MasterChef SA from Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films moves to e.tv for season 6 as entries open for a month

Thinus Ferreira

Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films are switching the cooking reality show MasterChef South Africa from the SABC to e.tv, with a 6th season that will air on the red-letter TV channel on Sunday evenings from sometime in early 2026.

Entries for season 6 of MasterChef SA open today until 16 October.

With a fully-functional competitors' kitchen sitting ready at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town, Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films are moving the cooking competition series to e.tv after a 5th season MasterChef SA and a second Celebrity MasterChef SA season that aired on the South African public broadcaster's SABC3.

The custom-built kitchen and pantry set at Atlantic Studios, crafted at a cost of millions of rand for the 5th season, will continue to be used for the 6th season of the localised Banijay format show on e.tv, with the new season, which will also be aired on eMedia's eReality and eExtra TV channels carried on its Openview service.

MasterChef SA will air on Sunday nights on e.tv at 18:00 from sometime early in 2026. The trio of judges will be announced soon. Filming of the new season is set to start towards the end of the year.

The jump of MasterChef SA to e.tv marks a unique, extremely rare and once-in-a-TV-lifetime  occurence for a South African television show.

With its airing on e.tv, MasterChef SA will have the almost singular distinction of being a TV show that has clinched the TV trifecta of having aired as an original local production on M-Net and MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV service, the SABC, as well as e.tv - all three of South Africa's major TV broadcasters.

And as rare: Veteran publicist Lani Lombard who worked behind the show at M-Net and transitioned to Primedia Studios and worked on it for the SABC, will also be responsible for the media liaison of MasterChef SA when it's on e.tv - for a count of three out of three.

Another high scorer is TV executive Jan du Plessis, Primedia Studios president, who oversaw MasterChef SA during its M-Net iteration, steered it during its SABC run, and is also instrumental in the TV pressure pot finding a new home at e.tv.

Notably, the MasterChef SA brand will now have had TV audience exposure to the sought-after, smaller but highly coveted pay-TV audience in South Africa, the much broader public broadcaster audience, and now also the large, commercial free-to-air audience of e.tv.

Helga Palmer, e.tv group head of content and strategy, says "MasterChef is a tasty and spicy television stew infused with all the ingredients our audiences love – rollercoaster action, suspense, high drama, and unforgettable reality show moments".

"The South African adaptation, infused with the flavours of local cuisine, has been a winning recipe with a series of successful seasons, and e.tv is the perfect broadcaster for this exhilarating format."

Bongumusa Makhatini, Primedia Studios CEO, says "Collaborating with e.tv is an exciting step in bringing MasterChef SA to a broad, culturally diverse South African audience".

"We're thrilled to have secured a primetime slot on the country's biggest free-to-air independent broadcaster and its complementary channels, known for serving world-class entertainment to its multitude of viewers. And, we can't wait to meet all the contestants who'll whip up the new season's must-watch moments."

People interested will now be able to enter for the 6th season of MasterChef South Africa on e.tv on the website at masterchefsa.tv to complete the entry form. The closing date for entries is 16 October 2025 at 23:59.

People who want to enter MasterChef SA must be 18 years or older by November 2025, a South African citizen, and not currently be working as a professional chef, or have worked as a professional chef.

Homebrew Films and SABC3's MasterChef SA wins Best Cooking Show award in SA Restaurant Awards' new TV category

by Thinus Ferreira

Homebrew Films and Primedia's MasterChef SA, produced for the South African public broadcaster's SABC3, has won Best Cooking Show at the South African Restaurant Awards - the first time this prize category has been introduced.

The fifth season of MasterChef South Africa, filmed at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town and with Pick n Pay as the headline sponsor, switched from M-Net (DStv 101) to SABC3, making the localised reality competition format show available to a broader South African TV audience.

The MasterChef SA 5th season winner was Bridget Mangwandi - the youngest-ever winner and the first black woman to claim the trophy.

"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."

Why MasterChef SA's 5th season axed 5 contestants in the debut episode.

by Thinus Ferreira

Saturday evening's 5th season premiere of MasterChef South Africa on SABC3 ended with the unexpected axing of five contestants who all returned home after just one episode's cooking in the kitchen.

The rugby recruiter and coach Lucas (33) from Worcester, the Johannesburg video producer Andrew (42), the Boksburg content creator Lesego (26), the law firm manager Robyn (28) from Midrand, as well as the environmentalist Ella (39) from Johannesburg were all eliminated after their checked dishes were the lowest-rated out of the 20 contestants.

