The ultimate dinner party battle is back!

Come Dine With Me in style: How to host an Instagram-worthy dinner party

As we approach the warmer months, it’s time to dust of the braai and prepare for the festive season. What better way to get inspiration (and hilarious entertainment!) than tuning into Come Dine With Me South Africa on BBC Lifestyle from the 15th November at 8pm. Four strangers are put to the ultimate test as they host their own dinner parties and with cooking standards higher than ever, it takes more than just a tasty meal to impress their guests…

Social media has led to us documenting the most mundane to the most exciting parts of our lives, with food and social occasions being some of the most ‘instagrammable’ content out there. It’s all about creating the right vibe and aesthetics, and for the Come Dine With Me SA contestants, getting it right could be the difference between going home empty handed or R10,000 richer.

On this season of Come Dine With Me SA, actor and content creator Stephanie Ndlovu, television presenter Bongani Bingwa and Gagasi FM radio host Nonjabulo “Njabs” Zwane will be hosting their own dinner parties.

Stephanie Ndlovu’s top tip for creating the most ‘instagrammable’ dinner party is to “simplify everything. I like clean, fresh and simplified look and feel.” Similarly Nonjabulo Zwanes said “Simplicity works for me. Choose a focal point you want to WOW your guests with be it the table setting, food plating, entertainment etc.”

Stephanie said the way to balance the stress of cooking with being the perfect host is with “preparation. I try and do as much prep ahead of my guests arriving so that I don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen and can attend to my guests too.” Nonjabulo’s number one advice for getting ready to entertain over Christmas is “PREP, PREP, PREP. Festive hosting can be extremely chaotic and has a lot of elements to it so you can easily find yourself overwhelmed and having to spend all your time in the kitchen away from your guests if you don’t prep what you can in advance.”

If that’s not all, here’s some more top tips to get the dinner party right in the lead up to festive season:

  • Get the theme right. Choose a theme that ties in with your decor, menu and entertainment for the evening. Whether it’s seasonal, inspired by a certain culture or something you’re passionate about, a well defined theme makes for excellent Instagram content.
  • Photo worthy food. Tasty food is important, but it has to look good too. Some easy ways to brighten up a dish include adding some herbs or garnishes for texture, planning how to plate your dish in advance and using colourful ingredients wherever you can.
  • Music matters. Create a playlist in advance to ensure it matches the mood of the dinner party. The right music can help to create a relaxed atmosphere and provides the perfect background to any insta videos that your guests might post.
  • Lighting. Bright, harsh lighting is a big no. Soft, warm lighting however, creates a calm and cosy ambience perfect for photos. You could even decorate the room with some fairy lights, lanterns or candles for a more inviting vibe.
  • Make it personalised. Creating personalised place cards is a thoughtful touch and creates the perfect photo opportunity for guests.
  • Encourage sharing. Have some fun props or accessories related to your theme to encourage guests to take photos during the dinner party. To go the extra mile, you could even create your own unique hashtag for evening!

Be the judge of Come Dine With Me South Africa season 9 as 48 contestants battle it out to win R10,000 with the best hosting and culinary skills, tune in to BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) on Wednesdays at 8pm. Catch up Thursdays at 5pm and on DStv catch-up.