Season 5

14 of South Africa’s most talented bakers enter the kitchen to make big things happen as they bake their way to the title. In their first challenge it’s all about creating their own unique version of the classic British tea-time cake. With a masterclass from a special Taste Master alumni, Samantha Liang, our 14 bakers battle it out in the kitchen under the watchful eye of seasoned judges Zola Nene and Fritz Schoon.

This week on The Taste Master SA, it’s the first elimination challenge of the season and the bottom 6 will need to fight to stay in the competition. We’re joined by guest judge, Tapiwa Guzha, owner of Tapi Tapi ice cream cafe. Tapiwa takes the contestants on a journey to discover flavors and ingredients from around Africa in a special masterclass. Our bottom 6 then face-off in their first elimination and it true Taste Master style, there is a twist! Who will be going home and who will be safe to bake another day?

This week on #TheTasteMasterSA contestants must work together to create the ultimate baked gift for Mother’s Day. This challenge puts more than their baking skills to test as teamwork, creativity and design all play a role in deciding who comes out on top. Kim Steyn from Petal and Post joins us as the guest judge and a very special masterclass demonstrating how using eye-catching packaging can transform biscuits into a wonderful custom gift. Who will be safe to bake another day and be in line for the grand prize of R150 000 from Capitec – a boost of capital to grow a baking business, R100 000 to spend at Samsung, R100 000 of KitchenAid equipment and a blast chiller from Electrical Industries Online to the value of R65 000.

This week on The Taste Master SA, elimination looms over Given, Rio, Melicia, Moletwa and Waahid as they need to pull out all the stops to impress the judges and stay in the competition. Our judges, Fritz Schoon and Zola Nene are joined by baker and entrepreneur, Lynn Hoyle, who shares some valuable tips with in a special masterclass before our contestants head to the kitchen for the Tower of Treats Challenge! The stakes are high and Given, Rio, Melicia, Moletwa and Waahid must showcase their patience, skill, and creativity to secure their spot in the competition. Who will be going home and who will be safe?

This week on The Taste Master SA tension rises as the contestants are back in the kitchen for an elimination challenge. Judges Zola Nene and Fritz Schoon are joined by guest judge, Chef Motheba Makhetha, who shares a masterclass in the art of baking the perfect Swiss Roll. In true Taste Master style the contestants are thrown a curve ball when they are told they need to pair up and create both a sweet and a savoury Swiss Roll. The heat rises as the bakers clash in the kitchen, racing against the clock to save themselves from this double elimination.

This week on The Taste Master SA the Top 10 contestants head out to the world-famous Cape West Coast for an experience of the senses. They’re treated to a masterclass by guest judge Dawid Botha from Lekker Weskus, who takes them through the art of cooking outdoors on the open flame – from fresh fish to rooster koek. After learning more about the cuisine of this region, the bottom six must produce their own unique seafood-inspired bake in an elimination challenge. In a unique twist, the contestants must face elimination with a budget — each armed with Capitec cards to purchase ingredients. Who will make it through to next week, and who will go home?

In this thrilling episode of #TheTasteMasterSA contestants are pushed beyond their baking boundaries as they embark on a unique challenge following a captivating masterclass led by renowned food stylist Ilse van der Merwe. In this challenge contestants must bake and then style a picturesque scene for the cover of a cookbook.

With elimination looming the contestants tackle the intricate pâté en croûte, a French meat pie! Our judges Zola Nene and Fritz Schoon are joined by the Elgr’s San-Mari and Jesper to make the difficult decision of who stays and whose time in #TheTasteMasterSA kitchen is over.

Join us this week as the final 6 contestants get treated to a delicious high tea at the breathtaking 12 Apostles Hotel in Camps Bay, crafted by the hotel’s head pastry chef and the guest judge for this challenge, Gina Marziani. After enjoying a morning off they are given a surprise twist – they now have to head to the kitchen and recreate the delicious bakes they just enjoyed on a grand scale!

Things are not always as they appear. This week on The Taste Master SA, the final five contestants left competing for the title, are given the task of baking a dessert that looks like a main course. They must tap into their creativity and problem solving skills to create a delicious optical illusion to delight the judges. Guest Judge and season 3 contestant, Tshepiso Nyakane, gives them a masterclass in the art of illusion before the contestants head into the kitchen. Will they be able to pull it off or this be the challenge that sends them home?

And then there were four! This week on The Taste Master SA our final 4 contestants must create a refined three-course menu centred around baked items under the expert guidance from Chef Rikku O’Donnchu. After a masterclass in fine dining by 2019 Global Best Chef, Rikku O’Donnchu of RIKŪ, Phillip, Melicia, Moletwa and Renuka must take on their penultimate challenge to see who will make it through to the final 3.

It’s the penultimate challenge of The Taste Master SA Season 5 and our Top 3 are taken out of their comfort zones, in the kitchen and into the mountains for the Campfire Bakes Challenge. Guided by the bread master, Fritz Schoon, they’ll will have to battle with open flames and limited gear. The pressure is on as the bakers need to understand and control the heat from the fire in order to perfectly bake and not burn their semi-final dishes. Who will cook up this week’s winning creation and secure a spot in the finals and who will be heading home?

We are gearing up for an epic showdown in a celebration of cultures and heritage highlighting our two talented finalists, who they are, where they come from and their culinary journey ahead. Our location: Chorus by Bertus Basson in Somerset West, owned by renowned Chef Bertus Basson.