Coach Riky Rick’s team is ready to rock The Voice SA’s KnockOut stage.

Who will proceed to the next round and who will vie for the viewers’ vote?

Last week The Voice South Africa introduced fans to the show’s all-new KnockOut rounds, in which the coaches have to make more difficult decisions than ever before. After their performances, coach LIRA had to send the thirteen vocalists in her team to either the three seats in the Safe Zone, or to the Danger Zone, knowing that her colleagues – Ricky Rick, Riana Nel and Francois van Coke – could steal the ones who awaited her final call. Then, in a worldwide first, host Anele Mdoda announced that it was not necessarily the end of The Voice SA road yet for those who didn’t make it into LIRA’s Battles team of six or attract attention from the other coaches. The Strepsils KnockOut Viewers’ Vote presented them with an opportunity to keep their hopes alive!

This week #TeamRiky has to knock the socks off their crackerjack coach. There are only two spots in the rapper and music producer’s Safe Zone! Ricky’s Steal from #TeamLira, talented performer Ross Charles (26) from Durban, is already sitting comfortably in one of the seats. Who will join him? How will the other coaches rock Riky’s boat with strategic Steals? And who will end up vying for the viewers’ vote?  With so much talent on stage, it promises to be another spectacular episode.

The thirteen acts who will be pulling out all the stops this week are:

  1. 26-year-old professional singer and songwriter Amy Tjasink from Cape Town, who returned to South Africa from her new home in London specifically to audition on The Voice SA. Over the years, she told the coaches at the Blind Auditions, she was criticised for her “squeaky voice”, but Riky fell in love with her exceptional sound. If Riky doesn’t send her to the Safe Zone, Francois may just step in. He desperately wanted her in his team at the Blind Auditions.
  2. The formidable duo “Aura” – Fentshe Nkabinde (20) and Mapula Mahlo (24) from Pretoria – whose stirring harmonies earned them a rare four-hair turn in the show’s previous round.
  3. The big man with the big beard, Christiaan Baartman (35) from Pretoria. He’s a passionate songwriter who belongs to the Nashville Songwriters Association. His creative mind churns out at least one new song a day!
  4. PE’s Bitcoin entrepreneur Eon le Roux (28), whose previous performance convinced Riky he might go on to win the competition.
  5. 39-year-old actor and singer Joel Zuma from Pietermaritzburg, who had his sights set on working with LIRA, but then surprisingly picked Ricky when both the coaches showed interest. Surely, Riky won’t allow him to get stolen by LIRA… or will he take the risk?
  6. Joshua Parker, the 19-year old self-taught musician from Fourways, Johannesburg, for whom Riky not only turned his chair at the Blinds; he spontaneously ran onto the stage to hug him and welcome him in his team.
  7. Actuarial Science student Katlego Makgotlwe (23), who performed her Blind Audition in her mom’s graduation outfit, and for whom Riky Rick punched his red button on the very last note of her song.
  8. Keanu Harker (23) from Balhar in the Cape. Both Riky and Francois van Coke pitched hard to get this full-time session musician into their teams and it may be a done-deal Steal if Francois gets the opportunity.
  9. Opera lover Morgan Beesley (18),  who entered The Voice to change people’s minds about classical music, and whose angelic performance of the “Pie Jesu” from Fauré’s Requiem gave the coaches goosebumps.
  10. Funky 25-year-old singing waitron Nikita Williams from Cape Town, who grew up as an orphan in a foster home, and blew Riky away at the Blinds with her rendition of Lady Gaga’s “You And I”.   Her mantra is “never give up”, so expect her to fight for a place in the next round with another magical performance.
  11. Property manager-turned-musician Sabelo Mthembu (35) from Soweto, who set off another fierce battle between #TeamRiky and #VanCoke during the Blinds with his soulful voice.
  12. The Mzansi Youth Choir’s Skumbuzo Ndaba (25), who had the Blind Auditions audience in the palm of his hands when he performed the Valiant Swart hit “Songvanger”, partially translated into Zulu.
  13. The 33-year-old with the rock star name and rock star personality – Ty Platinum from Ravensmead. While he chose Riky as his coach, he temporarily exchanged leather jackets with Francois at The Blinds. Did that perhaps pave the way to a coach exchange?

The Voice South Africa premieres on M-Net 101 every Sunday at 17:30 and is repeated on VUZU, Channel 116, on Mondays at 20:00. It also be available on DStv CatchUp.

Fans can visit www.mnet.tv/thevoicesa and follow all the breaking news and conversations around the show on Twitter @MNet / #TheVoiceSA and on the official M-Net Facebook page.

The Voice SA is produced by Blackswanmedia.