There’s a cool new judge in the MasterChef South Africa kitchen: High-flying culinary nomad Katlego Mlambo
In the upcoming new season of MasterChef South Africa, the home cooks set to embark on a life-changing culinary journey will have to impress a food maestro who has cooked for high-profile dinner guests like Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Black Coffee, and Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
One of the coolest chefs in the country, Katlego Mlambo, will make his bow as MasterChef judge in the fifth local season of the sizzling cooking show to be screened on SABC 3. The other two members of the esteemed trio confirmed to guide and grill the contestants are seasoned MasterChef South Africa judges Zola Nene and Justine Drake.
Katlego’s own impressive food journey started when he witnessed an incredible love of food during his childhood.
“My first four culinary mentors were the home cooks who raised me – my granny, mother and two aunts. 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,” Katlego explains. “So, I became this little sous chef in our home kitchen.”
Thereafter, the travel bug bit the Eldorado Park-born food fanatic, creating opportunities to master his craft at top restaurants across the world. With stints in international restaurants in Great Britain and the United States, Katlego soaked up the distinct food flavours from these regions.
Back home, 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’s exceptional flair behind the pots and pans and unique food fusion also earned the jazz eatery Marabi Club the African Restaurant of The Year gong at the Luxe Awards. Furthermore, Katlego presented two television shows on the Food Network – Inside Job and Everyday Wow.
Still, this humble food guru, who briefly appeared as a guest judge in the previous season of MasterChef South Africa, says he had to pinch himself when hearing that he would be one of Season 5’s main judges:
“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 judge was on my bucket list.”
Katlego confesses that he looks forward to being the one waiting to be served and not the other way around.
“But 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 and 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”.
In MasterChef South Africa, twenty home cooks from diverse backgrounds are put through the paces with various challenges, during which they create delicious dishes to impress the judges and avoid landing on the chopping board. Ultimately, the winner scoops up the coveted title of “MasterChef” and a tasty cash prize of R1 million.
Find the MasterChef South Africa entry form on the website, where you’ll find all the instructions. Also, make sure you use this exact website address. Since MasterChef is a global phenomenon produced in many countries, there are dozens of show and fan pages on the internet.
The closing date for entries is 15 March 2024 at 23:59.
MasterChef South Africa Season 5 will be on the S3 schedule from June 2024. The multiple-award-winning Cape Town-based production company Homebrew Films will produce MasterChef South Africa for Primedia Studios.
To keep up to speed with the latest news about Primedia Studio programming, download the Primedia+ App from your favourite App Store.
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