The sizzling fifth season of MasterChef South Africa moves into the show’s new home on S3  on Saturday, 13 July at 19:30, with repeat broadcasts on SABC2 on Sundays at 18:30 and another chance to catch up on all the reality show cooking action on S3 on Wednesdays at 18:00.

MasterChef South Africa Season 5 features 20 amateur chefs from across Mzansi with diverse backgrounds and different food dreams.

Among these cooks are seven strong contenders, ready to slice and dice, bake and butter up the judges with their delicious meals:

TEBOGO

If 29-year-old Tebogo looks familiar, you probably recognise this handsome professional model with the speckle-sprinkled face from various advertising campaigns for superbrands. However, life hasn’t always been on the glitzy side for this inspirational go-getter. Tebogo, or Tebz as he is often called, was raised in Hillbrow by a single-parent mother, and when times were tough, living in shelters was their last resort. Instead of allowing his difficult upbringing to define his future or getting sucked into the wrong crowd, Tebz determinedly decided to rise above his circumstances. As an intern at an inner-city NGO, the joy of a cup of coffee inspired him to become a barista. One of his many achievements was opening a bustling coffee shop called Hillbrewed Café at the age of 23. The disciplined MasterChef South Africa Season 5 contestant is a martial arts champion. He was the middleweight South African Kickboxing Association title holder in 2016 and 2017.

“I can chop pretty fast and accurately,” Tebz describes his superpower in the kitchen, “and can taste a dish before starting it.” Now, he is, of course, “tasting” the R1m prize money the winner of MasterChef South Africa Season 5 winner will scoop up. If he goes to the top, he plans to use the winnings towards owning a restaurant.

NASH

Tinashe “Nash” Zambila (39) from Jozi’s affluent northern suburbs is bound to win viewers’ hearts with his inimitable dry sense of humour and charismatic personality. The devoted dad of an 8-year-old boy fell in love with food by watching celebrity chefs like Rick Stein and Ainsley Harriott strutting their culinary stuff on television. However, his all-time small-screen hero is the late Anthony Bourdain, whose travelogues introduced Nash to the cultures and cuisines of people across the globe.

Nash recalls a light-bulb moment when it dawned on him that he might never be able to visit the exotic destinations in Anthony’s shows but that experimenting in the kitchen could still be the passport granting him access to foreign palates. “So, I would start playing around with ingredients, making a royal mess,” Nash quips.”

Through his private home-cooking adventures, Nash can now whip up unique sauces – his self-proclaimed speciality. His other food fortes are Asian dishes and stylish, refined steakhouse food.

As expected from someone from the advertising world, Nash is a big thinker who continues brainstorming ideas about possible new ventures after winning MasterChef South Africa. On his vision board are a chicken wing bar, a cooking channel, bespoke pop-ups showcasing up-and-coming chefs, a chilli farm where he bottles his own chilli sauce and sustainable feeding scheme initiatives.

LUCAS

Lucas Roothman (33) from Stellenbosch coaches rugby at school and university levels and recruits players for a rugby academy. His alma mater is Paarl Roos Gimnasium, the high school famous for producing more Springboks than any other school in the country. When Lucas, a former U/19 Western Province Union player himself, is not soaking up the sun outdoors, passing the ball to potential future sports stars, or rubbing shoulders with big-name Boks, you’ll find him in the kitchen.

For Lucas, the link between his coaching and cooking is creativity. “In my day job, I think on my feet to bring the best out of people, and in the kitchen, it’s great fun to make the most of quality ingredients,” he explains. Whilst applying his imagination to create scrumptious dishes, Lucas loves listening to Italian Bistro-style music.

Lucas’s food-making training ground was in his hometown, Worchester, where his mom supplied various coffee shops, including the one she ran, with her baked goods. He would be at her side, mixing, cracking, watching and, of course, tasting.  

Before entering MasterChef South Africa Season 5, Lucas’s partner and family were the lucky ones enjoying his delicious meals. If he wins the show, we’ll be fortunate to taste what they are raving about when he kicks off his dream Bistro restaurant with the prize money.

CHANEL

Calm and composed 34-year-old Chanel Brink’s love language is food – whether she spoils her colleagues with unique treats, conjures up delectable meals for her husband and family or shares classic recipes with a distinct South African twist on social media.

