Now it's in the hands of the voting public to decide which of these eighteen highly-talented performers will become the coveted Idols Top 10. The eighteen contestants have been divided into two groups of nine each, who will be singing for their supper on M-Net, M-Net HD and Mzansi Magic on DStv Compact on Saturday, 21 July and Sunday, 22 July at 17:30 respectively.

The two Idols group shows will be recorded earlier in the week at the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani in front of an audience of approximately 400 people. Therafter the Top 10 spectaculars will be broadcast from the Mosaiek Theatre in Fairlands where up to 2000 fans can support their chosen Idols.

The first group show will feature the nine guys that impressed the three Idols judges – Randall Abrahams, Unathi Msengana and Gareth Cliff – the most during Theatre Week. The voting lines will open for the guys when the show starts at 17:30 on Saturday, 21 July, and close when the ladies get their chance to shine on Sunday, 22 July at 17:30. Thereafter fans will again have 24 hours to vote for their favourite female performers. The voting lines for the second group will close at 17:30 on Monday, 23 July. The results for both the groups will be announced at a 90-minute live show from the Soweto Theatre on Sunday, 29 July.

M-Net's head of communications, Lani Lombard, confirms that even though the three judges will still comment on the performances at the group shows, they have no more say in who goes through to the Top 10. "Rumours have been rife on blogs and social media that the winner has already been decided, but it's not possible at all. From this exciting phase of the competition, the fate of the contestants is in the hands of the voting public only. Therefore, we urge all Idols fans to ensure that they watch the two shows on Saturday and Sunday; that they familiarise themselves with the voting rules; and that they exercise their voting power. The Top 10 Idols, and finally the winner will be South Africa's Idol – in other words, the one who garners the most votes from the public."

"This has been the most successful Idols season to date," Lombard continues. "The series is already attracting more viewers than ever before and the exceptional Top 18 singers will pull out all the stops to display their singing abilities and engage with their fans in the next round. There are many facets to being an Idol and we're excited to see how the competition will play out all the way to the final in October. As we all know, one bad performance can cost an Idol his or her place on the show."

There are three ways to vote once the lines are open. SMS the unique number of the Idol to 37400 (R1.50 per SMS - VAS rates apply); on www.mnet.co.za/idolsSA (mobile or web) - click on the vote link and follow the instructions and via Mxit where one can download the app and then go to TradePost, Entertainment, M-Net.