The worst-kept secret since Twilight pair Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's relationship is out: Lady Gaga will be in South Africa next summer.

Gaga, Forbes magazine's most influential celebrity last year, will perform at the FNB stadium, Johannesburg, on November 30, and at Cape Town stadium on December 3.

"Mother Monster" couldn't contain her excitement, taking time off from rehearsing for her four shows in Australia to tweet to her Little Monsters in South Africa.

Gaga, who has around 26million Twitter followers, said yesterday:

"I am SO EXCITED to be bringing THE BORN THIS WAY BALL to South Africa. Stadium shows!"

She might inadvertently have encouraged a stampede by adding: "It's a dream come true, you'll have to show me around!"

Tour rumours had been swirling around on the social media since a leaked document of "unconfirmed dates" was revealed on the internet.

It had "Mother Monster" down for a February 2014 tour to South Africa. Then excitement reached fever-pitch at the weekend when Big Concerts said they would make a "big announcement" by yesterday.

With the dates now announced, a rush for tickets is expected this morning and, to cope, Computicket has set up a new booking system. Fans can take advantage of an online-only, pre-sales facility on the Computicket website this morning. Fans need to be registered on the website before they buy tickets online.

Booking opens on Thursday in Johannesburg and on Friday in Cape Town - at Computicket outlets and the call centre, and at supermarkets with Computicket outlets.

"The new web-based ticket system allows people to queue in a secure environment and gives everyone a fair and equal chance to get tickets without clogging up the call centre and besieging the Computicket outlets," John Langford, of Big Concerts, said.

Fans would be limited to eight tickets per person when buying on-line or through the call centre, but would be able to buy as many as they liked at outlets.

On reaching the front of the online queue, fans will be given 10 minutes to make a successful payment before being put back in the queue.

The review in the Australian newspaper The Age of her performance at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre is bound to whet South African appetites.

Reviewer Bridie Jabour gave the show five stars, writing: "In a venue packed with strident feminists, gays and bullied kids, there was something for everyone as Gaga preached equality for all. She showed off an obscenely fantastic voice in slower songs such as You and I and Edge of Glory ... Madonna, even with her recently exposed 53-year-old nipple, cannot touch the sort of theatre and experience that Gaga is giving her fans."

Gaga caused outrage in Thailand recently when she tweeted: "I just landed in Bangkok baby! Ready for 50000 screaming Thai monsters.

"I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy a fake Rolex."

Some of the star's backstage demands

Lady Gaga's requirements backstage on the Monster Ball Tour, which ran for 201 shows between November 2009 and May 2011, included:

Three separate electrical circuits ("not just outlets, we use quite a bit of electrical equipment in this room"), internet access, TV with "cable" and a DVD player, one large comfortable sofa, one sofa chair, two end tables, one coffee table, five lamps, three 2m trestle tables with cloths and skirts, two standard folding chairs, a cushioned office-style chair, two office-size rubbish bins, four unscented candles, a box of tissues, three fans, one heater and a cool-mist humidifier.

A kettle, organic ginger and lemongrass tea and honey were "very important" and listed at the top of the singer's catering demands.

To drink, Gaga needed a four-pack of Red Bull Light on ice, four assorted flavours of vitamin water, also on ice, four Coke Zero, two bottles of green tea, 12 bottles of still water at room temperature and another 12 bottles cold, two bottles of white wine with bottle openers . about two litres of skim milk, four assorted juices on ice, four Fuze Slenderise drinks and Splenda sweetener.

To eat, she wanted one tray of cut veggies including celery, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and non-fat ranch dressing. A plate of cheese ("non-smelly, non-sweaty" on ice) with wholewheat crackers, one deli tray with assorted meats, a small assortment of slices of turkey or chicken on wholegrain crackers, with mustard.

The hot dogs she required were vegetarian and had to be served on toothpicks. Two canned soups (lentil or veggie preferred) were to be kept warm in her room.

The fresh fruit on offer had to have "edible skin OR edible seeds OR [be] citrus". She wanted dried mangoes, dried apples, a bag of corn tortilla chips, garlic or lemon hummus, guacamole and salsa.

Gaga demanded a smoothie station, snack bars, Quaker "Weight Control" oats, and a box of Go Lean cereal with berries and non-fat, plain or Greek-style yoghurt.

Tweets from excited fans

@VeroniquePalmer: "My very cool client let me cancel training tomorrow so I could get #Lady GagaSA tickets!! Yippeeeee!!! Thank you so much!! :))"

@SekeloTimelly: "I already know what I'm gonna wear #LadyGagaSA"

@glanskindoptoer: "Dear @Computicket , how much ifjust want to see The Darkness? #LadyGagaSA"

@PArAn01AD077: "I'm starting my diet today so I can look pretty for #LadyGagaSA"

@Ali_Darko: "What my brain looks like: #LadyGaga #ladygaga sa #LadyGaga #ladygagasa . #Alejandro!!! What it should look like: #study"

Ruling world one song at a time

This is Lady Gaga's third world tour.

It began in Seoul, South Korea on April 27, and is currently in Australia for 14 shows, before hitting Europe for a further 29 shows, and then Johannesburg and Cape Town.

While only 64 dates have been confirmed, the tour is slated to run until next year, and will eventually rack up 110 shows.

The set list, which consists of 23 songs is: Highway Unicorn, Government Hooker, Born This Way, Black Jesus ? Amen Fashion, Bloody Mary, Bad Romance, Judas, Fashion of His Love, Just Dance, LoveGame, Telephone, Heavy Metal Lover, Bad Kids, Hair, You and I, Electric Chapel, Americano, Poker Face, Alejandro, Paparazzi, Scheiße, The Edge of Glory and Marry the Night.

The Monster Pit, which is enclosed by her catwalk on stage, is for her craziest fans. The pit is general admission only, and can be "unlocked" when fans arrive at the stadium. Fans who arrive first, and wait all night and are dressed to "Ball" as Gaga puts it, will be chosen.