During Lockdown, Chanel, born in Durban and now residing in Greenstone Hills, Johannesburg, became an online foodie content creator. Little did she know how her easy-to-make comfort food and simple techniques would hit a sweet spot on Instagram. Cookingwithchanel_sa now has over 180,000 followers!

Chanel’s food flair and culinary prowess are part of her DNA. This magic-making, self-taught cook comes from a generation of food fanatics. Her father is a qualified chef, and her mother worked at a deli. As a pre-schooler, she found her mom’s weekly baking more entertaining than watching cartoons. Soon, little Chanel would mix the ingredients and break the eggs. “Even just adding in the sugar gave me such joy,” Chanel recalls, “not to forget the thrill of seeing my first bran muffins coming out of the oven at the age of nine.”

Her ability to perform under pressure, instilled by her day job, working as an Internal Sales consultant at a construction company and her ability to multi-task might stand Chanel in good stead in the MasterChef South Africa Season 5 kitchen.

ELLA BELLA

Effervescent Ella Bella Constantinides-Leite (39) holds a Master’s degree in Dramatic Arts and Education from the University of the Witwatersrand, is of Greek descent, married the Portuguese love of her life and chose beautiful Sesotho and isiZulu names for her two children.

This colourful home cook from Bedfordview is also a dynamic environmentalist who teaches in all corners of the country as part of the Miss Earth South Africa programme, educating children about biodiversity and preserving our national heritage. As such, she initiates projects ranging from planting trees and creating sustainable vegetable gardens to recycling, cleaning rivers and beaches, and feeding people in different communities weekly.

With these bits of Ella Bella’s background, it makes perfect sense that she describes herself as the kitchen queen of leftovers. “My food style is Mediterranean with a splash of South African fusion, “she adds, “and I have mastered sneaking veggies into all kinds of experimental dishes for the good of my family.”

It brings her immense joy to host large dinner parties targeting the diverse taste buds of the mix of cultures and ages of her multitude of friends and PortuGreek relatives. 

Food is indeed a gift in Ella Bella’s eyes, and if she wins the competition, you might just see Ella Bella food trucks on their way to the empty bellies in many communities.        

NALEDI

Naledi Matshitse (43) from Muldersdrift is a stay-at-home mom who juggles various jobs: homemaker, family chef, family medic, family driver, sports coach and cheerleader. Despite her BAdmin Honours degree in Industrial psychology, Naledi prefers not to miss a moment of her kids growing up. As a bonus, they can have fun together in her favourite room in the house – the kitchen!  

Naledi has an insatiable passion for cooking. It all started when she became her mother’s sous chef when she was ten years old. As the first-born, she would prep dinner before her mom arrived from work, and during Easter and Christmas, they would tackle elaborate dishes from a pile of cut-out recipes.

These days, amateur chef Naledi recreates gourmet food that impresses her at restaurants or on television cooking shows.

However, Naledi remains proud of her African heritage, and her MasterChef wardrobe will showcase that. She packed quite a few garments in her supersized suitcase because she’s adamant about reaching the final episode. 

Naledi tenaciously wants to taste victory again on a reality show, as she did on Season 8 of Ultimate Braaimaster. “It was one of the most adventurous, fun things I have ever done,” she says about the show. “But Master Chef South Africa is my gourmet dream come true. I am so excited to tap into my fine dining persona finally.”

REFE

Refe Dimbaza is a smart, bubbly, thirty-something “small-town girl” from Thaba Nchu with an Honours Degree in Accounting from the University of the Free State who’s living in Centurion these days. Her two graduation ceremonies count among the most significant moments in her life – all because of a person very close to her heart witnessing these milestone events. The proud supporter in the auditorium was her beloved late grandmother.

This gogo also infused Refe with a passion for food. Early on Sunday mornings, Refe would be at her side grafting to ensure fresh baked goods were on the table to enjoy with their tea when they returned from church. Refe decided to enter MasterChef South Africa to honour her granny’s legacy and take her own food-making skills to the next level. What makes becoming a MasterChef contestant even more special for Refe is remembering how they used to enjoy watching the show together.

Although Refe doesn’t want to reveal all the kitchen secrets, she hopes they will land her the title of MasterChef and the six-figure sum of money that comes with it. However, she’s willing to whet our appetite with these words: “My cooking style is ‘traditional with an unexpected modern twist’, and load-shedding has taught me a few surprising fast tricks.”   

