This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
On Saturday, the judges of East Africa's Got Talent show were announced in Nairobi, marking an exciting new chapter in the region's entertainment scene.
The four judges include Tanzanian songbird Vanessa Mdee, veteran Kenyan journalist Jeff Koinange, Ugandan radio presenter, TV host and actor Gaetano Kagwa, and Rwandese DJ Makeda Mahadeo.
Over 21,000 contestants from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya took part in the auditions, with the show set to air on Citizen TV starting August 4.
Only 18 contestants will make it to the finals, with the winner walking away with $50,000 (Ksh5 million) prize money.
Vanessa Mdee, who was discovered through another talent show, expressed her excitement about being part of the show, saying, “Being part of this gives me fullness because I was also discovered from a talent search competition. This experience makes me feel so special and I assure people they will love this.”
The show was founded by British TV producer Simon Cowell and currently runs in 59 countries across the world.
East Africa's Got Talent has been put together by Tanzanian Clouds TV, Coca Cola, Safaricom, and Rapid Blue, a South African production company behind the South Africa Got Talent show.