"It breaks my heart to say this, but your MasterChef SA journey ends here," MasterChef SA judge Katlego Mlambo told the five contestants.

"I'm a very competitive person, so this was pretty serious to me but you've got to be humble in victory and defeat," Lucas said. "It's reignited something in me. It's given me belief and hope. I'll always keep cooking." 

Andrew said that he feels "disappointed". "I didn't expect it to be this short. But we are in the MasterChef kitchen and I didn't perform to the standards".

Lesego said "I'm devastated to leave this early in the competition because I don't think I was able to really show myself. But this is not the end, this is just the start of something different".

Robyn who's lucky charm broke during the cooking challenge said she doesn't believe it had an impact. "I don't feel that my necklace breaking had any effect on the outcome. I choose to carry on in a positive way."

Ella who kept the apron of her dad who had passed away, on underneath her new white MasterChef SA apron, said "I'm quite happy not to have taken my one off. This one belonged to my dad. My dad had the biggest heart. His light shines through and that is the best gift you can give someone - share a bit of light. So I wear it with pride and I know I've done my family proud."

Fifteen contestants from across South Africa are left for the remaining 19 episodes of the Banijay format cooking competition reality show filmed by Homebrew Films at Atlantic Studios and done by Primedia Studios for SABC3.

"knew from the start that this season would only have 15 contestants, but in the pre-auditions, we found 20 really worthy candidates - it was just so difficult to choose only 15," Paul Venter, executive producer, tells TVwithThinus as he explained why the 5th season decided to axe five of them at the end of the first episode.

"We decided to give them all the privilege to come to the kitchen and cook for one episode in the MasterChef SA kitchen - a dream come true for many - but that would then be the last round of auditions, and what great jeopardy to have 5 people going home already in the first episode - drama from scene one, episode one and guaranteed for the whole series!"

According to Paul Venter, the biggest enemy in the MasterChef SA kitchen is and remains time.

"We hear screams and see tears when some candidates fail to make the final adjustments in the final minutes and then we will also have the curious case of the 'stolen pickles' ... which is eventually solved. But will karma send the pickle thief home? Viewers will have to wait and see!"

In Saturday's 5th season debut episode, one contestant told judge Justine Drake that she grew up watching her on the show, while another contestant watched her sister compete on the show in a previous season of the series that has over time become a South African television institution.

Kaye Anne Williams, vice president of content at Primedia Studios, tells TVwithThinus that MasterChef South Africa has become an institution because of two components: food and people.

"For those two reasons, it is not hard to find something that you can relate to and, therefore, incorporate in your own life. Our goal in driving awareness for the new season was to ensure that the average viewer understood that this show was for them and is about them, their food and their stories."

Paul Venter says the latest season of MasterChef SA has "contestants from all four corners of our country, from all walks of life and from as young as 20 and as 'young' as 65".

"Some contestants have roots deeper into the African continent, as far as Congo and as close as Zimbabwe, and some even as far as Taiwan. But one thing that equalises the playing field is the big food dream to win the coveted MasterChef SA title".

MasterChef SA season 5 is set to start 13 July on SABC3 - see the quail eggs inside the pantry.

by Thinus Ferreira

Viewers will be surprised to discover that Pick n Pay can source quail eggs and that gleaming Beko appliances now line the walls, when the 5th season of MasterChef South Africa starts on SABC3 on Saturday 13 July at 19:30 with 20 new South Africans competing in this TV cooking competition.

With the drama in the kitchen moving from the Cape Town harbour and M-Net to a custom-build kitchen and pantry at Atlantic Studios and SABC3, Primedia Studios is bringing the localised version of the Banijay format to a lot more South African viewers' homes on Saturday evenings from next month.

I recently did a day-long set visit while the MasterChef SA contestants behind their cooking stations had to conjure up delicious delights for the three judges - Katlego Mlambo, Zola Nene and Justine Drake.

Across the massive two-studio space that incorporates a lounge area, the cook-off workstations with a clock, as well as a beautiful Pick n Pay pantry furnished in black and brown panelling, the MasterChef SA producers, crew and cameramen captured every angle and every soundbite - hours of footage per day that will be edited to 45 minutes per episode.

From baking and basting to seafood and curries the 20 contestants from across South Africa will once again be given big tasks to perform behind the pots and pans inside the state-of-the-art and pressure-cooker kitchen. The winner gets R1 million.

Besides stressful invention tests, there will again be mystery box challenges, limiting them to a mixed bag of ingredients and viewers will also occasionally see world-renowned local chefs visit the MasterChef SA kitchen.

