Five new stars that came out of 2020

Even though this year really bummed us out, Mzansi was blessed with new talent in the game that gave us some glimmer of hope.

With every year comes the hope of fresh prodigies, making waves through the industry like no-one else.

The youth, who had tongues wagging with their star power, took us away from a world with Covid-19 to a place where the sun shines and you don't need a mask.

Here are some of SA's youngest and brightest who took the nation by storm:

Focalistic

Pitori Maradona Focalistic broke onto the hip-hop scene last year but only really caught Mzansi's attention during 2020 with Ke Star.

After the release of his album Blecke earlier this year, the musician made history with his hit single Ke Star being gold-certified.

Speaking on his newfound success and monumental achievement, Focalistic said that he is finally able to make his mama proud with his latest win.

“When I got my degree, I lost the paper and my mom was sad because she wanted to frame it. Today, I gave her the gold plaque and she couldn’t be happier, her face [was filled] with tears of joy. Calling the whole fam! Dankie Ke Star! Let’s go platinum,” said the star.

Elaine

You're The One hitmaker Elaine has been taking Mzansi by storm with her powerful vocals and captivating stage presence.

Who would have said an international music career could have started with a singer uploading her songs to SoundCloud? Music sensation Elaine has warmed Mzansi's hearts with her iconic tunes.

She worked hard through 2019 and a year later, Elaine is already making a name for herself in Hollywood.

At some point in February, all seven songs from Elements simultaneously placed in the top 10 of the SA Apple Music R & /Soul songs charts.

And while she was continuing to stay on top, Elaine made the country proud and was signed to Columbia Records, joining the ranks of artists like Adele, Celine Dion and Beyoncé

Siphesihle Ndaba

Gomora's Siphesihle Ndaba is a fairly new face on Mzansi screens but has become a beloved household name across SA.

She bagged her first role as MaZet just a few months after graduating from Rhodes University with an honours degree in the dramatic arts and has since been making waves.

At the 12th annual Feather Awards, Siphesihle was awarded 'Hottest Chick of the Year'.

Ama Qamata

The youngest star on our list, 22-year-old Ama Qamata has been making a name for herself as a talented thespian.

Ama started her career in the sitcom My Perfect Family on SABC 1. She went on to land the role of Buhle on the hit series Gomora, cementing herself as one of SA's upcoming young stars.

She has also appeared in Muvhango and Rhythm City.

She is most famous for her role as Puleng on the hit Netflix series Blood and Water. In an interview with Drum magazine with co-star Cindy Mahlangu, Ama said that she was humbled by the overwhelming support that the show received on its release

“The reception has been overwhelming ... we knew the show was going to do well but didn't expect it to do this well. People are enjoying it globally, and we are very grateful and humbled by the response,” said AMA.

Sicelo Buthelezi

Breakout actor Sicelo Buthelezi is another soapie star who owned 2020 with his character Teddy on the Mzansi Magic show Gomora.

Tembisa-born Sicelo exceeded all expectations this year as he took SA by storm when he landed the role of Teddy,  a teenager who has been adopted by Gladys and Melusi due to the fact that his mother (Zodwa) drinks a lot.

For all his achievements, the star received the Outstanding Newcomer award at the 2020 Royalty Soapie Awards. Speaking to TshisaLIVE about bagging the trophy, the humble star said he was worried about too much hype over his win.

“When it happened I was a bit overwhelmed. I was mostly worried about myself, that maybe I might drown in this pool of people congratulating me and applauding me every time. But then now, I'm just like, let me stick to my formation and not be drained or overwhelmed by it,” said Sicelo.