Dreams are rising from the heart of the vineyards and orchards of the Western Cape as Agri’s Got Talent (AGT) 2025 announces its top 10 finalists. Among them are two voices whose stories speak of resilience and faith.
Janine Galant from Morning Star in Grabouw and Jason Pondt from Bosman Adama in Wellington say they are ready to step into the spotlight and inspire others.
For Galant, being named among the top 10 is nothing short of divine intervention. A single mother of two, she took a leap of faith when she came across the competition on Facebook.
“I sent in a video, and through God’s grace, I stand here today,” she recalls with gratitude.
When she first received the news, she could hardly believe it. “To be part of the top 10 was so unexpected. The Lord has a purpose with everything, and this is the kind of opportunity I have been waiting for a long time.”
Singing is in her blood
Music has always been her safe place, even when life hasn’t been easy. “Being a single mom isn’t simple. You can’t always talk about what you go through, but I believe this journey with AGT will help me to rediscover myself and to be the Janine I know inside.”
She laughs when she shares how people always compared her to Whitney Houston. “At one point, I got tired of that and decided to sing like Mariah Carey. But in the end, I returned to Whitney’s sound. Her music and lyrics inspire me, and I feel honoured to keep her legacy alive.”
Her love for singing is in her blood. “I actually inherited my voice from my dad – sorry, Mommy, I love you very much,” she jokes. “We have many singers in our family: my brothers, my sisters… music is part of us.”
Above all, her greatest inspiration is her children. “They are my motivation and my reason for living.”
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Dreams beyond the vineyards
While Galant carries the sound of Whitney in her soul, Pondt dreams of a stage that goes far beyond singing – television. The general worker from Wellington hopes to one day host his own talk show.
“I even have a name for it – Breek brood met Jason,” he says with a smile. “I’d love to interview gospel rappers about their journey in music.”
For now, though, he’s thrilled to be part of AGT 2025. “I’m very excited for this journey and all the new things I’m going to learn. I first heard about AGT from my choir conductor and I couldn’t wait to be part of it.”
Pondt’s love for music started in Worcester with a cousin, where they formed a group together. When they later split to follow solo paths, he found his voice in gospel. “With gospel, I could write about my life experiences and share that with people.”
His guiding light comes from scripture. “The Bible says in Psalm 81:7 – ‘When you were in trouble, you called out to me, and I rescued you.’ That is my motto, and it carries me through.”
Pondt is deeply grateful for his support system. “I want to thank my wife and children, the Bosman Adama farm, my choir members, and, of course, Agri’s Got Talent for this opportunity.”
And while he loves his daily work, he knows AGT opens a new door. “Being a farmworker is great. I enjoy agriculture – the people are wonderful, and we do what we must for our country. But music is where my heart is.”
Tickets to the finale are available via Computicket. Click on the link to get your tickets.
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