the vote page and click on the drop-down menu with the South African flag on it. Next, pick the flag icon that corresponds with your country of residence as shown below.
The extension for your country will then be automatically populated. That means when you sign in or register, you only need to enter your phone number without the international extension for your country.
I'M GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE ABOUT MY VOTE BEING "INVALID"
Don't panic. This is an automatically generated error message that gets sent out when a vote is cast outside of a voting round ie: before lines open or after lines close. Check back later and try again or wait until the next round opens if you recieve this message.
MY SMS VOTES AREN'T GOING THROUGH
If your votes aren't going through please note the following:
1) Free SMSs cannot be used to vote
2) Make sure you’ve accepted the SMS costs. You may receive a pop-up on your phone to confirm this when you sending your first message
3) Make sure you have the right short code: For Idols SA it is 37400
4) Make sure you’re using a valid/correct, contestant voting number. You can go to our voting page or checkout our voting numbers article to confirm if you have the correct details.
Idols South Africa airs, Sundays at 17:00 on Mzansi Magic Ch161. You can also get an exclusive look at what doesn't make the Live Shows plus, updates on all the action right here on our site. Don't forget to join the conversation by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram