Has SA got talent?

The show, which will premiere on 13 August 2009, calls for “any age, any act”, from singers, dancers and comedians to variety acts, animal trainers and acrobats. Talent acts will compete for the top prize of R250 000 and the opportunity to perform at the new President's Command Performance later this year. Registration for national auditions is currently open.

“The real appeal of SA's Got Talent is that there are no restrictions on who can enter and what your talent has to be. Anything goes! We will be appointing a host as well as a panel of judges for our series, and will be making announcements in this regard soon,” says Nivasha Naidoo, SABC2's marketing manager.

The entry process for SA's Got Talent works as follows:

• Applicants can register to attend an audition by calling cell +27 (0)83 913 1120 and following the voice prompts
  
• Applicants may also register by sending an email to
  
• Registering to audition secures a place at the auditions
  
• Auditions will take place nationally
  
• Contestants who have registered will be contacted with a confirmation of the date, time and venue for their audition.
  
• Contestants who are able to supply an email address or fax number will be sent the full entry form, which they can complete prior to their audition to save time on the day.

Susan Boyle

Proof of the show's eclectic approach to performing talent is the 47-year-old unemployed Scottish woman Susan Boyle, whose performance on Britain's Got Talent has garnered headlines the world over. A clip of her performance generated over . Previous winners include cellphone salesman Paul Potts (whose operatic voice landed him a major recording deal with Cowell), a ventriloquist, and 14-year-old breakdancer George Samson.

The Got Talent format is the most successful international talent show ever created. Initially broadcast in America and Britain (which has just started broadcasting its third series), Got Talent has been produced in 26 other countries across Europe, Asia and South America. The American version is presented by Jerry Springer with celebrity judges such as David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Cowell himself appearing in the show.