"The contestants are only as good as their last plate, and anything can happen," says Katlego Mlambo. "It's a constant race against the clock and one flop or sub-standard presentation could cost them their MasterChef apron."

Justine Drake says "The competency of this season's home cooks is much higher than in the previous season. Zola Nene adds: "I was surprised by their clear understanding of advanced cooking techniques and knife skills. These people can cook. The question is, who will continue to improve their know-how and rise to the top?"

Inside the pantry

The Pick n Pay pantry set includes the first-ever half-moon gantry, with the design matching those of current stores and focusing on line rhythm but also allowing curves to soften the space. 

The shelves have everything from fresh produce to grocery basics like eggs, coconut milk, spices, pasta and also hide delightful surprises like quail eggs.

Double-door fridges stock all types of dairy and cheese, charcuterie, red meat and chicken, while a freezer section contains ice cream, frozen berries, and seafood, including prawns and mussels. 

Included here are products from the Pick n Pay Innovations range as well as its healthy food Live Well range. Notable in the pantry is the packaging-free section which carries everything from nuts and goji berries to bulgur wheat to help limit waste as contestants can take the exact quantity they require. 

"Every time I walk into the Pick n Pay pantry, I'm blown away. It's a chef's dream come true," says Katlego Mlambo.

Also notably visible alongside @home, Mervyn Gers bespoke crockery and Wüsthoff knives will be Beko appliances during the 5th season of MasterChef SA - the first time this company is sponsoring a South African TV show.

'Buy a vowel': Rorisang Thandekiso to host Wheel of Fortune SA on SABC3.

by Thinus Ferreira

From Monday, Rorisang Thandekiso will be the host of Wheel of Fortune SA and will help contestants spin the wheel and choose letters in the hope of guessing right to get a phrase and various prizes.

The South African version of Wheel of Fortune is filmed at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town and is produced by Homebrew Films and Primedia Studios for SABC3 according to the format licensed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

While the American version produced by Sony Pictures Television, in addition to a host, has Vanna White who turns the correct letters on the "hangman"-like screen when contestants guess a letter corrently, the South African version won't have an assistant, similar to the British version.

Across 260 half-hour episodes which will air on weekdays on SABC3 at 19:30, three contestants daily will spin the "wheel of fortune" as they get chance after chance to guess letters making up a phrase on a screen.

As with the American version a car is one of the possible prizes and in the South African version it's a Suzuki Grand Vitara Hybrid.

"I am incredibly honoured to follow in these giant footsteps and be the first Wheel of Fortune South Africa host and the lucky person introducing the show to Africa,” says Rorisang. 

"It’s like Hangman meets Roulette but on an ample dose of healthy television steroids. Like the rest of the world, South Africans will love it. This is the kind of game show that will keep the entire family glued to their screens – whether they’re trying to solve the word puzzles themselves or are routing for the contestants to rake in more money or fabulous prizes."

Lala Tuku, the SABC's acting head of video entertainment, says "Rorisang radiates all the attributes required to hold the reins of this world-famous word-quiz game show".

"She comes with gravitas and years of experience in front of the camera but also embodies a unique mix of sparkle, confidence, and calmness. Furthermore, we're thrilled to break the mould with a powerful female host. It fits in with SABC's mission to celebrate diversity and put the spotlight on women." 

Jan du Plessis, Primedia Studios president, says "We are extremely excited and honoured to finally add the African continent to Wheel of Fortune's phenomenal legacy".

"Wheel of Fortune is arguably the most successful game-show format of all time in terms of its universal appeal and longevity."

"But best of all, South Africans will now have the opportunity to spin their lives around by playing this spectacular yet simple game on a state-of-the-art set. Add mind-blowing amounts of cash and unimaginable prizes – even cars – up for grabs, and Wheel of Fortune South Africa is in a league unseen on local television before."

Emma Stow, Paramount Global Content Distribution's director of format sales, says "Wheel of Fortune is one of our longest-running game shows and we look forward to working with Primedia Studios to bring this successful format to the audience in South Africa". 

Wheel of Fortune has three contestants per episode and starts with a "Toss-up" round in which the trio tries to unravel a word phrase by themselves to earn money and determine which one will spin the iconic wheel first.

There are different wedges on the wheel – anything between R100 and R800, as well as some dreaded ones like "Lose a turn" or "Bankrupt", which might ruin their game. In addition to the cash amounts the wheel includes other prizes which the contestant will pocket if they figure out the word phrase.

In solving the puzzle the amount of money indicated on the wheel multiplies with the number of letters they choose to put on the game's giant puzzle board - but only if the letters are indeed part of the phrase.

