After MasterChef South Africa Season 5’s last guy standing, charismatic Lona Rode, crumbled in the kitchen last week with burnt pastry that cost him a spot in the semi-final, it’s a given that the winner of the latest season of Mzansi’s most popular cooking competition will be a young female home cook.
The four Season 5 culinary stars still in the race to scoop the coveted title of MasterChef and the appetising prize money of R1 million are Bridget Mangwandi (20), Chanel Brink (34), Nabila Shamshum (23), and Refe DImbaza (33).
In this week’s super tense semi-final, themed “Going for Gold”, these ladies must prove to judges Justine Drake, Katlego Mlambo and Zola Nene that they can bank on all the skills acquired through the eighteen weeks of intense cooks-offs to date.
While the judges will make the call on which dishes are worth gold to secure a place in the final on 23 November, this week’s special guest, Chef Gregory Henderson, no stranger to cooking competitions, will take the contestants through the paces in the kitchen. There will also be eight distinguished guests coming for dinner.
Chef Gregory is the Chairperson of the South African Chef’s Association (SACA) and the custodian of our country’s indigenous foods.
SACA, which helps young chefs find their feet in the industry and mentors them for professional competition, is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year. Hence, MasterChef South Africa decided to pay homage to their exceptional work in this pivotal episode.
Among the esteemed SACA dignitaries for whom the contestants will prepare a world-class sit-down dinner are SACA’s president, Chef James Khoza; Chef Andile Somdaka, Madiba’s beloved personal chef; and Chef Pieter Malan, who won a medal at the 2024 International Culinary Olympics.
Since gold has always been a symbol of superior quality, the semi-final MasterChef South Africa competitors will be tasked to design and execute two courses connected by a golden thread. For this celebratory meal, the Pick n Pay Pantry is stocked with indigenous foods and seasonal golden-hued produce, and the contestants will have three hours to obtain their golden ticket to the final.
The meal will be judged based on menu planning, the interpretation of the theme, harmony of flavour, balancing of textures, and plating to high dining standards.
MasterChef South Africa, proudly sponsored by Pick n Pay, is produced by Homebrew Films for Primedia Studios. The show premieres on S3 (formerly SABC3) on Saturdays at 20:30. The rebroadcasts are on SABC2 on Sundays at 18:30 and S3 on Wednesdays at 18:00.