# Idols South Africa season 19

The nineteenth and final season of South African Idols premiered on 8 July 2023 on the Mzansi Magic and Mzansi Wethu television networks, under the themes "iLast Number" and "The Farewell Season". The season was won by Thabo Ndlovu, while Princess MacDonald was the runner-up.
On 5 February 2023, it was announced that auditions for the final season would commence on 12 February 2023. The live shows began on 19 August 2023, with the ladies taking to stage first.

## Finalists

| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Place finished |
| Thabo Ndlovu | 26 | Witbank, Mpumalanga | Winner |
| Princess MacDonald | 24 | Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga | Runner-up |
| Faith Nakana | 26 | Lebowakgomo, Limpopo | 3rd |
| Nkosi Shange | 29 | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal | 4th |
| Niikiey Kubheka | 18 | Vosloorus, Gauteng | 5th |
| Envic Booysen | 25 | Cape Town, Western Cape | 6th |
| Thando Mdluli | 22 | Orange Farm, Gauteng | 7th |
| Sena Mkhwanazi | 28 | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal | 8th |
| Lungelo Motaung | 28 | Johannesburg, Gauteng | 9th |
| Lungile Mthethwa | 24 | Benoni, Gauteng | 10th |
| Sipho Manana | 19 | Johannesburg, Gauteng | 11th |
| Neve Arnolds | 22 | Stellenbosch, Western Cape | 12th |

## Weekly Song Choice and Results
### Top 12: Duets With Former Idols
#### Ladies (19 August)

| Act | Order | Song — Duets With Former Idols | Order | Song — Solo | Result |
| Lungile | 1 | "Not Yet Uhuru" by Letta Mbulu (sung with Yanga) | 2 | "Intliziyo" by Lloyiso ft. Langa Mavuso | Safe |
| Niikiey | 3 | "Make a Way" by Spirit of Praise ft. Mmatema (sung with Mmatema) | 4 | "Intliziyo" by Zonke | Safe |
| Neve | 5 | "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland (sung with Paxton) | 6 | "Mirror" by Madison Ryann Ward | Eliminated |
| Lungelo | 7 | "Safe" by Karabo ft. Tineke (sung with Karabo) | 8 | "Golden" by Jill Scott | Safe |
| Sena | 9 | "Lonely Without You" by Lloyiso (sung with Lloyiso) | 10 | "Sana Lwami" by Woza Sabza ft. Jessica LM | Safe |
| Princess | 11 | "Xolele" by Musa ft. Zama Khumalo (sung with Musa) | 12 | "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna | Safe |

#### Gents (26 August)

| Act | Order | Song — Duets With Former Idols | Order | Song — Solo | Result |
| Thando | 1 | "Khakhathi" by Karabo (sung with Karabo) | 2 | "Noma" by Kaylow | Safe |
| Faith | 3 | "So Will I (100 Billion X)" by Hillsong United (sung with Yanga) | 4 | "Tjontjobina" by Bhudaza | Safe |
| Nkosi | 5 | "Wozala" by Musa ft. Ntsika & Tshego AMG (sung with Musa) | 6 | "Nemimoya" by Nathi | Safe |
| Envic | 7 | "Battleground" by Paxton (sung with Paxton) | 8 | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown | Safe |
| Sipho | 9 | "Seasons" by Lloyiso (with Lloyiso) | 10 | "Don't Judge Me" by Chris Brown | Eliminated |
| Thabo | 11 | "My Time Is Now!" by Mmatema (with Mmatema) | 12 | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" by Stevie Wonder | Safe |

### Top 10: New Kids on the Block (2 September)

| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Nkosi | 1 | "Ubuhle Bakho" by Ami Faku | Safe |
| Lungile | 2 | "Mina Nawe" by Soamattrix & Mashudu ft. Happy Jazzman & Emotionz DJ | Eliminated |
| Faith | 3 | "Imvula" by Murumba Pitch & Omit ST ft. Russell Zuma & Sipho Magudulela | Safe |
| Sena | 4 | "Ngibambe La" by Mthunzi | Safe |
| Niikiey | 5 | "Umona" by Nomfundo Moh | Safe |
| Envic | 6 | "ICU" by Coco Jones | Safe |
| Princess | 7 | "Monalisa" by Lojay, Sarz & Chris Brown | Safe |
| Thabo | 8 | "Molo" by Aubrey Qwana | Safe |
| Lungelo | 9 | "Fatela" by Aymos & Ami Faku | Safe |
| Thando | 10 | "Hamba Juba" by Lady Amar, JL SA, Cici & Murumba Pitch | Safe |

### Top 9: Ultimate South African Wedding Playlist (9 September)

| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Niikiey | 1 | "Mmatswale" by Malaika | Safe |
| Lungelo | 2 | "At Last" by Etta James | Eliminated |
| Faith | 3 | "Matswale" by Caiphus Semenya | Safe |
| Nkosi | 4 | "Ekhwan Lami" by Phila Dlozi ft. Mthunzi | Safe |
| Thando | 5 | "Is This Love" by Bob Marley and the Wailers | Safe |
| Princess | 6 | "Phakade" by Lira | Safe |
| Thabo | 7 | "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri | Safe |
| Envic | 8 | "When I First Saw You (Duet)" by Jamie Foxx ft. Beyoncé | Safe |
| Sena | 9 | "All I Do" by Stevie Wonder | Safe |

### Top 8: Lionel Richie Playbook (16 September)

| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Thando | 1 | "Love, Oh Love" by Lionel Richie | Safe |
| Sena | 2 | "You Are" by Lionel Richie | Eliminated |
| Envic | 3 | "I Call It Love" by Lionel Richie | Safe |
| Niikiey | 4 | "Easy" by Commodores | Safe |
| Thabo | 5 | "We Are the World" by USA for Africa | Safe |
| Princess | 6 | "Just Go" by Lionel Richie ft. Akon | Safe |
| Nkosi | 7 | "Ballerina Girl" by Lionel Richie | Safe |
| Faith | 8 | "Penny Lover" by Lionel Richie | Safe |