If they don't use a consonant, they can also buy a vowel but once they opt to put a wrong letter on the board, it's the next contestant's turn to spin the wheel.

Ultimately, the contestant who calls out the correct phrase bags the money they have accumulated in their own wallet. Thereafter, the contestant with the biggest winnings moves on to play the bonus round, where even more impressive prizes await.

Chef Katlego Mlambo completes new MasterChef SA judging trifecta.

by Thinus Ferreira

Chef Katlego Mlambo will also be a taste tester on the new 5th season of MasterChef South Africa coming to SABC3, completing the judging trifecta comprising Zola Nene and Justine Drake.

While the already-announced Zola Nene and Justine Drake as returning judges to the Homebrew Films cooking competition reality show based on the Banijay format, Katlego Mlambo is new.

He replaces Gregory Czarnecki in the show that will still be filmed in Cape Town but is switching from M-Net to SABC3 with a prize money of R1 million when it starts airing from mid-June.

Previously Katlego Mlambo was a guest judge on MasterChef SA and also fronted his own shows, Inside Job with Katlego Mlambo in 2021 and Everyday Wow! in 2022 both on the Food Network (DStv 175). 

Primedia Studios which is picking up global competition show formats for further South African versions and seasons, is producing the 5th season with the tried-and-trusted Homebrew Films which produced the third and fourth seasons. 

The Pick n Pay pantry will also be back from the previous season with the retailer which is once again the show's main sponsor.

Katlego Mlambo previously cooked for high-profile dinner guests ranging from Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey to Black Coffee, as well as Beyoncé and Jay-Z. 

"My first four culinary mentors were the home cooks who raised me – my granny, mother and two aunts," Katlego Mlambo says.

"My grandmother would whip up amazing dishes on Sundays and I was absolutely enthralled by how basic ingredients could turn into the tastiest banana bread and scones. So, I became this little sous chef in our home kitchen."

The Eldorado Park-born food fanatic then decided to travel internationally, creating opportunities to master his craft at top restaurants across the world, with stints in international restaurants in Great Britain and the United States.

In South Africa he studied at the highly regarded Silwood School of Cookery and later raked in several prestigious accolades, including the 2019 Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star Award.

That was also the year he jetted to Washington as appointed head chef for the Nelson Mandela Centenary Celebrations, hosted at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. The event was attended by 500 of the most prominent leaders and celebrities in the world.

 
Katlego Mlambo's flair behind the pots and pans and his unique food fusion earned the jazz eatery Marabi Club the African Restaurant of The Year gong at the Luxe Awards. 

"It's amazing to know that I will be part of a show that's a global phenomenon. It's proof that if you believe in something, see it and taste it, it can become a reality. Being a MasterChef SA judge was on my bucket list."

Of judging he says "Even though I will be on the receiving end, tasting and judging the food whilst mentoring the contestants, I know I will also be inspired by their creations from ingredients in the Pick n Pay pantry. One can never stop learning, and I can't wait to experience the variety of cuisine created by contestants from different South African backgrounds".

ALSO READ: Zola Nene back as judge for 5th season of Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films' MasterChef SA on SABC3.

ALSO READ: Justine Drake is also back as MasterChef SA judge for the 5th season on SABC3.

ALSO READ: Entries open for 5th season of MasterChef SA.

ALSO READ: Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films to plate 5th season of MasterChef SA for SABC3.

SABC1 adds a South African Deal or No Deal Celebrity spin-off for charity on Saturdays.

by Thinus Ferreira

Primedia Studios with Homebrew Films and SABC2 are adding a Deal or No Deal Celebrity spin-off season on Saturdays with South African A-listers with the Saturday edition that will return to the format game show's original version featuring models holding and opening briefcases.

After the shift of Deal or No Deal South Africa from SABC1 to SABC2 from March for a second season on the public broadcaster and the fourth season overall after two seasons on M-Net, host Katlego Maboe will now do a Saturday celebrity version on SABC1 featuring actors, TV and radio presenters, socialites, comedians, sports stars, social media influencers and other movers and shakers.

The Saturday celebrity episodes will look like the special charity episodes of the first season of Deal or No Deal on SABC1, except that the format will switch to the original Deal or No Deal format where models are holding the silver briefcases and open them to reveal different amounts of money.

Deal or No Deal SA will now run on weekdays on SABC2 at 18:30 in the timeslot where the Afrikaans TV news bulletin used to be, with Deal or No Deal Celebrity airing on SABC12 on Saturdays at 18:00.

