Saturday, 21 July is D-day for the nine talented male contestants in Idols Season 8.  From the newly-built Soweto Theatre in Jabulani, they will pull out all the stops to get the support of the voting public.

Idols fans can cast their votes for the nine guys from 17:30 on Saturday when the first Idols Group showdown is broadcast, until 17:30 on Sunday, 22 July when the girls take to the stage. The voting period for both the groups – male and female – will be 24 hours, with the voting lines closing for the girls on Monday, 23 July at 17:30.

M-Net’s Head of Communications, Lani Lombard, encourages all Idols fans to make an effort to ensure that their favourite doesn’t leave the competition. “The stakes are extremely high now. Four of the guys and four of the girls will not be able to go into the Top 10. They rely on YOUR support to remain in the game. And do remember, if you don’t vote, you can’t be upset about the results afterwards. It’s up to South Africa to decide how the competition plays out from now onwards.”

Votes can be cast on three different platforms: SMS, Mxit and via the official Idols website (mobile or web). Votes are free online, but SMS votes cost R1.50 per SMS (VAS Rates apply) and 20 moola on Mxit (20 cents).

“Many fans are under the impression that it’s expensive to vote, but if you have access to the internet, it’s absolutely free. You can cast one vote per hour via the Idols website. We also encourage fans to go to the Idols website or the Idols Facebook page to ensure they understand the voting rules. These rules have been introduced over the years to eliminate possible unfair mass or syndicate voting,” says Lombard.

On SMS 100 votes are allowed from a cellphone number per voting period. All votes cast from a number over and above 100 will automatically be discarded. The same number of votes (100) and rules apply for Mxit.

The number for SMS voting is 37400 and fans will have to send the unique number of the contestant, which will be available on the website and communicated on the show.

So, tune in on M-Net, M-Net HD and Mzansi Magic on Saturday evening at 17:30 to decide which of the nine remaining guys deserve to be in the coveted Idols Top 10.