Katie Melua returns to South Africa in September.

The tour begins on Thursday 18 September at the Big Top Arena, (Carnival City, Johannesburg), before moving to the Juventus Grounds (Botanic Gardens, Durban) on Saturday 20 September, Monday 22 September at the NMMU Vodacom Indoor Sport Centre, (Port Elizabeth), and finally Wednesday 24 September at the Grand Arena (Grandwest, Cape Town).

Georgian born Melua attracted the attention of the British radio station BBC Radio 2 in 2003 with the song 'The Closest Thing To Crazy' which upon its release entered the charts at number ten. Within months Katie's debut album 'Call Off The Search' hit the UK number one spot in January 2004 and has subsequently scored Top 10 positions throughout Europe.

With sales of over 55 000 albums in South Africa alone, her platinum selling 'Calling Of The Search' was the biggest selling debut album in South Africa in 2004, which she backed up with a tour the following year.

In between her charity work as an ambassador for Save The Children and hectic travel schedule she found time to release the album 'Piece By Piece' in September 2006. The first single 'Nine Million Bicycles' preceded the album release and gave Melua her highest UK single chart entry at number five. She was pronounced the highest-selling female artist in Britain in 2005 selling more than one million albums. 'Piece By Piece' continued to sell through 2006 making her the biggest selling British female artist in the world.

Melua's journey continued with her third album 'Pictures', released last year, now backed up by this upcoming South African tour. Tickets are available from Computicket outlets, www.computicket.com or 083 915 8000.

Tour itinerary

18 September: Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Johannesburg
20 September: Juventus Grounds Botanic Gardens, Durban
22 September: NMMU Vodacom Indoor Sport Centre, Port Elizabeth
24 September: Grand Arena Grandwest, Cape Town