Deal or No Deal Celebrity will start on SABC1 on Saturday 9 March with the celebrity contestants who could win between R1 and R250 000. Winnings will be donated to various worthy causes.

After picking briefcases to open, models will open them to reveal the money that contestants won't get, hoping to keep the bigger amounts for last.

Besides the models' change for the Deal or No Deal Celebrity edition, the Saturday season will look different with a sleek new set design in a different colour palette from the weekday show on SABC2.

"The SABC's exciting new Deal or No Deal Celebrity spin-off highlights the public broadcaster's mission to provide world-class entertainment that is positive, aspirational and impactful," says Lala Tuku, the SABC's acting group executive for its video entertainment division.

"We are committed to using the power of television for the greater good of our society. The first season of Deal or No Deal South Africa transformed the lives of more than 250 individuals, with over R5 million won."

"Now, we're taking it one step further. Deal or No Deal Celebrity, spawned by a couple of top-rated special season 1 episodes featuring big-hearted celebs playing for charity, will make a substantial difference in many underprivileged communities."

Deal or No Deal Celebrity, like the latest season of Deal or No Deal, is also produced in Cape Town by Homebrew Films and filmed at Atlantic Studios in Milnerton.

Justine Drake is also back as MasterChef SA judge for the 5th season on SABC3.

by Thinus Ferreira

Justine Drake is also returning as a judge for the new 5th season of MasterChef South Africa on SABC3.

Justine Drake who was a judge on the 4th season of MasterChef SA and the editor of Pick n Pay's Fresh Living magazine, joins the already-announced Zola Nene who was also a judge in 2022.

Homebrew Films is responsible for production and is testing a string of tricky challenges the chosen homecook contestants will have to prepare in limited time using ingredients from the Pick n Pay pantry with the retailer which is also back in the latest season of the Banijay format cooking competition show secured for SABC3 by Primedia Studios.

South African contestants have until the end of the day on 15 March to enter with the season that will be shown on SABC3 from mid-June.

"The aim of the show is to allow home cooks to achieve their MasterChef status," says Justine. "However it doesn't arrive on a silver platter. The participants are put to the test in gruelling challenges, and to reach the top of the culinary ladder, they have to be disciplined and willing to learn."

She really wants people who think they can do it, to enter at masterchefsa.tv . "If you have a culinary vision and are ready to work hard to achieve your culinary dream, the world is your oyster with this show."

Andrew Mills, Pick n Pay chief marketing officer, says "The role of MasterChef judge fits Justine, an esteemed foodie, like a stylish kitchen glove".

"For many years, she has helped our customers serve up delicious dishes through the Fresh Living publication and, as a judge in 2022, demonstrated an authentic connection with people from diverse backgrounds and different food cultures. She is also a hard taskmaster who always strives for excellence."

ALSO READ: Zola Nene back as judge for 5th season of Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films' MasterChef SA on SABC3.

ALSO READ: Entries open for 5th season of MasterChef SA.

ALSO READ: Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films to plate 5th season of MasterChef SA for SABC3.

Zola Nene back as judge for 5th season of Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films' MasterChef SA on SABC3.

by Thinus Ferreira

The culinary queen Zola Nene will be back as one of the three judges in the new season of MasterChef South Africa coming to SABC3.

Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films are producing a 5th season of the Banijay format cooking competition series jumping from M-Net to SABC3, with Pick n Pay back as the season's sponsor.

South Africans older than 18 have until 15 March to enter on the www.masterchefsa.tv website for a chance to compete in the customised kitchen hall in Cape Town where Zola Nene will taste and judge their food along with two other judges for the winner to eventually bag R1 million.

The 5th season of MasterChef SA will be Zola Nene's second turn judging in the kitchen, after she gave advice, tasted and told contestants to hang up their aprons in the fourth season in 2022. 

"For a food fanatic like me, it's such a joy and honour to be part of a show that celebrates our unique South African cuisine whilst giving local foodies a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make their dreams come true," says Zola Nene. 

"It's beautiful to watch how the contestants grow and unleash their full potential."

Zola's own journey as a seasoned chef started as a young girl grinding mealies for her gogo's mealie bread. 

After experiencing how hearty food can create special bonds between people, Zola realised in her early twenties that her true life-calling was grounded in her roots – celebrating human connections via simple but scrumptious recipes.

 
A burning desire to learn the tricks of the trade landed Zola a job at the hot section of a brasserie in the United Kingdom, where she quickly became the sous chef. 

Following this valuable work experience, she returned to South Africa to finesse her skills at the Institute of Culinary Arts in Stellenbosch, which allowed her to work with some of the country’s top chefs. 
 