### Top 7: Showstopper (23 September)

| Act | Order | Song | Result |
| Nkosi | 1 | "Good Kisser" by Usher | Safe |
| Niikiey | 2 | "The Way Ungakhona" by Bongo Maffin | Safe |
| Faith | 3 | "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | Safe |
| Thando | 4 | "Caught Up" by Usher | Eliminated |
| Princess | 5 | "Criminal" by DJ Mshega ft. Lady Zamar | Safe |
| Envic | 6 | "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z | Safe |
| Thabo | 7 | "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson | Safe |
* Before the Top 7 performances, Sena had the opportunity to perform Rude Boy by Rihanna.

### Top 6: How to Do It & Grammy-Nominated Songs (30 September)

| Act | Order | Song — How to Do It | Order | Song — Grammy-Nominated Song | Result |
| Envic | 1 | "Nomvula" by Nathi | 7 | "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Michael Bolton | Eliminated |
| Faith | 2 | "Best Part" by Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R. | 8 | "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye | Safe |
| Niikiey | 3 | "Inkanyezi" by Mondli Ngcobo | 9 | "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson ft. Kanye West & Ne-Yo | Safe |
| Thabo | 4 | "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner | 10 | "In Love With Another Man" by Jazmine Sullivan | Safe |
| Nkosi | 5 | "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal | 11 | "All of Me" by John Legend | Safe |
| Princess | 6 | "Dangerously in Love 2" by Beyoncé | 12 | "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys | Safe |

### Top 5: Duets With Gospel Stars & Songs by African Stars (7 October)

| Act | Order | Song — Duets With Gospel Stars | Order | Song — Songs by African Stars | Result |
| Thabo | 1 | "Wafika" with Dr Tumi | 6 | "Peru" by Fireboy DML & Ed Sheeran | Safe |
| Princess | 2 | "Ungukuphila" with Xolly Mncwango | 7 | "For My Hand" by Burna Boy ft. Ed Sheeran | Safe |
| Niikiey | 3 | "Ngena Noah" with Betusile Mcinga | 8 | "Maradona" by Niniola | Eliminated |
| Faith | 4 | "Healing Power" with Xolly Mncwango | 9 | "In My Maserati" by Olakira | Safe |
| Nkosi | 5 | "Nomathemba" with Betusile Mcinga | 10 | "People" by Libianca | Safe |

### Top 4: PJ Morton's Playlist & Perfect Date Love Songs (14 October)

| Act | Order | Song — PJ Morton's Playlist | Order | Song — Perfect Date Love Songs | Result |
| Princess | 1 | "On & On" by Erykah Badu | 5 | "Shayizandla" by Naima Kay | Safe |
| Nkosi | 2 | "Ordinary People" by John Legend | 6 | "Sondela" by Ringo Madlingozi | Eliminated |
| Faith | 3 | "Love" by Musiq Soulchild | 7 | "Bekezela" by Bekezela | Safe |
| Thabo | 4 | "Kiss" by Prince | 8 | "Ndinike Indawo" by Jaziel Brothers | Safe |

### Top 3: DJ Collaboration, Song of the Season & Hits From Their Idols (21 October)

| Act | Order | Song — DJ Collaboration | Order | Song — Song of the Season | Order | Song — Hits From Their Idols | Result |
| Thabo | 1 | "Inde" by Heavy-K ft. Bucie & Nokwazi | 4 | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" by Stevie Wonder | 7 | "You Are" by Hle | Safe |
| Faith | 2 | "Piano Ngijabulise" by Deep London ft. Nkosazana Daughter, Murumba Pitch & Jandak1 | 5 | "Tjontjobina" by Bhudaza | 8 | "Thrrr...Phaaa!" by Selaelo Selota | Eliminated |
| Princess | 3 | "Hamba Wena" by Deep London ft. Boohle | 6 | "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna | 9 | "Listen" by Beyoncé | Safe |

### Top 2: Idols-Produced Single, Viewers' Choice & Mzansi Classics (28 October)

| Act | Order | Song — Idols-Produced Single | Order | Song — Viewers' Choice | Order | Song — Mzansi Classics | Result |
| Princess | 1 | "You Know I Do" by Princess MacDonald | 3 | "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys | 5 | "Umqombothi" by Yvonne Chaka Chaka | Runner-up |
| Thabo | 2 | "iSlungu" by Thabo Ndlovu | 4 | "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri | 6 | "Lakutshon' Ilanga" by Miriam Makeba | Winner |
* Before his elimination, Faith Nakana performed his single "Khulumela".

## Elimination Chart
### Colour key

| – | Winner |
| – | Runner-up |
| – | Eliminated |
| – | Wild Card |
| – | Withdrew |
Weekly results per act :
| Act | Top 12 | Top 12 | Top 10 | Top 9 | Top 8 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Top 2: Finale |
| Act | Ladies | Gents | Top 10 | Top 9 | Top 8 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Top 2: Finale |
| Thabo Ndlovu | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Princess MacDonald | Safe | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Faith Nakana | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 3rd place | Eliminated |
| Nkosi Shange | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 4th place | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Niikiey Kubheka | Safe | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 5th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Envic Booysen | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 6th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Thando Mdluli | — | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 7th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Sena Mkhwanazi | Safe | — | Safe | Safe | 8th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Lungelo Motaung | Safe | — | Safe | 9th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Lungile Mthethwa | Safe | — | 10th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Sipho Manana | — | 11th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Neve Arnolds | 12th place | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |