Winterton farm sisters Rox and Spoen Green the winners of the second season of My Kitchen Rules SA on M-Net.

The Winterton country sisters Rox and Spoen Green from the little town of Winterton was announced the winners of the second season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa on Sunday evening on M-Net (DStv 101), scooping up the R1 million prize.

The farm girls Rox and Spoen Green clinched the title after beating the newly-engaged couple Kim and Pashi from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal in the second season finale of the series produced by Picture Tree.

The last two teams had to create a gourmet five-course meal for the eliminated couples, the judges resident judges David Higgs and J’Something and the guest judges including "spice prince" Reza Mohammad of The Food Network (DStv 175); editor of Pick n Pay's Fresh Living magazine Justine Drake who has her show Just Cooking on BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174); food stylist and Wedding Bashers judge Zola Nene; and the South African filmmaker and presenter and judge of Ultimate Braaimaster SA on e.tv, Justin Bonello.

In the second season finale the finalists had to create an appetiser, a soup, a pasta dish, a main meal and a dessert. Adding to the pressure of five courses, they were required to prepare 20 plates of each course for the grand finale – 100 plates in all.

The judges tasted their dishes blindly and the show's other participants returned to My Kitchen Rules SA headquarters for the final episode.

Despite Kim and Pashi’s impressive effort, Rox and Spoen’s dishes won over the show's judging squad, with their combined score across the five courses giving them a clear edge.

The farm sisters scored a total of 47 out of 60 points, beating Kim and Pashi by eight points. “Yeah! I don’t even know what to do right now,” Spoen said.

M-NET UPFRONT 2018: M-Net's 'local content safari' to showcase its upcoming new TV shows at the Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo in 28 photos.

This past week M-Net (DStv 101) held a press-wow "local content safari" where the pay-TV broadcaster pulled out all the stops to dazzle selected press and South African TV critics with a jam-packed content upfront for its upcoming new TV shows.

Over the 3-day event that took place at the sprawling Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo, M-Net unveiled the second season of The Wedding Bashers that returns first with 4 special episodes, the new season of Survivor South Africa set in the Philippines, a new natural history series, The Wild Ones, and the second season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa.

M-Net not only flew in stars, on-air talent, journalists and advertising executives from across South Africa, but also screened episodes of its new shows to the press in advance before broadcast, and did comprehensive and wide-ranging Q&A talent sessions with the stars and producers of the various shows - besides a game drive, a visit to an rhino orphan rehabilitation sanctuary, as well as breakfast, lunches and dinners.

M-Net lux-de-lux local content upfront was the biggest ever held by a TV channel in the history of South Africa's 40-year television industry.

The upfront was more encompassing and immersive than any others held by other TV channels in the past, in the way that it allowed journalists covering TV, access to producers and talent, and screened full episodes followed by Q&A panels.

With its "local content safari" M-Net raised and set a new benchmark for top notch content upfronts in South Africa.

M-Net surpassed the level of content upfront information and press session media engagements that have been done by premium TV content and channel providers like Discovery Networks International EMEA, BBC Africa's BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide Africa), Viacom International Media Networks Africa, FOX Networks Group Africa and some others in South Africa until now, and who all run channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service.

M-Net wanted to emphasise that the pay-TV broadcaster places a high value on its premium content and that it also places a high priority on showcasing it to TV critics and the press. 

Here's 28 photos that capture just some of M-Net's terrific 3-day local content upfront that it held for the media:

M-NET UPFRONT 2018: M-Net going on a 'local content safari' as the pay-TV broadcaster gets set to unveil more details about the new seasons of Survivor SA: Philippines, The Wedding Bashers, My Kitchen Rules SA and yet another new local production.

Today M-Net (DStv 101) kicks off a 3-day local content upfront, billed as a "local content safari" that will see the South Africa and African pay-TV broadcaster unveil more details about its upcoming new programming, ranging from the new seasons of Survivor SA: Philippines, The Wedding Bashers and My Kitchen Rules SA to taking the wraps off and announcing at least one other new local production.

TV critics and the media covering television in South Africa are being whisked away to one of South Africa's most luxurious destinations, the Legend Golf and Safari Resort situated inside the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in Limpopo, for the 3-day content upfront.

