By Lilja Flohr
The Acapella group HuistenRora, made up of singers from Huis ten Bosch and Aurora, performed live on the Expresso Morning Show on SABC 3 on 22 September. After their set, HuistenRora’s coach, Alwin Mabuza and two members were interviewed about Acapella and the experience of singing at Stellenbosch University (SU). Die Matie also spoke to members afterwards to gain more insight.
Mabuza explains,“The show got hold of one of the videos from the SU Acappella competition and graciously invited us to perform.” For him, “the performance validates the hard work put in for the SU Acappella season and showcases [their] tradition to a national audience.” His highlight was “all the behind-the-scenes moments people didn’t see, the funny moments, and parents posting wonderful comments on social media.”
Anita Chen, Huis ten Bosch’s HC member for culture and a third-year BEd (Intermediate Phase) student, recalls how the group “found out on the same day that they’d been invited to perform at the Rector’s Inauguration, suddenly booking two big performances in one day.” She describes national TV as “different, because everyone was so tired after waking at 03:50, but it turned into one of their best performances.” She adds “Acapella creates a bond as everyone [is] passionate about music, and it shows when we sing together.”
Postgraduate Theology student Lelethu Pupuma describes performing live on TV as “surreal, since on campus I can feel the crowd’s energy, but on TV it’s just cameras staring back.” Once she embraced that, “it became exciting rather than intimidating. Pressure is a privilege.” She believes the experience proved “that when we stand together, we can take on anything.” Looking ahead, HuistenRora’s 2026 goal is to “win the SU Acapella Mixed category.”
For Annabelle van Zyl, second-year BA (Visual Arts) student, performing without a cheering audience “felt more intimate, and our facial expressions had to carry the performance.” Despite the nerves, “not seeing the audience’s faces actually calmed us.” She believes the performance “will open doors” and looks forward to singing at the Rector’s Inauguration on 1 October.
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