To find out more about MasterChef South Africa Season 5 and its contestants, jump onto the show’s social media pages and join the conversation by using #MasterChefSA

Instagram: @sa_masterchef

Facebook: MasterChef SA

Twitter: @sa_masterchef

TikTok: @masterchef.sa

In July, local television will become more appetising than ever before. MasterChef South Africa Season 5, based on the world’s best and most popular cooking reality show, launches in its new home on S3 on Saturday, 13 July at 19:30. 

That’s when 20 uber-passionate home cooks from different backgrounds and with various food-making fortes – from baking and basting to seafood and curries – will step into MasterChef South Africa’s state-of-the-art and pressure-cooker kitchen.

These competitive amateur chefs all have the same goal: Impressing the three fair yet highly critical judges and dodging the chopping board to be named the country’s MasterChef. The winner of MasterChef South Africa Season 5 will also scoop up a tasty R1 million in prize money.

Throughout the competition, the show’s new “superior chefs in the making” are tasked to whip up delicious dishes fit for a king. It all boils down to their ability to tickle the taste buds with a perfect mix of flavours and serving a feast for the eye on a plate.

During the show’s stressful invention tests, their foodmaking flair is challenged when they must create a dish around a specific theme from scratch. Sometimes, there are also mystery box challenges, limiting them to a mixed bag of ingredients and occasionally, world-renowned local chefs visit the MasterChef kitchen. Following a masterclass illustrating the ins and outs of one of their signature dishes, the contestants have to recreate the masterpieces, whereafter, the guest judge joins the resident judges to evaluate the meals.

Judge Katlego Mlambo, who joined Season 4 judges, food connoisseurs Zola Nene and Justine Drake, raves about the Season 5 competitors but notes that the drama behind the pots and pans often gets spicy.

“The contestants are only as good as their last plate, and anything can happen. It’s a constant race against the clock, and one flop or sub-standard presentation could cost them their MasterChef apron,” Katlego explains.

Zola and Justine share Katlego’s sentiment.

Justine adds, “The competency of this season’s home cooks is much higher than in the previous season. Zola concurs, “I was surprised by their clear understanding of advanced cooking techniques and knife skills. These people can cook. The question is, who will continue to improve their know-how and rise to the top?”

MasterChef South Africa Season 5 also embraces local indigenous products stocked in the spectacular set’s Pick n Pay pantry.

“The contestants are spoilt for choice with the best local and international products,” Katlego says.  

While the edgy set includes the first-ever half-moon gantry, the Pick n Pay pantry’s design matches those of current stores, focusing on line rhythm but also allowing curves to soften the space. The shelves carry everything needed to cook a MasterChef-worthy meal, from fresh produce to grocery basics like eggs, coconut milk, spices, pasta and more.

Double-door fridges stock all types of dairy and cheese, charcuterie, red meat and chicken, while a freezer section contains ice cream, frozen berries, and seafood, including prawns and mussels. Also included are products from the Pick n Pay Innovations range and the healthy food Live Well range. One of the most noteworthy areas in the pantry is the packaging-free section, which carries everything from nuts and goji berries to bulgur wheat, with the primary aim being to help minimise waste as contestants can take the exact quantity they require. 

Katlego comments, “Every time I walk into the Pick n Pay pantry, I’m blown away. It’s a chef’s dream come true.”

Furthermore, the kitchen is equipped with products from @home, Beko (appliances), Durbanville Hills Winery, Edison Stone (Wüsthoff knives), Setamono Hibachi (grills), Chef Gear (aprons and chef jackets), My Butcher’s Block, Mervyn Gers (bespoke crockery). Among the other sponsors are LED Lighting SA and YOCO.

Besides the MasterChef South Africa Season 5 premiere episodes on S3 on Saturdays at 19:30, there will be a rebroadcast on S3 on Sundays at 18:30 and SABC 2 on Wednesdays at 18:00.

The 20 MasterChef South Africa Season 5 contestants will be announced soon.

Be part of the MasterChef social media conversation using the hashtag #masterchefsa.

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Twitter: @sa_masterchef

TikTok: @masterchef.sa

Johannesburg, 19 June 2024 – S3 announces the return of the prestigious Miss South Africa pageant that will broadcast live on the channel on the 10th of August 2024 at 20:00, preceded by the red carpet at 19:30.

