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Johanneburg - 17-year-old Paxton Fielies was crowned Idols SA season 13 winner during a spectacular live event at Carnival City on Sunday.
Channel24 caught up with the Capetonian singer just moments after she announced this year's Idols SA winner.
Answering the question on everyone's lips - whether or not she will completing her studies - Paxton assures us that finishing her education is a priority in her life.
Dropping out halfway through the school year was a risk, but Paxton and her mother decided that it was "a risk worth taking."
"I decided that 2017 was my year of taking risks. Time is not really something that bothers me. At least now I know where I'm going and where I am headed and I will definitely complete my studies. Whether it be through correspondence, online studies or home schooling."
She is aware that physically going to school might not be an option, but says it all depends on how she manages her time.
When asked about her highlights throughout the competition, Paxton says: "Except winning which is my new highlight, (a highlight) was celebrating my birthday on the show, which was amazing. Knowing that millions of people know that it's my birthday. I never thought that I would be performing on my birthday and for me that's always been a dream, to be performing on my birthday."
Throughout the competition there were also difficult times, and for Paxton that was every week: "You never knew who was going to be eliminated, so for me every week was a difficult week."
And for Paxton it was her fans that kept her going: "Even if it's just five people. I know that there are people listening to me, and supporting me. And I know that those are the people that are going to buy my music when I put out songs. Who will support me when I go through tough times. That it why I don't see them as supporters I see them as family."
"They're the reason why I am here today. I am very thankful. Every week was a difficult week. A different song, or a story to tell. Sometimes I was very sick, and I couldn't deliver. But here I am," she adds.
Speaking about the support she received from her community she says: "In my community there is a lot of gangsterism and for people to come together even just for one day to watch the show is amazing, and it shows that the support is there."
Even though Paxton is still very young, she is aware that she is now in the spotlight and that there are many young people looking up to her. And she vows not to give into the pressures of the entertainment industry.
"Well, I'm anyway too young (to drink)," she laughs.
Throughout the competition the judges and viewers pointed out that Paxton was very shy, but Paxton says this is only the beginning.
She says: "I think that Idols was a great platform for me to grow as an artist and yes, I wasn't really comfortable performing on a stage. But this was like training. We learnt a lot here, and it prepared me for the industry. I feel like I still have a lot to learn but I'm ready and open to learn."
Paxton says there was never a moment where she thought, "I can really win this thing." Instead, she celebrated each and every performance.
Talking about her life after Idols, she says that she is ready to go to work, and hopes to one day make it internationally. For now, she isn't ready to put herself into a R&B or a pop genre box: "People say the sky is the limit, for me there is no limit."
ALSO READ: Idols SA season 13 finale: Here's how it went down
