On Saturday, 4 January, at 20:30, style icon Seth Shezi and versatile media personality Dineo Ranaka will face off on S3 (formerly SABC3) in 2025’s first reality television showdown: the Celebrity MasterChef South Africa final.
Besides clinching the coveted title of Mzansi’s Celebrity MasterChef, the winner of the star-studded cooking competition will scoop up R1 million in prize money, of which 50% will go to a worthy cause.
Seth, the trendsetting creative polymath named GQ’s best-dressed man in 2018, has already raised R20,000 for his charity, Ladles of Love, an NGO that serves healthy meals to thousands of displaced and destitute South Africans. When entering last week’s intense semi-final alongside his now Top 2 rival Dineo, singer-songwriter Holly Rey, and fashion designer Mzukisi Mbane, Seth was the only celebrity in the quartet who had won one of the show’s previous quick challenges with charity aid up for grabs.
While KZN-born Seth hopes to accumulate more funds for Ladles of Love in the daunting final, Dineo is determined to dazzle the MasterChef judges with the most delectable dishes so that she can donate half of the show’s prize pot to POWA (People Against Women Abuse). This seminal South African organisation fights for women’s rights and provides professional services to survivors of domestic violence.
Symbolic of the high-flying finalists’ last lap to potential victory, judges Justine Drake, Chef Katlego Mlambo and Zola Nene will task Dineo and Seth to take them on an exceptional food flight.
Without lifting the lid on all the twists and turns of the ultimate challenge, the two contenders will each receive a unique boarding pass to an international destination. Although Seth and Dineo must follow different taste directions, they’ll take off from the Pick n Pay pantry, where they can access plane loads of local and luxury ingredients.
With the country printed on their boarding pass as inspiration, they must then whip up a sophisticated three-course in-flight Business class meal comprising an elegantly plated starter, main course, and dessert. Furthermore, they need to showcase their sky-high understanding of flavour mixes by fusing their South African palette with the zest of their dream destination.
Where will Dineo and Seth’s flight tickets lead to, and who will have the softest landing when serving their final meal to the esteemed judges? Buckle up for an epic Celebrity MasterChef South Africa final!
While the show, which is proudly sponsored by Pick n Pay, will premiere on S3 on Saturday at 20:30, there are also convenient rebroadcasts on SABC 2 on Sundays at 18:30 and S3 on Wednesdays at 18:00. You can also catch the latest episode on the SABC+ App.