Andrew “Benjie” Benjamin, a 40-year-old hazardous high-voltage electricity transmission line worker from Kimberley, won MasterChef South Africa and its R1 million prize, defeating Durban finalist Candice Meth in a three-course final that tested technical skill and composure under pressure. He is the first contestant from the Northern Cape to claim the title.
The final gave both competitors 120 minutes to prepare three courses reflecting their journeys across the entire competition. Benjamin’s menu moved from a pan-fried salmon starter with leeks and white wine sauce, through a pork belly main with fennel and apple purées, mushy peas and red wine jus, to a dessert of meringue, vanilla sponge, raspberry coulis, chocolate crème pâtissière and vanilla ice cream. Judge Zola Nene said the pork belly belonged in a fine-dining restaurant.
Execution under the clock was not without risk. Benjamin’s decision to bake the apples to deepen their flavor pushed him behind schedule during the final service. He completed all three courses before time expired, giving the judges a full menu to evaluate. They praised the cooking of his salmon and the flavor balance and presentation of the pork belly. The dessert held together and secured the title.
Benjamin had entered the season competing against 19 other home cooks. Judges Justine Drake and Zola Nene identified him early as a “dark horse,” praising his focus and calm demeanor. He won Dish of the Day in the second episode and accumulated seven challenge victories across the season, earning a 10-minute advantage heading into the final round.
By day, he maintains hazardous high-voltage electricity transmission lines, work that demands the same precision and composure the judges repeatedly noted in his cooking. The two disciplines are not as far apart as they might appear.
Several dishes stood out across the season. His transformation of two-minute noodles into “Crêpes Suzette Benjette” became Chef Katlego Mlambo’s stated favorite Benjamin dish of the competition. A lamb pie impressed London-based guest judge Chef Nokx Majozi, known as the “Queen of Pies.” During the season’s celebration of South African food heritage, he won an additional R100,000.
Benjamin had nearly not entered at all, held back by self-doubt. His victory now places him as a visible representative of Northern Cape culinary talent at a national level, a province whose cooking traditions have rarely featured on competition platforms of this scale. “We can make great food and compete with the best in the rest of the country,” he said, pointing to the province’s range of flavors and traditions.
He plans to put the R1 million toward home renovations and to reward the family members who supported him through the competition. Whether his win opens a sustained pipeline of Northern Cape competitors onto national platforms remains the question his province will be watching.