When the fourth instalment of M-Net’s MasterChef South Africa was announced after a several year hiatus, fans were curious about the judging panel.
After all, Pete Goffe-Wood, Benny Masekwameng and Reuben Riffel had become synonymous with the franchise.
In dusting off the template, a shake-up was mandated as far as the judges were concerned.
When M-Net confirmed that Zola Nene, Gregory Czarnecki and Justine Drake were going to be taking over the baton, viewers were most accepting of the new panel, more so as each of them came with a wealth of knowledge of the culinary world.
A few weeks away from the first episode, the channel has unveiled the 20 contestants who will be battling it out in the kitchen.
Each participant comes from a different cultural background, influencing their cooking style, and from polar opposite professions.
The hunger to clinch the title of season four of MasterChef SA will see these hopefuls raring to go for a culinary clash.
In the meantime, viewers can familiarize themselves with the colourful personalities spicing up the new season:
CAPE TOWN
Alicia Nicola (32)
An advertising creative director, she is the ultimate foodie.
A self-taught cook, she invested in culinary short courses to hone her craft.
And she keeps up with trends by binging on YouTube videos.
Her forte is modern Mediterranean cuisine.
Growing up with a mother who cooked amazing Greek fare and a grandmother who is a doyenne in baking, she’s never been short on inspiration.
Last but not least, she prides herself on technique.
Andriette De la Harpe (33)
This entrepreneur is a classically trained singer. And she’s no stranger to working under pressure in the epicentre of the fast-paced world of events.
After being retrenched last year, she fell back on a skill that she excels in - baking.
Being in the kitchen comes naturally to her. And she has fond memories of her grandmother’s vintage Kenwood Mixer.
Her go-to cuisine is Italian but that doesn’t stop her from experimenting with curries.
Charmaine Govender-Koen (39)
Self-employed, Govender-Koen is a self-taught cook. Raised in a big Indian family in Durban, cooking has always been at the heart of her childhood.
Since marrying Frikkie, she’s blended her traditional style of cooking with that of her Afrikaans husband’s one.
Previously in management in the food and beverage industry, she isn’t unfamiliar with a pressurized environment.
Since losing her job due to the Covid-19 lockdown, she pivoted and opened a home industry business.
And she isn’t shy to experiment with Asian flavours.
Dedre ‘Didi’ Stols (30)
This art auctioneer from Langebaan had to return to her first love - cooking - when Covid-19 made it impossible for her to continue as a gallery manager on cruise ships.
When it comes to food, she goes bold with her flavours which is a testament to her adventurous side.
Her love affair with cooking started at age 8 and she is pretty enamoured by the cuisines of Mexico, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and, of course, her heritage.
James Ovendale (19)
Don’t be fooled by his age, this former Stellenbosch University student is throwing his hat in the ring with as much gusto as everyone else.
Aside from cooking since the age of 7, he gained some insight into technique during his culinary classes at Silwood Culinary School.
And he’s proudly South African with an unmistakable love for open-flame cooking as well as a hunger to sample the street food of the melting pot of cultures in Mzansi.
Pushing boundaries is what he does best so he could be a dark horse in the competition.
Lisa Kayster (26)
A human resources consultant, she is a people’s person and cooking is her other winning attribute. In this competition, she wants to give the Cape Malay style of cooking a platform.
Brimming with positive energy, Kayster who developed her cooking skills from age 10, alongside her grandmother and mother in the kitchen, has dealt with depression and childhood bullying.
Her current approach to life is a result of the challenges she faced. So she isn’t one to give up easily.
Matthew Arnott (25)
Having cooked from the age of 5, this freelancer and former teacher built up quite a repertoire of skills when it comes to exploring cuisines and delivering on those comforting classics.
His strong suit is Greek, Italian as well as a bit of Middle Eastern and French cuisine.
His time in China, where he was teaching English, exposed him to a different culinary culture and it helped him step up his flavour game.
Thoughtful and someone who cooks from the heart, his love of cooking was revisited after his mom contracted Covid-19 and he took a year off to take care of her. It was also what spurred him on to enter.
Mohammed Haffejee (26)
Coming from an Indian community where the kitchen is the woman's domain, this chartered account isn’t just breaking the stigma, he’s also proving his forte as a self-taught cook.
Gravitating towards French techniques, he combines that with his culinary knowledge where, at age 8, he was secretly experimenting and baking biscuits.
A perfectionist, he’s fastidious when it comes to getting the flavours right.
Onezwa Mbola (26)
This former marine navigational officer in China has a well-travelled palate. Since moving back to Willowvale, Eastern Cape, her passion for cooking has taken on a life of its own.
In fact, her Instagram page, the Green Thumbed Fairy, has been getting traction while also pushing her to follow through with her culinary passion.
She attributes her love affair with food to her late mother and hopes to pass down the talent to her young son.
Unsurprisingly, she’s become somewhat of a dumpling connoisseur with her home-made Asian delights.
Shawn Godfrey (34)
A commercial director and entrepreneur, he has been cooking since childhood.
At first, it was to help with the chores around the house after his mom was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
But the chore transformed into a passion and now he flourishes under pressure whipping up a storm, especially with Middle Eastern and Asian fare.
