Neill Anthony and Lesego Semenya to judge Top Chef South Africa on SABC3; Lorna Masego the presenter of the format chef competition show set to start on 12 July.

Local chefs Neill Anthony and Lesego Semenya will be the judges of the local version of Top Chef South Africa on SABC3 with Lorna Masego as the presenter.

The starting date of the local version of the chef competition format show from NBCUniversal International has been pushed out and will now start on SABC3 on 12 July at 20:00.

So-called "cheftestants" from across South Africa compete in kitchen challenges and are then eliminated in the Urban Brew Studios produced show similar to what viewers saw on MasterChef South Africa on M-Net.

Neill Anthony who will soon be seen in a second season of Neill Anthony Private Chef is the head judge of Top Chef SA, who will be assisted by Lesego Semenya.

Trish Taylor, Urban Brew CEO says Lorna Masego's "love for food, her refined palate and her effortless elegance made her a perfect fit for Top Chef SA" as the presenter.

"Top Chef South Africa is a first to market, brand-new offering to compliment SABC3's revised prime time schedule," says Aisha Mohamed, SABC3 channel head.

"The show provides a fast-paced and very real look inside a professional kitchen and what it takes to be a top chef which is a strong compliment to the high production value of the show".

Cape Town chef Neill Anthony cooking up exclusive dinner extravaganzas in new cooking show starting on SABC3 from 15 March.

Neill Anthony - The Private Chef will start on SABC3 as a brand-new 13-part lifestyle series from Sunday 15 March at 16:30, with the new show produced by Okuhle Media, which will give viewers a glimpse into the high-pressured world of what it takes to cater to South Africa's high society and A-list socialites.

Neill Anthony - The Private Chef is a joint venture production between chef Neill Anthony who spent 10 years in Europe honing his skills in the professional kitchens of Gordon Ramsay, Alyn Williams, Jerome Henry and Marcus Waering.

Back in Cape Town Neill Anthony became a personal chef, dishing up Michelin-star quality food for his demanding clientele in their homes who wants their end-of-the-month Salticrax with a bit of caviar and a splash of champagne. Please.

Neill Anthony - The Private Chef will also be sold to overseas broadcasters says Louise McClelland, executive producer.

Neill Anthony - The Private Chef, with director Chris Lotz, will give viewers a peek into the homes of Neill Anthony's clients and socialite friends as he takes on and prepares exclusive dining experiences.

Every half hour episode starts in Neill Anthony's contemporary lift apartment in the heart of Cape Town, before he heads out to source fresh ingredients for the day's event and shares cooking tips and sourcing secrets with viewers.

"Food is what I do. Keeping it local, seasonal and rustic," says Neill Anthony. "I'm thrilled to be working with Okuhle Media on my first TV show".