For the second time in a row, Crown Chasers will lead the viewers to the main event, placing Miss South Africa contestants in real-life scenarios for the next six weeks. The weekly challenges are based on the four pillars of Miss South Africa – duty, championship, empowerment and beauty, introducing a challenge winner after every episode.

As a lead-up to the main event, the channel launches this year’s Miss South Africa reality show, Crown Chasers will start on Saturday, 29 June 2024, at 20:30, to be hosted by the reigning Miss South Africa, Natasha Joubert.

“I am delighted that my first opportunity to host a television show is with Crown Chasers. I have always wanted to step into the hosting and presenting space – one day I would love to be a sports presenter – so my goal has always been to get experience in the television field. Although hosting has not always been easy and has been challenging at times, I am growing more confident as filming progresses, and I am becoming more comfortable. This is something I am going to pursue after my reign ends in August.” – Natasha Joubert.

In addition, at the end of each thrilling episode, the judges will vote off one of the contestants, with those remaining going through to participate in the live grand finale at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria in August.

Leandie Du  Randt returns as a resident judge, with media personality Lerato Kganyago as a co-judge. The two will be joined by a celebrity guest judge every week.

Du Randt is delighted to return to the series: “It is such an honour. I love this reality show because it gives those taking part the opportunity to see what will be expected of them if they are crowned Miss South Africa. The challenges and tests they will go through during the show is a true test of what will be expected of them.”

Her excitement is matched by new judge Kganyago: “It feels amazing and surreal to be a resident judge for Crown Chasers. It is like coming full circle for me, having taken part in pageants myself. Being part of a show that celebrates and empowers women is something I hold very close to my heart. I’m thrilled and humbled to help guide these incredible contestants on their journey. I hope to positively contribute to the show with my experience as someone who’s been in their shoes. I understand the pressures and the dreams these women have. I will offer support, honest feedback and a lot of heart. My goal is to help the contestants to find their true potential and shine as their authentic selves,” she says.

“Last year, S3 introduced Crown Chasers, a lead into the Miss South Africa pageant to the channel offering, which saw the channel reaching the 1 million viewers mark, a commendable achievement. We look forward to better achievements this year and have a few surprises in store for the S3 audiences with the new season. S3 wishes all the Miss SA hopefuls good luck with their journey, and can not wait to see who reaches the finals”. – S3 Channel Head: Sane Zondi.

For more information and interview opportunities, contact the S3 Publicity office.

Channel your inner strength with Crown Chasers on Saturdays at 20:30,  The live broadcast of Miss South Africa 2024 is on the 10th  of August at 20:00, kicking off with the Red Carpet at 19:30. The Miss SA Crown Chasers and the Miss SA main event will also be available on SABC Plus. SABC+ is available for download from Apple and Android App Stores.

For media enquiries

Caroline Phalakatshela

Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment

072 382 2032/ phalakatshelamc@sabc.co.za

Johannesburg, 5 June 2024 – In an ongoing partnership between S3 and BBC, the channel announces the titles set to broadcast from the 6th of June 2024.  

The shows form part of the new offering from a hand-picked selection of award-winning dramas, factual entertainment and documentaries.  

S3 viewers can look forward to more intense drama in Critical, featuring award-winning actor and screenwriter Lennie James starring alongside Catherine Walker, Sheri Sadd, Peter Sullivan and Kimberley Nixon in this thirteen-part series set in a gleaming new Major Trauma Centre that only deals with the most serious cases. Critical will broadcast on Mondays to Wednesdays at 21:00 from the 11th of June 2024.

Lennie James is Glen Boyle, a trauma surgeon with a background in combat medicine called by Fiona Lomas, a middle-level emergency doctor, to a beautiful modern hospital to save its ultra high-tech but malfunctioning trauma unit.  Critical is an emotional roller-coaster ride as an emergency medical team battles through the vital first hour of care to save lives that hang in the balance. Glen and Fiona are challenged across the series to weld a disparate bunch of personalities into a crack life-saving team against the opposition of senior doctor Clive Archerfield. Their task is hugely complicated. Glen and Fiona are on the verge of marriage to a senior obstetrician in the hospital and have a dark and secret romantic past.

