MBABANE – The quest to finding Eswatini’s next premier Gospel voice has officially kicked off with an overwhelming surge of talent.
Over 100 aspiring artists flooded Big Fish Productions with digital auditions within hours of the call for entries opening for the newly-launched Eswatini Praise talent search.
The initiative, spearheaded by veteran South African-based Eswatini Gospel powerhouse and producer Sipho ‘Big Fish’ Makhabane, requires interested candidates to submit a 60-second video of themselves performing any Gospel song of their choice.
The response has been nothing short of a tidal wave. According to Makhabane, submissions began streaming in on the evening of September 1 and by the morning yesterday, the team had already logged over 100 entries.
“Angikalali,” Makhabane remarked, translating to the fact that he did not sleep. “Candidates were sending the audios even at 2 AM. This shows how much they are hungry for this,” he said.
For Makhabane, Eswatini Praise is more than just a competition; it is a continuation of a lifelong mission to unearth and uplift raw talent.
His vision is to give aspiring Gospel artists a premier platform to showcase their skill while strategically elevating their careers to professional heights.
Drawing from his extensive industry experience, Makhabane pointed to his past collaboration with South African SABC 2 on the hit show ‘I Want to Praise’.
He noted that even contestants who did not ultimately win the competition reaped massive rewards, often being contacted directly by established recording labels and top artists looking to offer them professional recording deals and mentorship.
The launch of the online auditions had been deliberately delayed to respect the nation’s significant cultural milestones, specifically the Umhlanga Ceremony, ensuring that national focus remained undisturbed before rolling out the creative schedule.
As the entries continue to pour in, production logistics are scaling up. Makhabane has advised all remaining candidates to ensure they place their cellphones horizontally when recording their submission videos.
This technical requirement is due to ongoing, advanced talks with Eswatini TV to broadcast the entire talent search, which would beam the contestants’ performances into living rooms across the country and secure a much wider audience.
This groundbreaking opportunity arrives as part of a broader renaissance for Eswatini’s Gospel music sector.
The search joins other major initiatives that have consistently shone a spotlight on local talent, most notably local Gospel artist Nduduzo Matse’s Mother Of All Gospel Show that birth its Rising Star Talent Search.
Over the past few years, Matse’s platform, although it did not take place this year has dedicated itself to discovering, recording and empowering upcoming local Gospel artists entirely free of charge, creating a robust pipeline of spiritual and musical excellence.
He elaborated that after the auditioning, esteemed judges including Nothando Dlamini will go on a bootcamp where they will select proceeding contestants.
Sipho Makhabane’s journey to becoming a titan in the African gospel industry is a record of resilience and faith. Hailing from Eswatini, he overcame immense personal and physical challenges to build a legendary career as a singer, producer and talent scout.
Through his label, Big Fish Music, he has been instrumental in shaping the careers of dozens of top-tier Gospel stars across Southern Africa, earning a reputation as a kingmaker who bridges the gap between raw grassroots talent and commercial success.
He has worked with the likes of Hlengiwe Mhlaba, Oliver Mtukudzi, Frans Dlamini, Shongwe Nekhuphuka, Jabu Hlongwane and many other artists.
With Eswatini Praise now gathering monumental momentum in its opening days, the kingdom’s Gospel sector stands on the brink of discovering its next generation of ministry- driven superstars.
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