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The Voice SA: Meet #TeamKaren

Cape Town – Things are heating up on The Voice SA with the blind auditions completed, the competition is about to commence.

Coach Karen Zoid has a diverse group of singers who she will be mentoring. 

Meet the team here:

Thembeka Mnguni

Thembeka, who is currently works at a recruitment agency to make ends meet, is hoping that The Voice SA will revive her once promising career in showbiz. Many years ago she toured the world with theatre impresario Pieter Toerien’s productions of the musicals Grease and High School Musical and she was nominated for a Naledi Award for Best Newcomer.

Marcel De Almeida


Marcel is an unashamed old school rocker, who counts Guns ‘n Roses, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC among his musical icons. He’s been making music since childhood and for the past two years  he’s been the singer and rhythm guitarist for the classic rock band Oatz.

Jono Grayson

23-year-old Jonathan is studying sound engineering and music production. His biggest claim to fame to date is that he opened a gig for local supergroup Prime Circle last year.

Nontu Xulu

Nontu from Empangeni in KZN, inherited her love for music from her dad who was South Africa’s first black professor of music. She performed the South African classic Weeping at the Blind Auditions, impressing coach Karen who loved the way she put a new spin on an old favourite.

Tulla Eckart


37-year old vocal coach Tulla has been performing for as long as she can remember and travelled the world as a singer. She chose Karen, whom she happened to know from her school days.

Sibongile Sibeko


Sibongile studied opera at the Tshwane University of Technology, but then successfully ventured into gospel music. She won a Crown Gospel Award, was invited to perform in Belgium and recently won a cash prize during a Radio Pulpit singing competition.

Nadine Sisam

Nadine is used to living out of suitcases, while she’s been gaining extensive experience as a session singer for different companies in different cities. She is ready to pursue her own solo career as a pop or rock artist.

Zaretha Duvenage 

Former pre-school teacher Zaretha is a worship leader in her church and has hopes of being a big Afrikaans music star. Aptly, she decided to perform the Koos Kombuis classic Lisa se Klavier during the Blind auditions.

Sofaya Nkosi

Sofaya runs her own celebrity procurement agency called Red Chronic. All four of the coaches turned for Sofaya who was “on fire” on stage. Spoilt for choice, she opted for coach Karen.

Tracey-Lee Oliver


Tracey-Lee has been on stage for many years as a session singer, the lead in musicals and a seven year stint as a casino singer. Recently, she ventured into musical comedy. She entered The Voice in honour of her dad, who passed away four years ago.

Almur Marais


Self-taught musician Almur recently moved from the small town of Stilfontein to Pretoria to become an apprentice fitter and turner. The Voice SA is his last shot at following a career in the local music industry as he has already experienced the financial difficulties of living your dream.

Blaque Harmony


Botlhale Phora (20) and Karabo Makwela (24), are the vocal duo Blaque Harmony. The perfectly-synched friends in music started singing together just over a year ago, hoping to make ends meet for their families and raise funds for their studies.

Alicia-Ann du Plessis 

Alicia-Ann, who grew up in Stellenbosch, has been mastering her craft at the famous Stardust theatrical restaurant in Woodstock. Without ever having had any formal training, Alicia-Ann counts legends such as Nina Simone, Annie Lennox, Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks as her musical influences.

Thapelo Lekoane 

Thapelo started singing in the Rhema Church choir, which she now leads, then joined the performing arts company 13th Floor and studied music at Wits. Thapelo and her sister worked with Karen when Thapelo was a student.

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