Against all odds, budding but talented opera singer Siphokazi Stofu has made it into the grand finale of e.tv's talent search show SA's Got Talent.
As the show reaches its climax next Sunday, Stofu, who goes by her first name Siphokazi as her stage name, is anxious about whether she can amass enough votes to win.
In the semifinal she had to depend on a deciding vote by judge DJ Fresh after judge Shado Twala gave her the "yes" but judge Jamie Bartlett went with comedic street-style dancer Jonty Stander. Then Fresh gave her the nod, to the deafening applause and relief of her family and friends.
"I'm nervous, a lot of people don't follow or listen to opera music. It's up to the voters," she said. "It's a talent show after all, I hope I can convince the voters that I'm talented and sway them to vote for me."
Remarkably, at 12 Siphokazi, a BTech vocal art performance final year student at the Tshwane University of Technology, underwent a spinal TB operation and survived the ordeal of two operations.
The Daveyton-based, Ekurhuleni, mother of a four-year-old, started her singing journey after she was unable to do sporting activities at school - she joined a music choir.
It was also by chance that she became an opera singer. "When I registered for music theory I didn't have a clue what the course entailed. I thought I was going to do choral music.
"To my surprise, I found myself alone in a class with a coach and required to stand there and belt my voice out to the best of my ability. She said she was already three months into the course and there was no turning back. "I now love opera. I enjoy singing the music. I sing every moment of my life.
"At home neighbours realise I'm around on vacation when they hear me singing. Many say I'm making noise. It goes to show how much the music is unappreciated."
Siphokazi's biggest dilemma is getting a job after her studies, "In South Africa and Africa there are no jobs or opera music houses for professionals, unless I do a post-graduate certificate in education and go into teaching or maybe go overseas."
But she dismisses the idea of becoming a teacher. "I don't want to be teacher. I was born to perform ..."
Opera singer Siphokazi's fate in 'SA's Got Talent' now in the hands of voters
Against all odds, budding but talented opera singer Siphokazi Stofu has made it into the grand finale of e.tv's talent search show SA's Got Talent.
As the show reaches its climax next Sunday, Stofu, who goes by her first name Siphokazi as her stage name, is anxious about whether she can amass enough votes to win.
In the semifinal she had to depend on a deciding vote by judge DJ Fresh after judge Shado Twala gave her the "yes" but judge Jamie Bartlett went with comedic street-style dancer Jonty Stander. Then Fresh gave her the nod, to the deafening applause and relief of her family and friends.
"I'm nervous, a lot of people don't follow or listen to opera music. It's up to the voters," she said. "It's a talent show after all, I hope I can convince the voters that I'm talented and sway them to vote for me."
Remarkably, at 12 Siphokazi, a BTech vocal art performance final year student at the Tshwane University of Technology, underwent a spinal TB operation and survived the ordeal of two operations.
The Daveyton-based, Ekurhuleni, mother of a four-year-old, started her singing journey after she was unable to do sporting activities at school - she joined a music choir.
It was also by chance that she became an opera singer. "When I registered for music theory I didn't have a clue what the course entailed. I thought I was going to do choral music.
"To my surprise, I found myself alone in a class with a coach and required to stand there and belt my voice out to the best of my ability. She said she was already three months into the course and there was no turning back. "I now love opera. I enjoy singing the music. I sing every moment of my life.
"At home neighbours realise I'm around on vacation when they hear me singing. Many say I'm making noise. It goes to show how much the music is unappreciated."
Siphokazi's biggest dilemma is getting a job after her studies, "In South Africa and Africa there are no jobs or opera music houses for professionals, unless I do a post-graduate certificate in education and go into teaching or maybe go overseas."
But she dismisses the idea of becoming a teacher. "I don't want to be teacher. I was born to perform ..."
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