MTV Base VJ Seach finalises in Durban

MTV Base (@MtvbaseAfrica) and e.tv have completed the first leg of the MTV Base VJ Search auditions, after visitingDurban and Cape Town at the weekend in their hunt for a new VJ for MTV Base.

Thousands of young hopefuls turned for the auditions – fired with excitement at the prospect of getting through to the next round in the MTV Base VJ Search contest – the first inSouth Africa since 2006.

 

The Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban and the Cape Gate Shopping Precinct in Cape Town were buzzing with ambitious young contenders as they queued up to audition for the gig of a lifetime – a one year contract with MTV Base (DStv Channel 322), plus the chance to feature on Club 808, e.tv’s top music programme.

Among the 10 Durbanfinalists was Scelo Gumede, a 25 year old media and communications student at UNISA who made it third time lucky after auditioning for two previous editions of the MTV Base VJ Search.

Said Scelo, “Words cannot even begin to describe how I feel – I’m ecstatic, over the moon and on fire. I entered because of my love of media, I came back for the third time ‘cause I’m a fighter, I believe in myself and I couldn’t just give up!”

Identical twins, Precious and Pretty Zondo (20) also made it through. Precious is studying cost management accounting while her sister is a catering management student. Commented Pretty, “When we got here our line was ‘makubenjalo’ which means ‘let it be so’; that’s what kept us going throughout the audition and that’s how we made it through.”

Twenty year old Zintle Gama has always done everything with her stepsister Hazel, including studying at theUniversity ofJohannesburg and setting up their own fashion label, Mooir Couture. Both girls auditioned together but only Zintle made the cut, so now she’s off to Jo’burg on her own. A wistful Zintle stated, “We’ve never done anything apart before; I guess it’s part of growing up.”

The other Durbanfinalists included: UCT accountancy student Nomzamo Mbatha (22); UCT film and media student Lungelo Dlamini (18); model and part-time UNISA communications science student Talia-Ann Tifflin (22) and IMM student Linda Mtoba (20). Brother and sister Mthoko (22) and Ntombi Mkhathini (23) auditioned and qualified together – he’s a graphic design student at the Durban Institute of Technology, a dancer, rapper and self-described “free spirit”, while she’s studying business admin at CIT college and is a freelance stylist at Jeni Button. Ntombi said, “MTV Base is the coolest and most iconic brand; this is such a massive opportunity!”

At the Cape Townauditions, Lerato Stevens, a 20 year old events co-ordinator from Elsie’s River impressed the MTV Base judges, alongside Graeme Cuthberths (25), a freelance product designer from Clairmont. Another candidate who stood out was Roxanne Kalie, a 22 year old model from Goodwood.

The other Cape Town finalists included: BA Humanities student and campus radio DJ Sherlin Barends (22); 24 year old entrepreneur and bank consultant Khaya Siyengo; second year advertising student Vennessa Gagu (19); freelance performer Tony-Leigh Louw (24), model Ghislaine Mutombo (24), student Tsidiso Motsoahae (20) and service consultant Mandy Sithole (25).

All of the qualifiers from Cape Townand Durbanwill be flown to Johannesburgnext weekend to participate in further qualifying stages of the competition in front of celebrity judges Bonang Matheba (@Bonang_M), HHP (@HipHopPantsula), Azania Mosaka (@Azania_) and Tim Horwood (@timohorwood).

MTV VJ Sizwe Dhlomo, a Durbanite who won his VJ crown during the first ever MTV Base VJ Search back in 2005, visited the auditions in Cape Town and Durban at the weekend. Hip hop trio Teargas were present at the Durban event while JR dropped in at theCape Town event to meet fans and sign autographs.

 Commented MTV Base Creative Director and MTV Base VJ Search judge, Tim Horwood: “We saw some really outstanding VJ candidates, and their talent and enthusiasm was so infectious that we had a hard job to narrow them down. However, we are confident that Durban and Cape Town will be well represented at the national callback auditions next weekend!”

VJ hopefuls who did not make it down to the MTV Base VJ Search auditions in person still have the chance to apply by sending in a video audition to MTV Base (follow the links at www.mtvbase.com), or attend the final auditions in Johannesburg on 21 July 2012.

Highlights and funny moments from the auditions will feature on the TV series 2012 MTV Base VJ Search which will air weekly on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) from Tuesday 7 August 2012 at 20:30 CAT and on e.tv from Saturday 11 August at 18:05 CAT.

YFM is the official radio partner of the 2012 MTV Base VJ Search. Heat, Drum, Sunday World and The Sowetan are the official print partners.