by scooping the South Africa Restaurant Awards’ first TV category trophy
The world-class local edition of MasterChef has been named the Best Cooking Show on South African television. The fifth season of MasterChef South Africa, which was broadcast in its new home on S3 (formerly SABC 3), won the brand-new TV category at the glamorous South Africa Restaurant Awards (SARA), held at the Sky Hotel in Sandton.
Owned and produced by the World Restaurant Awards Group, SARA forms part of a prestigious global network that includes the British Restaurant Awards and the European Restaurant Awards. Unlike other culinary awards, SARA is entirely driven by a public vote, ensuring that the winners truly reflect the voice of South African food lovers. It also celebrates the country’s rich gastronomic landscape, spotlighting chefs and restaurants from all nine provinces.
MasterChef South Africa Season 5 winner Bridget Mangwandi and runner-up Nabila Shamshum accepted the award on behalf of all the role players who brought the magic of MasterChef to local mass audiences on S3 for the first time last year. Previously, the show was screened exclusively on pay television.
Bridget, who rewrote global MasterChef history by becoming the youngest winner ever and the first black female to scoop the coveted MasterChef South Africa title, commented: “This extraordinary show has changed my life – and those of the other contestants who excelled at representing our country’s different cultures and cuisines.
“All the exposure on the national broadcaster has been a treasured launch pad for our culinary dreams and careers. Thank you to Lala Tuku and her team at the SABC for showcasing our talent, the producers and sponsors, and the millions of fans who rooted for us – when we competed in the MasterChef Kitchen and now voted for us to receive SARA’s Best Cooking Show award. We are honoured and grateful.”
MasterChef South Africa Season 5 was produced by Homebrew Films for Primedia Studios, with Pick and Pay as the headline sponsor.
“Congratulations to everyone who brought this incredible show to life – especially the contestants who cooked up a storm and inspired so many South Africans to rediscover the joy of cooking. We’re proud to have helped fuel that journey. This award is more than a win for the show – it’s a tribute to the power of food to bring people together and a celebration of local flavour, young talent, and everyone who dreams big in the kitchen,” said Michelle van Schalkwyk from Pick n Pay.
In addition to MasterChef South Africa’s victory,S3’s Expresso Culinary Hotline, the well-loved insert on the popular magazine show celebrating its fifteenth birthday this year, also received recognition with a SARA TV category award.
MasterChef South Africa sponsors were Pick n Pay, @home, Yoco, Beko, Durbanville Hills Winery, Edison Stone, Setamono Hibachi, Chef Gear, My Butcher’s Block, Mervyn Gers, and LED Lighting SA.