The next new season of MasterChef South Africa will sizzle on eTV

Another piping hot edition of MasterChef South Africa is on its way, and this time it will turn up the heat in its new home on eTV. The local version of the world’s best-known and most-loved television cooking competition is set to sizzle on e.tv on Sunday nights at 18:00 from early 2026. In addition to this prime-time screening, MasterChef South Africa Season 6 will also cook up a storm on eReality and eExtra.

“MasterChef is a tasty and spicy television stew infused with all the ingredients our audiences love – rollercoaster action, suspense, high drama, and unforgettable reality show moments,” said Helga Palmer, Group Head of Content and Strategy at eTV. “The South African adaptation, infused with the flavours of local cuisine, has been a winning recipe with a series of successful seasons, and eTV is the perfect broadcaster for this exhilarating format.”

“Collaborating with e.tv is an exciting step in bringing MasterChef South Africa to a broad, culturally diverse South African audience,” Bongumusa Makhatini, CEO of the franchise’s format rights holder for Africa, Primedia Studios, added. “We’re thrilled to have secured a primetime slot on the country’s biggest free-to-air independent broadcaster and its complementary channels, known for serving world-class entertainment to its multitude of viewers. And, we can’t wait to meet all the contestants who’ll whip up the new season’s must-watch moments.”

MasterChef South Africa Season 6 will once again be produced by the multi-award-winning production company Homebrew Films for Primedia Studios. It will be filmed at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town and has been licensed in the territory following an agreement with Banijay Rights.

The previous season of MasterChef South Africa, aired on SABC, kick-started the culinary careers of several contestants, whether a surprisingly disastrous day in the MasterChef Kitchen caused them to hang up their aprons on the show or their delectabledishes saw them dashing to the final.

Season 5 winner Bridget Mangwandi made history on MasterChef by becoming the franchise's youngest titleholder at the age of 18 and the first black woman to win MasterChef South Africa.

“The show has truly transformed my life,” Bridget commented. “Not only did it open all kinds of culinary doors, but throughout the competition, the gruelling challenges, feedback from the show’s esteemed judges, and interaction with the guest judges, all experts in their fields, allowed me to sharpen my skills behind the pots and pans. I strongly encourage all passionate home cooks to seize the opportunity to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.”

Home cooks from across the country who want to follow in Bridget’s food journey footsteps can now put their name in the pot to win the highly coveted title of “MasterChef” and the R1 million prize awaiting the MasterChef South Africa Season 6 winner. 

Visit the official website at masterchefsa.tv to complete the entry form. The closing date for entries is 16 October 2025 at 23:59.

Who is eligible to enter the competition? To bake, fry, or roast your way to success on the show, you must be a South African citizen above 18 who has never earned a living as a professional chef. 

You simply need to live and breathe food, enjoy spending time in front of the stove, and know how to create the most mouthwatering meals.  

The judges for the sixth season of MasterChef South Africa will be announced in due course. 

Represented internationally by Banijay Entertainment, MasterChef is the world’s most successful cookery television format (Guinness World Records). Now commissioned across 71 markets, the life-changing show has aired over 700 seasons and more than 16,000 episodes to date. Created by Franc Roddam and first launched in 1990, the superbrand is known and enjoyed worldwide.