The 3-day jaunt, packed with various M-Net presentations that will keep the Press Covering Television busy over the next 3 days, comes on the back of the just concluded and hugely successful Dancing with the Stars South Africa on Sunday night that saw Connell Cruise win.

The BBC glitter floor format show, produced by Rapid Blue, was taken over by M-Net after airing as Strictly Come Dancing SA on the SABC for 8 seasons and revived for a 9th season under the new Dancing with the Stars SA glitter ball banner.

TVwithThinus asked M-Net on Sunday night if of when there will be a second season but M-Net said it's too early to tell although ratings, viewer engagement and voting statistics were all phenomenal. 

On Monday and Tuesday at the Legend Golf and Safari Resort M-Net plans to put on the razzle-dazzle with several sessions, presentations and a lot more detail about its new local programming slate that will be rolling out on the channel over the course of the next few months.

M-Net says the media will "have the opportunity to experience and view some of the brand new shows that we have lined up on our local content slate".

M-Net will be launching 5 new shows - Survivor South Africa: Philippines, the series of The Wedding Bashers specials, the second season of The Wedding Bashers, the second season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa, as well as a surprise new show announcement.

M-Net on why it renewed My Kitchen Rules SA for a 2nd season in 2018: 'The decision was an easy one, one we made very early on in the series actually'.

M-Net (DStv 101) has renewed the amateur home cooking competition show My Kitchen Rules South Africa for a second season and says the decision to renew it for another go in 2018 "was an easy one".

Auditions for the second season of My Kitchen Rules SA produced by Endemol Shine SA will start in January 2018.

TVwithThinus asked M-Net why the pay-TV broadcaster decided to renew the show.

"As you know it's not a format that has been done as a local show in South Africa before or that Endemol Shine SA had done before, so it was a risk even though we knew the Australian version was on M-Net," says Kaye-Ann Williams, M-Net's head of local content.

"When we initially decided to do this format as a M-Net team, we decided that it was something that was authentically South African and that we could make it that."

"The brief was to cast people who are authentically themselves, and every couple in MKRSA were exactly that."

"The decision to renew the format was an easy one. It's a decision that we made very early on in the series actually. I think it was episode 4 or 5 that was on-air and then we made the decision," says Kaye-Ann Williams.

"It was because M-Net as a brand want our subscribers and South Africans to feel that they are being represented authentically and that's what I feel My Kitchen Rules SA affords to our viewers".

"Hopefully the second season will be on-air by winter next year."

Kaye-Ann Williams expressed thanks to the Endemol Shine Africa "dream team".

"You guys are creative, you guys are collaborative; you are an absolute dream team and I appreciate every hour that you've put into this, every minute that you've spent away from your families, all the travelling, all the time in edit, all the lovely collaboration and feedback sessions and working together and venting to each other, we absolutely adore you. I honestly feel that you got the heart of the show right".

The finale of the My Kitchen Rules South Africa first season also dazzled and surprised when several celebrity chefs showed up in the last episode as judges.

South Africa's first Michelin Star chef Jan Hendrik flew from Nice, France, with chef Margot Janse whose stint at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek that earned the restaurant 8th place in the World’s Top 50 Restaurants who also appeared.

Also making appearances were the Cape Malay cuisine chef Cass Abrahams and the Carte Blanche investigative journalist Devi Sankaree-Govender.

TVwithThinus asked executive producer Anton Burggraaf about the casting coup and what it took to get these 4 high-profile people together, diary- and logistics wise for the filming of the finale.

"M-Net and us discussed who we thought could be on the show for the finale and add value and we explored all options."

"This is a monster of a show and shouldn't be under-estimated. I've done Survivor SA, Fear Factor SA - a lot of shows. But this particular show requires an extraordinary amount of work because as you can see from the instant restaurants, people are inviting 4 other couples into their homes."

"But what you don't realise is there are 75 people running around in somebody's dining room. It's mad. It's really, really a crazy show. And then of course it changes gears in studio, where you have to rely on a whole lot more mettle actually," said Anton Burggraaf.

Co-presenter and co-judge David Higgs says "there were tears, there were emotions, there was laughter. And I think the audience felt it and that's why My Kitchen Rules SA did so well."

