AFTER a nationwide search for the best acting talent in South Africa, Abdul Khoza and Tumie Ngumla emerged as the 2011 Amstel Class Act Competition winners.

The two winners were announced on Saturday night during a live broadcast of the show.

The second season of the reality show began in March with auditions around the country.

The competition was between Ngumla, Mandisa Nduna, Khoza and Pallance Dladla, who gave their finest performance on Saturday.

Judges Moonyeen Lee and Rapulana Seiphemo, who have been hard on the actors during the course of the show, were soft on Saturday. They praised all actors for their stunning performances.

The public voted for Khoza and Ngumla, who both won an eight-week course at a film school in the US and a contract with MLA, Lee's casting agency.

Ngumla is from Port St Johns in Eastern Cape. She was given a second chance by the show's presenter, Kenneth Nkosi, because the judges did not like her voice during auditions.

She said: "I am ecstatic. It has not sunk in yet but I feel honoured. It has been a long journey. Today I told myself that I would accept it if I did not win because I was up against the best."

Nontsikelelo Ngumla, Tumie's mother, said: "Since Tumie is a quiet person by nature, I never thought she would be on television one day. I felt proud watching my little girl acting in that film. She might be a star to others but she is still a young girl to me."

Durban-born Khoza said: "It is truly an honour to win. It's been hard work. Today was difficult but I told myself that I am a winner because I'm in the final. I want to thank my competitors because they pushed me to work even harder."