Primedia Studios and Homebrew Films are moving the cooking reality show MasterChef South Africa from SABC to e.tv. The show’s sixth season will debut on Sunday evenings starting in early 2026.
Today marks the opening of entries for Season 6, which will remain open until October 16.
The new season will use a fully equipped competitors’ kitchen located at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town. This transition follows the previous season of MasterChef SA and a second season of Celebrity MasterChef SA, which aired on SABC3.
The custom-designed kitchen and pantry, built at a cost of millions of rand for the fifth season, will continue to serve as the backdrop for the upcoming season on e.tv. The new episodes will also be shown on eMedia’s eReality and eExtra channels, available on Openview.
MasterChef SA is scheduled to air on e.tv at 18:00 on Sunday nights, beginning in early 2026. The trio of judges will be revealed soon, and filming for the new season is expected to commence towards the end of the year.
The show’s switch to e.tv represents a unique and rare milestone in South African television history. MasterChef SA will achieve the remarkable feat of having aired as an original local production across all three major South African TV networks – M-Net (MultiChoice’s DStv), SABC, and now e.tv.
Additionally, veteran publicist Lani Lombard, who played a pivotal role during the show’s tenure at M-Net and transitioned over to Primedia Studios for its SABC run, will take on media liaison responsibilities for MasterChef SA during its time on e.tv, marking her involvement across all three platforms.
TV executive Jan du Plessis, president of Primedia Studios, has overseen MasterChef SA through its various phases, from M-Net to SABC to e.tv, solidifying his integral role in this journey.
With this shift, the MasterChef SA brand will gain exposure to South Africa’s coveted pay-TV audience, the broader reach of the public broadcaster, and the substantial commercial free-to-air audience provided by e.tv.
Helga Palmer, e.tv’s Group Head of Content and Strategy, remarked, “MasterChef is a delightful and thrilling television experience featuring all the elements our viewers cherish—exhilarating action, suspense, high-stakes drama, and unforgettable moments.” She added, “The South African version, infused with local culinary flavours, has proven to be a successful recipe, and e.tv is the ideal platform for this exciting format.”