On Thursdays at 21:00, the channel continues with its BBC Prime documentaries, Men For Sale: Life Of A Male Escort on the 6th, following an exposé on the unseen world of male escorts, where wealthy single women pay younger men for companionship and sexual relations. Meet the young men vying for the attention of well-off women online. It is a competitive arena where women promise to lavish their male escorts with expensive gifts and lots of money in return for intercourse, dates and devotion. Some of the men seem to be in control of the power dynamic. Others are just desperate to pay their bills. How binding are the contracts these young men sign; what happens if an escort cheats on his ‘sugar mummy,’ is there any room for romance?

This World: Frat Boys on Thursday the 13th looks into America’s college fraternities that are notorious for hard drinking and hard partying but also being accused of fostering a culture of brutality and sexual assault. During one term at the University of Central Florida, the programme follows the life of a group of frat boys as they embark on the pledging process when recruits have to prove themselves before they can become fraternity brothers. Most are joining because fraternities provide access to an influential network of alumnus throughout the US. But each year, students die or get injured in barbaric initiation rituals, known as hazing, and some argue that the fraternity system allows sexual assaults to occur during drunken campus parties.

On the 20th of June, the documentary The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side Of Cool investigates allegations of exploitation and abuse at the top of one of America’s big fashion brands. Former CEO Mike Jeffries transformed Abercrombie and Fitch from a failing retail chain to a multi-billion-dollar empire and the epitome of cool. Now, after months of painstaking investigation, Panorama speaks to men on being recruited into a dark world, created to satisfy the sexual fantasies of Jeffries and his British partner Matthew Smith. Silenced for years by the fear of breaking non-disclosure agreements, these men describe feeling exploited and traumatised by their experiences. One high-profile American lawyer has called for prosecutors to investigate.

Nigeria’s Female Suicide Bombers explores one of the world’s deadliest terrorist groups, Boko Haram. Its shocking tactics include the mass kidnapping of schoolgirls and the use of female suicide bombers. In North East Nigeria, Stacey Dooley meets a woman kidnapped by Boko Haram at the age of 13 and forced to marry three times before being sent on a bombing mission. Astonishingly, she escaped to tell her painful story. Another believed in Boko Haram’s ideology and volunteered for a suicide-bombing mission. Fate intervened, and she survived. Now separated from Boko Haram, she is trying to re-integrate into a society of people she was once willing to kill.

The second block of  BBC Primetime every Thursday at 22:00 will close off with award-winning filmmaker Louis Theroux’s series of investigative features.

In Louis Theroux: Selling Sex on the 6th of June, Louis Theroux interviews women legally providing sexual services in exchange for money. Louis looks at how they use technology to share photos, make bookings and vet potential clients – making the exchange more accessible and, some argue, safer than the illegal alternatives. Many still believe selling sex is exploitative and damaging. Others feel it can be a valid, empowering choice. In this film, Louis explores whether selling sexual act can ever be a healthy way to make money.

Louis Theroux: Life On The Edge takes viewers through 25 years of documentary-making with this candid and fascinating retrospective. The documentary will revisit the best and strangest moments in Louis Theroux’s celebrated TV career. Utilising his own home movie footage and news archives, Louis also tracks past contributors to find out whether their lives have settled down – or spiralled off in even more surprising directions. And for the very first time, Louis puts himself in the spotlight. With his trademark wit, the famous filmmaker discusses the unique challenges of documentary making and the invaluable lessons he’s learned about human psychology.

S3 viewers will embark on a trip of a lifetime, as the BBC’s acclaimed Natural History Unit takes us on a spectacular polar expedition into a breathtaking landscape most humans will never experience in Frozen Planet on Sundays at 18:30 from the 9^th of June 2024. Ambitious and epic in scale, this landmark series is the ultimate portrait of the great wildernesses of the Arctic and Antarctic before they change forever. Narrated by world renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Frozen Planet has taken new technology to the most extreme and remote parts of our planet, capturing groundbreaking imagery as camera teams go deep under the ice into a magical world of giants, plunge into the heart of an erupting polar volcano and fly to the South Pole across the Antarctic ice cap. Get closer than ever before to the lives of charismatic animal characters and witness extraordinary examples of survival against the odds.

Channel your inner detective with the new BBC Primetime content block on S3 weekdays.

For media enquiries

Caroline Phalakatshela

Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment

072 382 2032/ phalakatshemamcsabc.co.za  

Leading lady Jessica Nkosi is well-known for holding audiences in the palm of her hand, playing tenacious telenovela characters – whether it’s the regal Qondi in Isibaya or The Queen’s ruthless crime world royal, Thando. For her latest television stint, however, the multiple award-winning actress and presenter picked a fun character designed to have kids – and adults with a sweet tooth – scream with joy.