M-Net held a special media screening of the My Kitchen Rules SA first season finale on Sunday 10 December at the MultiChoice City headquarters in Randburg, Johannesburg where at the end of the episode the Bloemfontein couple Jamandi (31) and Machiel Bekker were announced as the winners with the top score.

Several TV producers, M-Net executives, on-air talent, stars, and media covering television, showed up to watch the 90-minute episode together, followed by a press conference afterwards in the MultiChoice City cinema venue.

MKRSA co-presenter and co-judge J'Something, Carte Blanche presenter Devi Sankaree Govender and Jan du Plessis, director of M-Net channels

Actor and model Arnu De Villiers and entrepreneur Marnus Broodryk appearing on kykNET's Winslyn

Radio presenter and Survivor South Africa: Panama winner Vanessa Marawa, MKRSA co-presenter and co-judge David Higgs and MKRSA series director Jane Kennedy

M-Net’s My Kitchen Rules South Africa couple Machiel and Jamandi after their R1 million win: 'We’re going to have sex tonight'.

After winning R1 million in the first season finale of My Kitchen Rules South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) on Sunday night, the overjoyed Bloemfontein couple Jamandi (31) and Machiel Bekker (36) talked about boob jobs to the press and said they’re definitely having sex to celebrate their win.

After taking home the title of South Africa’s best home cooks, beating out best friends Charnell and Kerry from Johannesburg in a tense five course cook-off in the final episode of the Endemol Shine South Africa produced show, husband Machiel at the post-show press conference held at MultiChoice City said "me and her tonight are probably going to make love – with the cheque next to us".

"We're going to start dreaming about that money only now because you can't dream of something that's not yours. We were up against very, very tough competitors and very strict judges."

"The thing that's most amazing about what's happened to us now is we didn't expect it. We never in a million years thought that we would get to this point. And Machiel and I have been crying for the past three days, preparing to lose," said Jamandi. "I'm just so overwhelmed."

About the experience Jamandi said the testing and grueling kitchen cooking experience against other teams "were worse than matric".

"On the day that the final episode was filmed, it was our 10 year wedding anniversary. And you know what's so amazing – my mother and father passed away when I was still young but to win today is amazing because it's my father and mother in law's wedding anniversary as well," said Machiel.

Jamandi said "this was the first wedding anniversary we didn't have sex on. So ja, it was difficult."

"For us being common, everyday people, the attention was a lot, but when we got a challenge we stuck together and did what Jamandi and Machiel wanted to do," said Machiel.

"Do you think in a lifetime you would experience something like this?" said Jamandi. "We're this plain, platteland [rural] Kurt Darren, Nicholis Louw people. Yes. Common. We are common," she joked to laughter. "But that's the way we are."

Jamandi said Machiel wanted to marry her "and I just got a boob job – that was the first thing he saw actually", after which Machiel interrupted and said "there was a second boob job as well!"

Jamandi said "until today and winning you never get that confidence that you are good enough. And until today, it's amazing that we won and I still can't believe that we've won. And this is going to change our lives."

"For us it is important to stay humble. And for us the most important person in our life is God and we just give all the thanks to Him because we wouldn't be anywhere without Him. And we have found the purpose for our lives. We have found the purpose why we are here."

Meet the second 5 teams of My Kitchen Rules South Africa: Working moms, a gay couple, brothers-in-law, foodie friends and a married couple.

The second batch of contestants (here's the first group of teams) of My Kitchen Rules South Africa have been revealed and they include a gay couple, working moms, soon to be brothers-in-law, a married couple and foodie friends.

The food reality competition show produced by Endemol Shine Africa continues on M-Net (DStv 101) on Sundays at 18:00 in which several teams of two each are battling it out in their kitchens to come up with the best meals.

J'Something and David Higgs are the judges critiquing every dish being served up.


Here's the second group of 5 My Kitchen Rules SA teams:

Charnell and Kerry (Weltevredenpark, Johannesburg)
These friends from Weltevredenpark in Johannesburg are creative, working moms.
Kerry who used to be an accounts manager, recently resigned from her job in order to pursue a career in food and photography.

