A week after winning the third season of
Idols, South Africa, Kortje released a three-track mini album through record label
Sony BMG. It featured the Christmas carol "
Joy to the World" and a cover of the
John Legend hit "
Ordinary People", as well as her winning single "
I'm So Ready", which received frequent airplay on radio stations nationwide. She also met former South African president
Nelson Mandela shortly after her Idols win. In January 2006, Kortje started working on her debut album; she wanted the songs to have an inspirational message. The album, titled
Forever and a Day, was released through Sony BMG on 11 November 2006, and received generally positive critical reviews, especially for the title track, "
Forever and a Day". The album, which contained four radio singles ("Forever and a Day", "
I'm So Ready", "Never Never Never" and "If I Can't Have You"), ended up selling over 20,000 copies, reaching Gold Status in South Africa. Also in 2006, Kortje won the
You Magazine You Spectacular award for "News Maker of the Year". Kortje has since appeared on the covers of several magazines, including
Sarie,
Huisgenoot and
You. In 2009, Kortje released a new single, "
Love in the First Degree", which held the number one spot on
Good Hope FM and
Heart 104.9 FM's SA TOP 10 Charts for several consecutive weeks, and was featured on DJ Keith's album. She also recorded "
Hark The Angels" for the
Good Hope FM Christmas album, released in December 2009. Kortje married Shaundore Aspeling on 29 August 2009 in her hometown, Grabouw. Gift Gwe, runner–up in
Idols Season 3, performed for her on her wedding day. In 2011, Kortje released the Gospel single "Discovering", which she performed live on South African comedian
Soli Philander's television show
Taxi Vision. She also starred in the musical
This Is My Life telling her life story, before, during and after Idols, alongside
Idols South Africa Winner Season 4
Jody Williams. The show was renewed for a second season, this time with
Emo Adams' older brother Loukmaan Adams starring alongside Kortje. Kortje traveled to
Sydney to perform in 2012, as well as performing alongside
Judy Boucher in the Divas show. In 2013, Kortje's one-woman show in
Afrikaans, "Die Held Store", was nominated for an
ABSA Kana award at the
ABSA KKNK. Kortje returned to the ABSA KKNK stage in 2014, this time performing on the TOP 40 stage. Also in 2014, Kortje featured alongside
LeAnne Dlamini and Belinda Davids as official opening acts of the "Divas 2014" show in Grand Arena Grand West Cape Town. ==Discography==