Jessica was indeed the A-list celebrity pretending to be The Masked Singer, South Africa’s cute supercool Ice Cream.

In the latest edition of Mzansi’s craziest guessing game and singing contest, Owl, Ice Cream, Bue Crane, Boombox and Gold belted it out for a spot in the next round, the Top 8. Meanwhile, the show’s detective panel – J’Something, Sithelo Shozi, Somizi Mhlongo and Skhumba Hlophe – brought in an extra pair of eyes to help them identify the culprits behind the masks. These piercing peepers belonged to the country’s top investigative journalist, Devi Sankaree Govender, who gained first-hand experience in Masked Singer deception tricks as Season 1’s Watermelon.

Yet, if it were up to Devi, Ice Cream would remain a cold case. Instead, supersleuths Sithelo and Somizi detected that Jessica was the one melting hearts from inside the supersized soft-serve cone. Devi and J’Something guessed that Ice Cream was Thando Thabethe, while Skhumba mentioned comedian Tumi Morake. 

In fact, Ice Cream brought Sithelo a double scoop of delight this week. Not only was Sithelo the first detective to put forward Jessica’s name, but Ice Cream entertained the audience with “Forever”, the song DJ Sithelo wrote and performed with Skye Wanda in 2019. “That’s my girl!” Sithelo shouted while Ice Cream bopped to her energetic tune.

From Ice Cream’s obscure clue package leading to her performance, the detectives could only gauge that Ice Cream was possibly an actress who could play many parts but that she was probably also a mother whose most fulfilling role was looking after her children. That’s why Devi initially thought Ice Cream might be Cindy Mahlangu from Scandal.

At this stage, body language expert Somizi was still hovering between Linda Mtoba and Jessica, as he was convinced that Ice Cream’s dance moves originated in KZN.

But then, an additional Ice Cream set of clues, presented in Cognito by the frozen dessert’s manager, left the detectives with a brain freeze. Ice Cream’s manager pointed out that her favourite time of the year is Christmas when she goes all out with the celebrations. Furthermore, they heard that Ice Cream might be in high demand in her career, but her family is the softest part of her heart.

Once all five masked singers set the stage alight, it was the studio audience’s turn to vote for their favourite. With that, Blue Crane spread her beautiful wings to the next round alongside precious Gold. Then, the detective panel huddled to decide which of the remaining three costumed characters they would save. They granted Owl the opportunity to hoot for another day, leaving Boombox and Ice Cream in the danger zone.

Eventually, Ice Cream had to pop out of her costume, but first, the detectives had one more chance to lock in their final guesses.

Still slightly confused, they delved deep into their notes from all of Ice Cream’s heart-melting performances and the clues she dripped along the way.

Of course, Sithelo put all the pieces of the delicious puzzle together. In a previous episode, Ice Cream let slip that she has received many accolades, including a prize at the horses. She also hailed from the valley of the Thousand Hills and was a doting mother. For Sithelo, all these clues screamed one name: Jessica Nkosi.

Somizi was on the same Jessica page, but Devi joined J’Someehing in deducting that Ice Cream was Thando Thabethe. Devi changed her mind following the hints of Ice Cream’s Christmas celebrations. Still, Skhumba stuck to Tumi Morake, the name he had written down several times during the competition.

Once Ice-Cream was unmasked, KZN girl Sithelo confessed: “I could feel her. I could feel Durban.”

Jessica thanked a defeated J’Something, who never came close to guessing that she was Ice Cream, for praising the tone of her voice and couldn’t wait for her kids to find out that she was on The Masked Singer South Africa. “My daughter was obsessed with the show’s first season, and she’ll be so surprised that Ice Cream was her mommy.”

Jessica’s daughter and fans will see her on television again soon. On Saturday, she will be the celebrity in the hot seat playing for charity on Deal or No Deal South Africa.

Proudly sponsored by AndolexÒ, The Masked Singer South Africa is screened on S3 on Saturdays at 18:30. The rebroadcasts are on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and S3 on Fridays at 18:00. 

The seventh South African superstar showing face on S3’s spectacular mystery singing contest, The Masked Singer South Africa, was Banayana Banyana and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini.

