Dineo Ranaka’s Diamond sparkled on The Masked Singer South Africa
The higher the cut grade, the brighter the gem. This undeniable fact about precious stones made perfect sense when the true identity of The Masked Singer South Africa’s dazzling Diamond was unveiled after many weeks of polished performances. The shining star hidden in the mystery celebrity singing contest’s exquisite diamond-shaped costume was radio and television personality, DJ, actress, podcaster, showbiz entrepreneur and perfectionist Dineo Ranaka.
Although three of The Masked Singer South Africa’s celebrity detectives – Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe –linked Dineo to Diamond successfully with their final guesses, detective Skhumba Hlophe’s jewel detector pointed to Dineo Ranaka from Day 1.
With Dineo indeed becoming the 10th celebrity to be unmasked on the most fun-filled show on television – and just missing the quarter-finals – Skhumba also finally appeared on the detective scoreboard. This scoreboard will determine which member of the astute detective panel will walk off with the Golden Ear Trophy at the finale when the celebrity who managed to stay anonymous until the end receives the coveted Season 2 Masked Singer trophy.
Whether the fourth member of the detective panel, J’Something, would have chiselled out a correct name for The Masked Singer South Africa’s beautiful jewel remains anyone’s guess. Season 1’s Golden Trophy winner, Holly Rey, also known as Lollipop, stood in for the Micasa muso. Admitting that being a detective is tougher than she imagined, Diamond’s ballerina moves prompted Holly to believe that the beloved bejewelled costumed character was actress and dancer Lorna Maseko.
What’s for sure is that Skumba approached his Diamond investigation like a pro – right from the beginning of the season. While his colleagues were still mesmerized by Diamond’s glitz, her fairy-tale Cinderella-style ballroom gown and bespoke bling, Skhumba was already mining one level deeper, drilling accurately into the gemstone clues.
How The Masked Singer South Africa Season 2’s Diamond was discovered:
Before making an impressive show debut, performing “Rainbow” by Rihanna, Diamond hinted in her clue package that she was multi-lingual. She also disclosed that her parents encouraged her to stand up for what’s right and that some of her best memories included enjoying croissants with Pappa Diamond.
Somizi, J’Something and Sithelo interpreted Diamond’s clues, fancy attire and rock-solid performance at face value. J’Something thought Diamond was a gorgeous activist, which led him to actress and model Amanda du Pont. Despite loving Diamond, Somizi called her a “princess” and “spoilt brat” – who else but his “twin sister” and “the queen of bling“, Khanyi Mbau? Meanwhile, Diamond’s poise reminded Sithelo of the elegant Dineo “Moeketsi” Langa.
However, Skhumba looked at Diamond from a completely different angle. He noticed the sparklers she held in her clue package. According to Skhumba, these burning sticks had nothing to do with New Year’s Eve or birthdays. Instead, it was Impepho, used by traditional healers. So, Diamond was either Latoya Makhene or Dineo Ranaka.
Then, Diamond’s reply to a direct question from Sithelo about where they know her from had Skhumba on fire. Diamond said she was frequently in their space, which confirmed Skhumba’s suspicion about Dineo Ranaka: “If she’s not on radio, she’s on TV, and if she’s not on TV, she’s on YouTube.”
In the next round of the competition, after Diamond’s steamy performance of “Bad Guy” by Billy Elish. Skhumba stuck to his guns: Diamond was Dineo Ranaka. Still, his colleagues focused on her flashiness and pizazz. J’Something guessed Bonnie Mbuli has her own jewellery line. Somizi picked Nandi Madida and Sithelo named Ayanda Thabethe.
Diamond’s third stint on The Masked Singer South Africa stage left Skhumba a little confused. The way she spun around on “Ndikuthandile” by Vusi Nova still spelt out to him that this was a traditional healer. But was the gyrating gem Latoya Makhene or Dineo Ranaka?
At this stage, the detective panel also learnt Diamond had a sister. While this Diamond sibling lifted the lid about Diamond always shining bright after controversies and having “boss energy“, Skhumba again had an offbeat approach. Instead of listening to these clues, he looked at the sister’s office, which he recognized as the Generations set on which Dinso’s sibling, Manaka, works.
But, still not sure, Skhumba went with Latoya Makhene this time. Surprisingly, Sithelo changed her mind, choosing Dineo Ranaka, as Diamond apparently modelled herself on her mother. This time, Somizi chose Pearl Thusi and J’Something Gail Mabalane.
In the top ten leg, when Diamond was uncovered after landing in the danger zone with Boombox, Diamond paid tribute to the legendary Brenda Fassie, singing “Weekend Special“. The clues hinted that the precious jewel was a busy lady and shaped by her family. After toying around with several names, Somizi, Sithelo, and Skhumba relooked all their notes, settling on Dineo Ranaka.
Skhumba admitted that his confusion at some stage stemmed from two ladies – Latoya and Dineo – both fitting all the clues, but in the end, he picked Dineo as he could feel her energy and ancestors’ vibe.
Once unmasked, Dineo was ecstatic about being part of The Masked Singer South Africa:
“It was just so much fun. Life gets so serious, and it was great to put on a mask and pretend to be an amazing character.”
Dineo and her kids also fell in love with the show after watching previous international versions and our own first Mzansi season.
The Masked Singer South Africa is screened on Saturdays at 18:30 on S3 (formerly known as SABC 3) with rebroadcasts on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00, as well as on S3 on Fridays at 22:00.
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