Andrew and Brent (Dainfern, Johannesburg)
This gay couple from Dainfern in Johannesburg are enganged and are living as a self-confessed "modern family".
Andrew and Brent say they are a confident and vibrant duo who loves to entertain and are passionate about friends, family, food and drinks.

OG and G (Cape Town)
OG and G are soon to be brothers-in-law from Cape Town.
On the surface these Capetonian cooking brothers are your typical "meat and two veg" guys, but those looks can be deceiving as beneath the surface lies some serious creative flair.

Jamandi and Machiel (Bloemfontein)
This married couple from Bloemfontein brings humour to the competition with their flamboyance and honesty that has no filters.
Jamandi and Machiel have been married for a decade and decided to enter My Kitchen Rules SA in order to challenge themselves and to take their relationship to the next level.

Nicole and Zamatonga (Durban)
These foodie friends from Durban are self-assured women who like to immerse themselves in different culinary worlds, fusing traditional fare with exotic ingredients and creative experiments.


The batch of episodes about the second group of 5 teams kicks off on Sunday 17 September, with the episode revolving around Charnell and Kerry.

These working moms get their turn to host an Instant Restaurant in Johannesburg and try to impress the other teams and the judges.

REVIEW. M-Net's My Kitchen Rules SA is a reality drama dish you've seen on TV before - but it's well worth a second helping.

The first local season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa starting on M-Net (DStv 101) this evening (Sunday) at 18:00 is from a particular type of reality drama dish menu you've ordered and eaten from on television before - but it's well worth a second helping.

On Friday M-Net gave 3 journalists, including this TV critic, an exclusive sneak-peak screening of the first episode of My Kitchen Rules South Africa with the 18 episodes of a diverse group of couples that will be plated for viewers from M-Net's TV kitchen in the coming weeks.

My Kitchen Rules South Africa most closely resembles BBC South Africa's successful Come Dine With Me South Africa, except that here its couples instead of individuals taking turns to host each other.

There's also the two judges - David Higgs and J'Something - both pulling out chairs to tuck into whatever the competitors are whipping up in their respective kitchens and adding their scores to the overall tallies.

The first episode set in Bloemfontein with the first two contestants - the "Bloem Besties" Liz and Leanne - has a slightly washed out and coppertone appearance which is probably due to the Free State winter landscape in which it was filmed.

The show makes excellent use of establishing and panoramic aerial drone shots, and of introducing the first 5 couples who will be competing. Also great is the framing the various couples as they dish about the dishes.

Some small technical mistakes will probably go unnoticed by ordinary viewers, like the plastic tubing of David Higgs' earpiece being visible (and moving to different sides from one moment to the next due to editing!).

A "countdown clock" is introduced but never really appears enough, or counts down with enough visible screen time to accentuate the drama build-up.

The lighting is remarkably good given that it's being filmed in contestants' real homes and David Higgs as the strict, more Simon Cowell-ish judge and J'Something as the more smiley face Paula Abdul-type makes for a well-balanced, good-cop/bad-cop judging duo.

Clever one-liners in My Kitchen Rules SA ranging from "Sandton kugels in Bloem","the rocket is great" and "literally us on a plate" makes the show a delight - as does the unexpected and emotional - reaction from several of the contestants.

Get ready for tears and drama with one contestant literally starting to shake in her boots.

Several of the contestants gossip in whispers as they talk about each other - you can still hear fine, but they will hopefully loosen up and speak louder as the series progresses.

Like Come Dine With Me SA the contestants all get an amount of money and have to come up with their own menus.

In My Kitchen Rules SA they however have to come up with a name for their "pop-up restaurant" as well and decorate accordingly.

For the next five weeks the first 5 pairs of contestants have to create their instant restaurants in their homes where their food is scored by their rival contestants as well as the two judges.

At the end of this round M-Net viewers will say goodbye to the pair with the lowest overall score.

After that viewers will meet more pairs who will go through the same process and from there the action moves over the the My Kitchen Rules SA headquarters in Johannesburg where several challenges will determine which home cooks will continue to whip up more delights.

The winning pair wins a big prize that gets announced in the first episode of My Kitchen Rules SA.

My Kitchen Rules SA on M-Net is not to hot and not too cold but just right as an entertaining Sunday evening bowl of new local reality TV porridge.