The famous shot-stopper, also fondly known as “Sticks”, kept her identity intact right until the studio audience gave host Mpho Popps the green light to see who was at the end of this radiant Rainbow, sporting the most beautiful voice. 

Even though Skhumba and Somizi dribbled on the soccer field, neither these two distinguished detectives nor their bloodhound colleagues, J’Something and Sithelo Shozi, could unravel Rainbow’s true colours when locking in their final guesses.

Despite mentioning Andile’s “spiritual sister” and mentor, former Banyana Banyana captain Amanda Dlamini, as a possibility, Skhumba settled on Rainbow being muso Toya Delazy. At the same time, Somizi picked our current national team leader, Thembi Kgatlana. However, Sithelo and J’Something’s guesses, Pabi Moloi and Nandi Madida, entirely missed the sticks.

After two rounds of undercover song and dance, this week’s episode marked a milestone on The Masked Singer South Africa calendar, showcasing five of the top ten masked celebrities. In this phase of the competition, there are no more head-to-heads. Instead, the celebrities hiding inside the dazzling costumes all fight on equal terms in their quest to stay anonymous. 

So, Rainbow tried to outshine Diamond, Butterfly, Giraffe and Mielie, while next week’s showdown will see Gold, Ice Cream, Blue Crane, and Owl battling it out to keep their identity under wraps.

From the moment Rainbow lit up the stage at the start of the season with a rendition of “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, this exceptional singer tangled the detective panel’s minds. For starters, although the voice seemingly belonged to a female star, Rainbow’s mannerisms appeared masculine.

Rainbow’s second performance of “Rock3t” by Madism and J’Something’s Micasa raised the detetives’ state of confusion even higher. Added to the binary mix, Rainbow’s clue package contained references to food, a home with multiple stars and a supportive mother.

Then, after Rainbow’s swan song this week, detective Sithelo sighed that in this complex case, “the guessing game just gets worse” as more clues are revealed. Skhumba also acknowledged that Rainbow was the most difficult Mask they faced in the history of The Masked Singer South Africa.  

In the video filled with clues leading in Rainbow’s electrifying performance of “So sick” by Neo, the multi-coloured creature, filmed pumping iron in a gym, shared info about being a leader who works well in a team, resulting in being able to work with many of her heroes. Yet, the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela, was – and is – her ultimate hero. Whilst receiving some medals, Rainbow conveyed that she’s regarded as one of the best in her field.

Sithelo ascertained from these hints that Rainbow was a fitness bunny, and Somizi was dead sure they were dealing with an athlete. Still, Somizi couldn’t marry the name that popped up for him at this stage, namely Caster Semenya, with Rainbow’s angelic voice.

Helping the clues detectives out of their misery, Rainbow’s brother – with his face concealed, of course – appeared on screen with more facts about his sibling. He spoke about Rainbow’s competitive nature, preparing obsessively for everything she sets out to do. But what was the significance of the hair dryer in Brother Rainbow’s video?

In the end, when the studio audience voted for their favourites, Giraffe and Diamond came out tops. The detectives saved Mielie afterwards, leaving Butterfly and Rainbow awaiting their fate.

As Andile dropped her Rainbow mask, Somizi, raving about her voice, immediately encouraged her to record music. J’Something agreed about being blown away by her performance of his song, “Rocket”.

With that, J’Something joined Andile on stage to perform the hit song.

Afterwards, Andile confessed backstage that sharing the spotlight with J’Something was a dream come true ,and she even shed some tears of joy.

The celebrated goalkeeper plans to follow J’Something and Somizi’s advice to further her singing career. “I am glad I could have such an amazing journey with this beautiful mask representing my community,” Andile said. “It also showed my flipside. Besides my soccer talent, I am also a musician. The show has been an incredible platform to explore and showcase my other talent.”

The Masked Singer South Africa Season 2, proudly sponsored by AndolexÒ, is screened on S3 on Saturdays at 18:30. The rebroadcasts are on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and S3 on Fridays at 18:00.

To commemorate the seventh South African General Elections, S3 is pleased to announce the launch of The Big Debate on Thursdays at 18:00, from 9 May 2024.

This special edition of The Big Debate is South Africa’s top town hall debate, running for 15 years and the highest profile to date as it coincides with the national elections.

