‘MasterChef SA’ heats up: Wild card Refe stuns as top contenders slip

The latest results from MasterChef South Africa have left everyone guessing who might take home the R1 million prize.

Refe Dimbaza, the wild card contestant who made a comeback after being eliminated in the Top 10, wowed the judges with the best dish of the day.

Meanwhile, three contestants who have consistently been at the top found themselves struggling at the bottom, facing elimination.

The trio in trouble this week included Naledi Matshitse, a dedicated homemaker from Muldersdrift, who had previously earned an unprecedented four elimination-free spots in the competition. Alongside her were the show’s two youngest contestants, Bridget Mangwandi and Nabila Shamshum. In the end, it was Naledi, a fan favourite since her strong performance in the season’s first challenge, who had to say goodbye.

Chef Ebie du Toit takes contestants on a flavour trip

This week, guest judge Chef Ebie du Toit, the trendy head chef of Johannesburg’s upscale Pot Luck Club, showcased his luxurious brunch spreads, beloved by millennials and Gen Z. The Season 5 contestants were tasked with creating three fancy brunch items inspired by Chef Ebie’s offerings, aiming to take him and the judges—Zola Nene, Chef Katlego Mlambo, and Justine Drake—on a “flavour trip.”

The required dishes included a brunch classic with a twist, a reimagined brunch cocktail as a dish, and an upscale take on avocado toast. The contestants had access to the Pick n Pay Pantry, and the Avo Grower’s Association provided top-notch avocados. However, they had just two hours to whip up their stunning creations.

Generational gaps and culinary pressure

Even though Nabila is part of Gen Z, she found the challenge overwhelming. Unlike the typical social media-savvy cooks, she’s more of a homebody, enjoying painting and cooking hearty meals for her mixed-heritage family. Plus, as a teetotaler, she felt stressed about the cocktail dish.

Refe, known for her hearty servings, worried about meeting the challenge’s upscale requirements. On the other hand, 68-year-old Penny Rider, the oldest contestant, was acutely aware of the generational gap in culinary skills. Even social media influencer Chanel Brink felt the pressure, questioning if she could meet Chef Ebie’s standards.

‘Bougee, bougee! What does bougee even mean?’

However, no one was more anxious than Naledi. “Bougee, bougee! What does bougee even mean?” she panicked. With three kids at home, she wasn’t used to the fancy cooking style. Initially overwhelmed, she decided to take a deep breath and elevate her usual home-cooked meals, even attempting a Piña Colada with pap for her cocktail dish.

Eastern Cape contestant Lona Rode stayed relatively calm, even as he had to rethink some of his initial ideas. In contrast, Bridget, who loves all things fancy, was confident. She thought her pairing of Durbanville Hills Champagne with oranges was brilliant, and she used crayfish on her avocado toast. She rated her dishes quite highly, giving her avocado toast an 8 out of 10, her Crayfish Eggs Benedict an 8.5, and her Mimosa a 9.

MastersChef judges says flops and confusion reign

For the first time this season, the judges were disappointed by the overall quality of the dishes. Their critiques were harsh, especially from Justine, who expressed frustration at the contestants’ lack of creativity despite having access to fantastic ingredients. “What we got was confusion. It felt like they took the luxury ingredients, overcooked them, and called it something else,” she remarked.

Bridget’s spread didn’t look as appealing as she had hoped. Chef Ebie commented that it “just looks sad” and said she would not be named the “face of bougee” as she imagined. Although she praised her dessert, her other dishes fell short, with Chef Katlego unable to cut her avocado toast properly and the hollandaise being undercooked.

Nabila’s plating showed off her design skills, but she overcooked her salmon, and her Avo Flatbread was a disaster, lacking seasoning and proper knife work.

Flavours down south and presentation in shambles

Naledi was understandably nervous while presenting her brunch and didn’t meet the bougee theme at all. “When Chef Ebie sent everyone on a flavour trip, the bus was going north, but this bus went south,” Chef Katlego sighed.

While the MasterChef judges enjoyed the flavour of her Piña Colada dessert, her knife skills let her down, and serving a sandwich for a fancy brunch was simply not acceptable. The caramelized onions were nice, but the bread was overtoasted, and the chicken was dry and lacked seasoning.

Even Refe, who won the challenge, had room for improvement. Chef Ebie loved her Grapefruit Mimosa Granita and praised her Shakshuka with chorizo and quail eggs, but he was puzzled by her avo and chocolate truffles.

MasterChef South Africa Season 5 premieres on S3 (formerly SABC3) on Saturdays at 19:00. The rebroadcasts are on SABC 2 on Sundays at 18:30 and S3 on Wednesdays at 18:00.

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