Since then, Zola has carved a place deep in the hearts of millions of television viewers – from being the resident chef on Expresso to co-judging The Great South African Bake Off, hosting her own show, Celeb Feasts with Zola and impressing the infamous 17-Michelin-star international chef Gordon Ramsey on National Geographic’s Gordon Ramsey’s Unchartered.
 
Meanwhile, Zola also made her mark by penning down three best-selling cookbooks, Simply Delicious and Simply Zola and Simply Seven Colours which have all won the Best in the World at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
 
Zola encourages everyone who shares her incredible passion for food to enter MasterChef South Africa.

"It really doesn't matter what your food-making forté is or which type of South African cuisine you dish up to tickle people's taste buds. As long as you have an extensive knowledge of flavours and textures, love whipping up food feasts, know your way around the kitchen and have a brewing appetite to learn more about the art of cooking."

SABC unplugs Primedia Studios' Deal or No Deal SA from SABC1 and shunts it to SABC2 for second season.

by Thinus Ferreira

In another shocking programming move from the SABC, the public broadcaster is shifting Deal or No Deal SA to SABC2 from March which means that the local version of the game show will now have been shown on all three of the SABC's traditional terrestrial TV channels.

While the first season of Deal or No Deal SA - produced by Homebrew Films through Primedia Studios with host Katlego Maboe - aired on SABC1 with repeats on SABC3 since March 2023, the second season of the Banijay-format show from March 2024 will now suddenly be on SABC2.

Before the start of the show in 2023, the SABC was asked why a TV show specifically for SABC1 audiences would work and be shown on SABC3, with the broadcaster that responded by saying that Deal or No Deal SA and The Masked Singer SA works for both those TV channels. 

Now the SABC has decided that the show works for not just two but all three of its differently branded TV channels although each channel supposedly caters content to separate viewing audiences.

The SABC calls the Deal or No Deal SA move from SABC1 to SABC2 a "scheduling adjustment".

Deal or No Deal SA is moving into the 18:30 timeslot on SABC2 where the Afrikaans TV news bulletin was. After cancelling 7de Laan in the 18:00 timeslot on SABC2, the SABC is moving the Afrikaans TV news from the 18:30 timeslot to SABC3 and much later to 20:30.

The SABC is also cancelling the broadcaster's sole Afrikaans current affairs show Fokus and removing the remaining Afrikaans content from SABC2 besides the TV news from the channel as part of a plan to reallocate it its struggling and smaller SABC3 channel.

On SABC1, the Deal or No Deal SA gap at 19:30 is being filled with Skeem Saam moving later to this timeslot. No announcement has yet been made on what SABC1 will fill Skeem Saam's timeslot with but the preliminary schedule shows repeats at 18:30. 

"Game shows are part of the SABC2 signature offering and have always been audience drawcard," says Gerhard Pretorius, SABC channel head.

"They encourage family viewing and participation and speak to our family entertainment positioning. We are excited to continue the show's legacy of uplifting communities and giving back, and we welcome Deal or No Deal to the SABC2 family."

Jan du Plessis, Primedia Studios president, says "We are immensely proud of Deal or No Deal South Africa and how it has brought smiles and excitement to many Mzansi homes."

"Whilst the upcoming season will have all the thrilling elements that will make more viewers fall in love with the show, loyal fans are in for some delightful surprises. The mysterious banker will have some exciting new tricks up his sleeve."

Entries open for season 5 of MasterChef SA on SABC3.

by Thinus Ferreira 

Entries have opened for the 5th season of MasterChef South Africa looking for people who love to live in front of the stove as the cooking competition show switches from M-Net to SABC3. 

South Africans older than 18 have until 15 March to enter on the www.masterchefsa.tv website for a chance to compete in the customised kitchen hall in Cape Town for the upcoming season which is once again produced by Homebrew Films but this time for a free-to-air audience through Primedia Studios."

The winner will bag R1 million in the new season which will be on SABC3 later this year but professional home cooks who want to become contestants must never have earned a living as a professional chef.

After 15 March the producers will whittle down the contestants to the 20 best entries who will have to bake, fry, frost and roast again each other using what's in the MasterChef SA pantry, to dish up amazing culinary creations for the judges who are yet to be announced.

ALSO READ: Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films to plate 5th season of MasterChef SA for SABC3.

Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films to plate 5th season of MasterChef SA for SABC3.

by Thinus Ferreira

MasterChef South Africa is jumping from M-Net to SABC3 for a 5th season starting in June where the foodie cook-off show will court a wider free-to-air audience after a run on pay-TV.

