A sweet twist in the tale: Comedienne Tumi Morake was Koeksister on The Masked Singer South Africa

Mzansi’s “First Lady of Comedy“, the inimitable Tumi Morake, delightfully rolled onto The Masked Singer South Africa Season 3 stage as the sweet and sassy Koeksister – but to the embarrassment of one of the show’s celebrity detectives. While supersleuths Somizi and Sithelo unravelled Koeksister’s identity, Skhumba was left in a twist when he realised, once again, that he had no clue that a fellow comedian was the star hidden behind a spectacular Mask.

Guest detective and musical genius Zwai Bala, who was standing in for J’Something, also got it all wrong.

This week, six Masks battled it out to stay anonymous and advance to the next round. First, delectable dessert Koeksister faced off against dinner darling Sushi. Thereafter, the green force Spinach tried to outflex the fluffy Gogga, before Pineapple attempted to slice up The Masked Singer South Africa’s first duo, the adorable Sheep.

Knowing that the clues could be hidden in the minutest details – from the Mask’s costume to their song choices, physique and pre-recorded video introductions – the detective panel scrutinised every piece of information Koeksister dropped during her time in the limelight, including hints from her previous appearance.

Koeksister was completely at home in a fantastical bakery in both of her clue packages, which made it clear that she was a master baker.

In the first round of revelations, she disclosed that her “roots stretch across dusty towns and city edges, with tiny footprints first pressed into black mountains“. This potential giveaway referred to Tumi’s upbringing in the Free State. The comedian, TV presenter and producer then revealed that she is “the perfect combination of the dough and syrup that made her” and consults only one expert before walking onto a stage – the woman in the mirror. Furthermore, she pointed to cupcakes beautifully decorated with drama and comedy masks and the SABC logo, before sliding a piece of cake off its pedestal.

At that time, guest detective and comedian Jason Goliath, joining the panel in Skhumba’s absence, had no doubt that the A-lister who wrapped up as Koeksister was Tumi Morake – especially after directing a specific question to her. He asked who her role models were. Koeksister replied that one taught her love at home, one taught her how to moonwalk through life, and one showed her that truth could also arrive disguised as laughter.

However, the rest of the investigators picked completely different big-name stars.

Before Koeksister’s showstopping performance this week of the Rihanna hit “Don’t Stop the Music“, The Masked Singer South Africa’s new AI whizz, AI Thabang, stepped in to assist the detective panel with uncurling the Koeksister mystery after another cryptic clue package.

Back in the bakery, Koeksister’s sticky notes included that she carries two rhythms inside her, only one of which people are familiar with, and that while the other girls enjoyed girl time with their mums, she used to egg her mum on to race other drivers on the road. Koeksister also confided that the internet had narrowed her existence down to romance and whether she’s been skipping carbs.

AI Thabang’s contribution was that Koeksister’s proudest moment was “graduating the same year Philip was here” – a sly reference to the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

That rang some bells for Somizi. “It’s Tumi Morake!” he exclaimed. Sithelo Shozi immediately agreed. The show’s lady detective unbraided her guess, based on Koeksister’s relationship with her mother, the cake dropping, and how the internet treated the syrupy sensation.

However, guest investigator Zwai’s wild guess was actress and model Natasha Thahane, while Skhumba admitted he would be very angry with himself if Somizi and Sithelo were right. Still, because of the book he saw, Skhumba locked in Lorna Maseko, who’s not only a television personality but also a cookbook author.

Sadly, smooth Koeksister slipped into the Danger Zone alongside Spinach and Sheep, and when the detectives were given the chance to save one Mask, they opted for Popeye’s friend Spinach. Then, with the final votes counted, Koeksister bit the dust.

With their final guesses before the Koeksister unmasking, Zwai went with media personality Dineo Langa; Somizi and Sithelo doubled down on Tumi Morake; and Skhumba stuck with Lorna Maseko. With that, Skhumba has now failed four times across three seasons to spot a fellow comic.

Tumi told Mpho Popps how much she enjoyed messing with the detectives’ minds. “Singing was the most daunting part,” she admitted. “But the audience is like hey, hey… you feel like a superstar!”

The Masked Singer South Africa is produced by Rose and Oaks Media for Primedia Studios and is sponsored by Andolex®, King Pie and Mentos.

The Masked Singer South Africa airs on Saturday at 19:00 on SABC 2, and is produced by Rose and Oaks Media for Primedia Studios, and is sponsored by Andolex®, King Pie and Mentos. Rebroadcasts are on Thursdays at 21:00 on SABC 1 and Fridays at 13:30 on SABC 2.

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