Oncemore Six joins Eswatini Praise judges

MBABANE – The quest to find 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 the following morning, the team had already logged over 100 entries. For Makhabane, Eswatini Praise is more than just a competition and 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.

Adding heavyweight industry credibility to the talent search, celebrated South African Gospel artist, songwriter and worship leader Oncemore Six has been officially confirmed as a judge. Oncemore Six brings over a decade of invaluable experience to the panel. Before stepping into the spotlight as a celebrated solo artist with breakout anthems like ‘Ngeke Ng’suke Kuwe’ and ‘Here On Our Knees’, he spent years sharpening his craft as a premier backing vocalist for heavyweights such as Dr Tumi, Solly Mahlangu, Takie Ndou, Tebs David, Ayanda Ntanzi and Hle. His extensive background in shaping contemporary worship, coupled with international acclaim including a Best Africa Gospel Artiste (Diaspora) nomination at the 2025 Praise Achievement Awards positions him as an ideal mentor to evaluate and guide raw hopefuls. In a video confirming his inclusion he mentioned:  “I am excited announce to you that I will be one of your guest judges, so please, if you think you have what it takes, just come through and let us see what more in talent the Kingdom of Eswatini has to give,’’ he said.

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 Shows that birthed 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.

Makhabane elaborated that after the initial auditioning phase concludes, esteemed judges including Oncemore Six and Nothando Dlamini will take the proceeding contestants into an intensive bootcamp where the next stages of the competition will unfold.