Besides second seasons for The Masked Singer SA and Deal or No Deal on SABC3 and SABC1 this year, a new season of MasterChef SA is the next TV title the nascent Primedia Studios is cooking up to revitalise the primetime schedule of the South African public broadcaster's linear TV channels.

Primedia Studios has snapped up a 5th season of MasterChef South Africa, represented internationally by media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay, with the new season which will also be produced by the Cape Town based Homebrew Films which took over production since last year's fourth season. 

Likewise, Pick n Pay is also going to be back as the 5th season's headline sponsor. 

The winner of the 5th season in the amateur chef competition will get R1 million with entries that will likely open at the end of this month.

Filming of the 5th season of MasterChef SA will likely start sometime around February or March with the broadcast on SABC3 around June. The judging panel will be announced soon.

"It's an honour to collaborate with these formidable television content creators to extend MasterChef South Africa’s reach by inviting more Mzansi foodies and families to join us in the hottest kitchen on TV,” says Jan du Plessis, Primedia Studios president.

"MasterChef has been a winning television recipe across the globe and a local media sensation. The new South African season will have all the ingredients this blue-chip show has become famous for, but the menu will also be spiced up to cater for a broader audience alongside existing fans."

Lala Tuku, SABC head of local content, says "We're thrilled to add MasterChef South Africa to SABC3's schedule".

"Deal or No Deal South Africa and The Masked Singer South Africa proved that SABC audiences have a huge appetite for high-quality, exhilarating local versions of top-notch international formats. Besides providing on-the-edge-of-your-seat entertainment, MasterChef South Africa will shine the spotlight on the country's rich, diverse culture and cuisine whilst transforming the lives of contestants with culinary dreams."

REVIEW. Kokkedoor Vuur & Vlam on kykNET is a sizzling 13 course flamethrower TV dinner.

9 out of 10 TVs 

by Thinus Ferreira

Like a phoenix, risen from the ashes of the old, the revived Kokkedoor Vuur & Vlam reality show on kykNET and pivoting to a fire-inspired season, is both beautiful television - enjoyable to watch - and an enduring testament to the kind of high-quality TV South Africa can produce.

Kokkedoor, the long-running Afrikaans reality cooking competition show with English subtitles has been revived by kykNET (DStv 144) after four years. 

So beautiful it's done that this Homebrew Films show is the perfect 13 weeks to spend Thursday nights at 20:00 in front of the television during the remaining winter nights throughout August.

Filmed on location in the caravan park of the quaint seaside town of Struisbaai - a stone's throw from the southernmost point of Africa - the average DStv subscriber will enjoy the entertainment, drama, stress and mishaps that all sizzle up when 20 South African braai contestants come together in the custom-built studio kitchen.

It's however the meticulous attention to detail in television making that is worth watching as well and which will delight and leave in awe, everyone from film students to anyone interested in the art of crafting quality video content.

With producers Jaco Loubser and Paul Venter, Tania Reed as line producer, the astoundingly creatively gifted Sanet Olivier as director, and with Chris Lotz as a true wizardly cinematographer, the production values of Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam flicker as export quality thermic television.

While the majority of viewers will be(come) more invested in which of the braai contestants are doing what and how they're advancing - and who's getting eliminated - part of the unmistakable joy of watching Vuur & Vlam is in giving your attention to the way it's made: it's filmatic quality, it's entire mise-en-scène, and the elaborate behind-the-scenes production work that surely went into getting everything you see on screen, exactly to look like you see it on screen.

Together, food producer Herman Lensing, technical director Willie Naude, art director Bathoni Robinson, content producer Errieda du Toit and content directors Marcel Spaumer and Annemie Lombard appear to be a Marvel's team of TV-making superheroes - utilise everything from shadows to lighthouses, tender cuts to pumpkins and old tin cans to movingly-mined backstories to craft high-quality commercial television that is simultaneously pause-and-stare worthy TV art.

It's probably no coincidence that the judges Bertus Basson and Kobus Botha are framed with the contestants behind a long table pastiche of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper: The producers of Vuur & Vlam are literally giving the audience a visual clue that they're not just in the business of making television - they're also trying to make art that comes to life.

It seems obvious to state that after several seasons of doing Kokkedoor, Homebrew Films got the contestants mix, the pacing, the challenges, the veritable "food porn" on display, the hilarious contestant quips, the breathtaking landscape and slow-motion shots, the grading and colouring, as well as the music spot-on perfect down to a tee.

