Claiming the spotlight in 2015

Good entertainers hold an audience's attention and capture its imagination, making it want more.

Here are five celebrities poised to cement their status as stars, or dominate TV screens or radio airplay and awards shows, this year.

Yannick Ilunga: This South African-bred musician, the son of a Congolese father and an Angolan mother, began making music in his teens. He came up with a genre he calls "noir wave" that marries European and African influences. For the past two years, Petit Noir (Ilunga's stage name) has slowly been making waves in Cape Town, where he grew up, and in Europe, selling out shows in France. With his EP The King of Anxiety out this month, he is braced for his best year yet.

Bonang Matheba: Such are the drive and achievements of this TV presenter and brand ambassador that it is not implausible that she will continue to reign over the celebrity world. She is to appear in two TV shows to premiere this year and has new campaigns with Woolworths and Revlon. We will be watching her every move.

Nomzamo Mbatha: The Durban beauty has not looked back since leaving what appeared to be a cushy job on the much talked-about soapie Isibaya. Besides racking up more jobs as an MC, she will appear in the drama series Umlilo, which debuts on February 9 on e.tv, playing the young wife of a polygamist. Also premiering next month, on SABC1, is her reality travel show, Holiday Swap. Later in the year, Mbatha will make her film debut in the Akin Omotoso-directed romcom Tell Me Something Sweet, alongside Maps Maponyane, Thembi Seete and Thomas Gumede.

Riky Rick: This man is one of the go-to producers in the music industry right now. He has shown he is also adept in front of the camera, with TV and film roles. But with his smash-hit singles, Amantombazane, nominated twice in the recent Channel O African Music Awards, and Boss Zonke, not to mention a slew of hits on which he has featured, he has shown he might become No1 when he finally drops his debut album. Last year's breakout star, Cassper Nyovest, collaborated with Rick.

Loyiso Madinga: We watched this comedian come into his own in the past 12 months. He snagged the newcomer award at the Comic's Choice Awards and Trevor Noah picked him as one of the opening acts on his NationWILD comedy tour. Madinga also performed at last month's Montreux Comedy Festival, in Switzerland. Expect to hear much more about him this year.