The Big Debate gives a platform to South Africans to talk about their experiences of 30 years of democracy, looking for solutions and accountability from our leaders. The show aims to give South Africans from every walk of life a voice in shaping our shared future. The show will give people of all cultures, ages, and identities across South Africa a chance to contribute to a national conversation from race and identity, leadership, equality and socioeconomic rights to climate change and the energy crisis.

This season of The Big Debate will be hosted by leading radio and television news anchor Thembekile Mrototo. Thembekile will drive the conversations, hosting political leaders, government ministers, social activists, and other experts.

“I’m thrilled to have been asked to host this important season of The Big Debate. As South Africa marks 30 years of democracy and we hold what could be our most important elections, this is still the best platform for dialogue to unpack and even try to find solutions to our many problems. My goal going into the season is to hold the powerful to account whilst ensuring that all voices at the table are heard.” – Thembekile Mrototo.

For more information and interview opportunities, contact S3 Publicity.

Don’t miss The Big Debate every Thursday at 18:00. Starting 9 May 2024, on S3, simulcast on SABC News channel 404 and SABC+.

It’s no secret that mixed martial arts fighter Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis can pack a punch in the world sports arena, but who would have thought that South Africa’s first-ever holder of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) belt, also sported some mighty vocal cords? Most definitely not the detectives on duty at The Masked Singer South Africa!

Since Wildebeest opened Season 2 of the fun-filled singing contest five weeks ago with a spectacular performance of “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams, the show’s supersleuths – J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe – had no clue who the celebrity behind the mask could be.

Hence, the jaws dropped when it was revealed this week that Wildebeest’s beautiful husky voice belonged to national hero Dricus.

After surviving the grueling first round of unmaskings, six costumed characters returned to The Masked Singer South Africa this week for Round 2 of trying to keep their anonymity intact. Butterfly faced Mielie, whereafter Wildebeest tackled Diamond and Rainbow took on Giraffe.

The detectives found Wildebeest’s video clue package leading into his Round 2 performance of “Counting Stars” by One Republic just as confusing as the hints he dropped previously. This time, Wildebeest confessed that he had something in common with the CEO of SpaceX and that his family roots are in the land of the croissants.

J’Something, who raved about Wildebeest’s voice throughout the season and even wondered if he might be a rock star, was perplexed by the Elon Musk comparison. Was he a CEO? And why all the references to space? So, J’Something’s wild guess was that Wildebeest was Mark Shuttleworth.

Instead of unravelling the obscure clues, Sithelo and Skhumba dissected the mask-in-question’s dance moves, concluding that they were dealing with a white Wildebeest. So, combining this info with all four of the detectives’ first-round assumption that this celebrity is a rugby player, Sithelo considered World Cup winners Francois Pienaar and Faf de Klerk. Meanwhile, Skhumba named another Springbok, Pieter-Steph du Toit.

Showcasing his “command” of the Afrikaans language hilariously, Somizi put all the supposed pieces of the puzzle together. Wildebeest plays rugby for France, the land of the croissants and the Eiffel Tower, and is called Paul Willemse.

Unfortunately, Wildebeest soon found himself far away from France in the danger zone alongside Butterfly and Rainbow.  

When the judges could rescue one of the three endangered Masks, Somizi disclosed that he had been a fan of Wildebeest. However, the foursome finally decided that Rainbow could shine for another day. 

Thereafter, the audience vote determined the fate of Butterfly and Wildebeest, with Butterfly flying to the next round.

Before Wildebeest had to drop his horns, the detectives had one more chance to guess who had been kicking up such a storm on stage.

Delving into their notebooks, looking at their scribbles from previous episodes, the detectives remembered that Wildebeest had mentioned a “nose job” before. So, J’Something and Somizi locked in Kwagga Smith. Sithelo stuck to Faf de Klerk, and Skhumba settled on Pierre Spies.

Of course, it was a massive surprise when world champ Dricus emerged from behind the mask.

Dricus described his time on The Masked Singer South Africa as “awesome” and “so much fun.”

“I love music. I sing a lot in the shower, and I sing a lot in the car, so I thought, ‘let me get out of my comfort zone and take this car singing to the world’. And I loved being Wildebeest. It was a spot-on outfit for me,” he said.

The Masked Singer South Africa, proudly sponsored by Andolex®, airs on S3 on Saturdays at 18:30. There are rebroadcasts on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00 and on S3 on Fridays at 18:00