Come Dine With Me South Africa is going celebrity for the first time, with 24 famous faces opening battling it out for charity this November.
Celebrity Come Dine With Me South Africa premieres on BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) on 18 November 2026. Nianell, Tarina Patel, Lasizwe and Linda Mtoba are among the 24 celebs that will feature Picture: Compositite, Brendan Croft for Media24, Instagram, @tarinapatel, @lasizwe, @linda_mtoba
Come Dine With Me South Africa is trading in its usual line-up of ambitious amateur cooks for a guest list of famous faces, as the long-running BBC Lifestyle competition returns for an eleventh season with its first-ever celebrity edition.
The show, produced by Rapid Blue, premieres on BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) on 18 November 2026.
Famous faces, familiar format
For the first time in the franchise’s history, an entire season will see well-known South Africans open up their homes, plan elaborate menus and put their hosting skills on the line, all in the hopes of walking away with bragging rights and R10 000 for a charity of their choice.
As always, celebrity status won’t buy anyone an easy ride at the table. Across six weeks, viewers can expect over-the-top themes, culinary wins, kitchen disasters and no shortage of rule-bending, all narrated by the show’s sharp-tongued voice, Dave Lamb, whose commentary has become as much a part of the Come Dine With Me experience as the food itself.
Who’s taking part
The 24 celebrities set to compete in Celebrity Come Dine With Me South Africa are:
- Alphi Mkhwanazi – TV presenter
- Brent Lindeque – Good Things Guy founder
- Carol Tshabalala – First Lady of Sport
- Holly Rey – award-winning singer
- Jonathan Roxmouth – musical theatre star
- Karabo Ntshweng – radio presenter
- Karabo Poppy – internationally acclaimed illustrator
- Lasizwe – digital entertainer
- Lethabo ‘LeJoy’ Mathatho – broadcaster
- Linda Mtoba – actress
- Mampho Brescia – actress
- Mojak Lehoko – comedian
- Moshe Ndiki – TV personality
- Moonchild Sanelly – musician
- Nianell – singer-songwriter
- Olwethu Leshabane – entrepreneur and author
- Phylicity Reeken – radio presenter
- Primo Baloyi – digital entertainer
- Tarina Patel – media personality
- Tumisho Masha – actor
- Vanes-Mari du Toit – former Proteas netball star
- Varushka Singh – former Mrs SA
- Yanda Woods – content creator
- Zandi Nhlapo – media personality
What to expect
Pierre Cloete, vice president for Africa at BBC Studios, said the celebrity series is set to be the show’s biggest yet, bringing together “an incredible mix of South African personalities” and placing them in a situation they can’t fully control. He added that audiences will see the stars “at their funniest, most competitive and, in some cases, most chaotic.”
Ryan Deacon, executive producer at Rapid Blue, echoed the sentiment, noting that with three celebrity guests arriving at each dinner party, the pressure on hosts is higher than ever. According to Deacon, the season will deliver “some creative rule-bending, a few attempts to gain an advantage, some spectacular hosting and the occasional disaster” – in short, everything that’s made the show a hit for more than a decade.
So who will impress, who will bend the rules, and who will end up thoroughly roasted by Dave Lamb’s commentary? Viewers will find out when the new season of Come Dine With Me kicks off in November.