Yet it remains remarkable and wonderful to watch TV making maestros in motion, doing something right not just because they have to but have mastered the skills to and because they intrinsically love to.

Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam is a 13-course TV dinner served hot with delicate attention to absolutely everything. It's sizzling television.

While more South African television (sadly) isn't like this, the technical production values and what Vuur & Vlam shows on-screen is a vivid, vibrant and fiery in-your-face TV token of what's really possible and what can be made in film at the southernmost point of Africa.

ALSO READ: 21 000 pieces of rooikrans wood, 1.4 tons of meat: How kykNET's Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam fired up a TV food-making frenzy.

21 000 pieces of rooikrans wood, 1.4 tons of meat: How kykNET's Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam fired up a TV food-making frenzy.

by Thinus Ferreira

It's safe to say that the southernmost point of the African continent has never seen such a commotion as when the TV people from the city arrived in mid-April to fire up the sleepy coastal town of Struisbaai.

For five weeks, a film crew of 120 people from Homebrew Films in Cape Town and the 20 contestants fanned the flames and fired up the cameras in the caravan park of the town where the contestants were competing inside a specially-built "braai kitchen" for the fiery new reality show competition Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam.

Not only did the producers acquire 1.46 tons of meat but Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam also burnt through 21 000 pieces of rooikrans wood across the 13 episodes inside the specifically built grey building erected in the corner lot of Struisbaai's caravan park on the edge of the beach - complete with a ocean view.

Now, with the pulsating bright light of a beautiful Struisbaas lighthouse beckoning DStv subscribers to watch, Kokkedoor is back from Thursday night 27 July at 20:00 on kykNET (DStv 144) after a four-year absence - this time testing the mettle of South Africa's braai kings and queens.

The contestants hail from small towns and big places across South Africa, from places like Cradock and Wellington to Malmesbury and Aggeneys, and include a pastor, dog breeder, chartered accountant and even a former air hostess.

After its start in 2013, Kokkedoor on kykNET morphed into Koekedoor with baking, Kokkedoortjie with kids, and Koekedoortjie with kids baking. 

Now Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam, produced by Paul Venter and Jaco Loubser, once again with meticulous attention to detail, is literally playing with fire as 20 fiery contestants compete to become the ultimate braaimaster.

The group of 20 contestants are initially divided into 10 "remember braaiers" - people passionate about traditional dishes with no formal chef training or professional experience and selected for their skill as home cooks and their knowledge of dishes from days gone by.

Then there are also 10 "twist braaiers": people selected for their qualifications and experience in a recognised restaurant or professional kitchen.

The judges are TV chef Bertus Basson and braai expert Kobus Botha who lives in France, with food writer and TV chef Herman Lensing who is the food producer for the 13 episodes.

Within four weeks the show booked 2 352 accommodation nights within the Cape Agulhas municipality where the 120 people stayed for the duration of making this Kokkedoor season. 

Homebrew Films also worked with the Struisbaai Vaardigheidskool, a skills development project, with students who helped as part of the Kokkedoor catering team.

What the show bought for the contestants to braai was 770kg beef, 385kg lam, 185kg pork and 120kg of fresh fish - 1.46 tons of meat in total, with viewers who will once again see a beautiful and well-stocked pantry that contestants run to, to grab what they need for their competing dishes and recipes over the fire.

Homebrew Films stresses however that there wasn't wastage of food. The meat not used was reallocated for the hundreds of meals for the production team of 120 people and the meals prepared by the contestants were also donated to the school.

Sanet Olivier, director, says the latest Kokkedoor season "added flame" to the TV fire.

"Fire brings a new energy to Kokkedoor. It brings a new energy to the floor. The flames are hot. It makes people sweat. It makes people passionate. Things happen quickly and things happen real. The contestants are struggling but they are like moths to the flames". 

"People might think Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam is about fire and chops. It is about that but it's about heat. Flames. Ash. It's about how you understand a fire in all its facets," she says.

"Every contestant has a massive obsession with braai. They're all people you can identify with."

Errieda du Toit, back as content producer and researcher, says the contestants are confronted with braai challenges testing their braaing instincts. 

Herman Lensing says "Viewers are definitely going to look at fire with new eyes".

Bathoni Robinson, art director says the approach was not to make a reality competition show but a film.

"I imagined that we were not shooting Kokkedoor but a movie in which, coincidentally, we're making food. My approach was let's make it as authentic as possible. Let's add little touches evocative of viewers' nostalgic memories of cooking."

ALSO READ: REVIEW. Kokkedoor Vuur & Vlam on kykNET is a sizzling 13-course flamethrower TV dinner.