A family man, he isn’t afraid to push boundaries and experiment with ingredients.
He notes Jamie Oliver as his greatest influence.
Sylvie Hurford (49)
A marketing strategist and consultant is a self-proclaimed cavalier cook.
Having worked as a food stylist, she is au fait with what makes food look good.
And her passion for cooking ensures it tastes good, too.
She gravitates towards the Mediterranean and French styles of cooking, and cooks by taste.
This freestyle approach to flavouring is something she finds liberating.
And she is a fan of British chef Anthony Bourdain, restaurateur Marco Pierre White and South African chef and restaurateur Karen Dudley.
Tarryn De Kock (28)
This senior researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council is the poster girl of zen. While she is a messy cook, not that it is something she is embarrassed by, she loves feeding people.
Methodical when it comes to cooking up a storm, she’s rustic in her style and has a flair for Mediterranean and Asian cuisine interwoven with South African flavours.
That she has a tattoo of ramen on her arm is most telling when it comes to her passion.
She sites French chef and restaurateur Alain Passard and the late chefs and authors Lesego Semenya and Anthony Bourdain as her inspiration.
KWAZULU-NATAL
Tembisa Jordaan (37)
A marine scientist and documentary filmmaker, she has an inquiring and creative mind.
She’s been cooking since 10 and describes herself as a tenacious nonconformist.
Her fond memories of her late grandmother, who introduced her to the joys of cooking during her childhood in Dobsonville and in the Eastern Cape, remains a cornerstone in her culinary adventures.
She has a proclivity for African, Italian and Asian cuisine.
A fan of Jamie Oliver, she shares her rustic home-cooked meals on her Instagram page, tembisa_cooks.
Talk about a Jane of many trades.
Udhir ‘Dr Harri’ Harrinarain (28)
This dentist is easygoing and has an admirable sense of humour. But as much as he’s laidback, he’s serious about his job and cooking.
While he stays true to his roots, he isn’t afraid to tackle other cuisines and has mastered the art of Italian dishes.
His love of fresh ingredients enhances his flavours. He isn’t about plating busy dishes. As far as he is concerned, less is more - as long as the dish is packed with flavour.
JOHANNESBURG
Luyanda Mafanya (27)
A food blogger and private cook, she already has an arsenal of supporters with almost 12k followers on Instagram.
When it comes to food, she is well-versed in developing flavours that tantalise the palate.
And she’s proficient in whipping up a feast of world cuisines with African and Italian holding a special place in her heart.
If she looks familiar, its because she made it to the semi-finals of “My Kitchen Rules SA”.
She clearly isn’t someone who cowers in the face of failure.
Mafanya has been cooking since the age of 7, and her passion is now a tribute to her late grandmother who helped her in her journey.
Masedi Mabe (25)
A freelancer, Masedi is a self-confessed gastronomer at heart.
He doesn’t have a specific style of cooking. What he does have is an innate love affair with street food, especially those fully-loaded burgers.
His influences include chef and restaurateur Wandile Mabaso, entrepreneur and cook Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane, the late Lesego Semenya and Sven Ritz Mann.
This introvert feels strongly about infusing African cuisine with others.
Silindokuhle ‘Sli’ Moroke (27)
This content creator is a huge fan of “MasterChef Junior” as well as celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Beyond the fandom though, he is passionate about cooking.
Fondly referred to as a gentle giant, his cooking style oscillates between African, Italian and American.
While chopping veggies was a chore he hated growing up, he no longer complains about prepping.
His ultimate goal, on the back of wanting to win the title, is travelling the world and exploring all the different cuisines and the rich cultural history behind them.
Simphiwe ‘Sims’ Kubeka (25)
A software engineer from Midrand, he entered the show to convince his family that he should be furthering his craft at a culinary institute.
A morning person, he loves baking and his gogo nurtured this love when he was growing up.
His infectious personality is offset by a deep desire to prove himself in a world he put on the back burner for a different career.
But he can no longer deny his pull to the kitchen.
Tasnim Jadwat (36)
This businesswoman and corporate director from Boksburg has struck the perfect balance between spicing and creativity.
Having lost several family members to Covid-19, including her mom, being a contestant on the show is her way of celebrating their memory and her heritage as well as her Islamic faith. Her eldest daughter was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
She also helped with the Halaal guidelines when it came to the MasterChef SA pantry.
Cooking has become a comfort and a sort of catharsis, too.
NORTHWEST PROVINCE
Ontiretse ‘Onti’ Molloyi (32)
This digital marketing and communications specialist from Mahikeng has a background in catering.
A devoted mother of two, she entered the competition to showcase her talent. And she doesn’t shy away from vegetables in her cooking.
Her earliest memories of being in the kitchen are of her baking up a storm with her mother when she was just 10.
When it comes to her cooking style, she gravitates towards French and Italian dishes.
While the corporate world monopolises much of her time, she makes time for week night online ‘cook-along’ sessions from her kitchen.
“MasterChef SA” premieres on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on February 28 at 6pm and will air from Monday to Thursday.