Twelve hopefuls will take on the ultimate baking challenge in a chance to wow chefs Siba Mtongana and Paul Hartmann and at the end, be crowned South Africa's best amateur baker.
“The Great South African Bake Off” season four kicks off on Wednesday, August 9, on BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel 174) at 8pm.
Hosted by comedians Lesego Tlhabi aka “Coconut Kelz” and Glen Biderman-Pam, viewers are guaranteed of a fun-filled offering. But first, lets meet the contestants.
Amber Govender
Hailing from Alberton, Govender’s favourite bakes are cakes and breads. She finds making pastries most difficult.
Describing her time in the competition, she said: “The other bakers would describe me and the stressed one. I was always stressing about everything! I expected the time not to be a problem because I’m quite a fast baker but the time in the bake off tent goes so fast you don’t even realise it.”
Chikomborero “Chiko” Chiobvu
This investment and research analyst from Pretoria loves visiting farmer’s markets, golf, reading, crochet, hiking, tennis, bake blogging.
She loves baking cakes and breads, but it is baking biscuits that she finds challenging.
She said: “Others would call me the ‘just in time baker’ as I often left things to the 11th hour. One show-stopper was such a huge expectation vs reality fail. I still feel the need to apologize to the whole nation of Mozambique for that one 😂😂.”
Dwight Morton
Aircraft quality control manager, Morton is dubbed the naughty baker.
He describes himself as clueless but very technical. He loves baking novelty cakes, wedding cakes, puff pastries, and finds baking bread difficult.
Faizal Meyer
A Durbanite, Meyer is the sassy-jokester who brought light and laughter to the tent and completely “winged it” at times of adversity. He loves baking cakes, pastries, cookies, biscuits and tarts, but struggles with bread and macarons.
He said: “I expected the competition to be intense and fierce; however, all the bakers were so friendly, welcoming and ready to share tips and ideas on how to make our bakes better.
“We formed a family-like environment that I wouldn't change for anything!”
Johan van Gass
Despite being dubbed as the “serious” baker, Van Gass had a fun-filled time in the tent.
The professional accountant said: “My expectation was that it was a lot of fun, but in the end it was even more fun than I could have imagined.”
His favourite bakes are bread, cakes, pudding, dessert, cookies and rusks. His most challenging discipline was puff pastries.
Matshele “Matty” Molaoli
Hailing from Joburg, Molaoli is the group’s “dancing and singing” baker. During the season she enjoyed baking breads and cakes and was challenged by pastries.
She said: “I thought I’d be as comfortable as I am in my kitchen, quite a shocker when baking with a limited time frame … man was I wrong.”
Mariza Mundow
Cape Town home-maker, Mundow enjoyed baking bread, cakes, tarts, cheesecakes, pies and puff pastries during the competition while making macarons tested her limits.
Mia Steenekamp
This season, Steenekamp is the “anxious” baker with a very high expectation of herself.
“I knew I was going to be challenged, especially on time, but never realised how I'd be racing against the clock! It was heart-stopping, heart-racing stuff,” she said.
She enjoyed baking cakes and sourdough bread but struggled with pastries and tarts.
Molebatsi Moagi
This database and systems administrator, who hails from Randfontein, loves playing the piano, listening to music and writing.
On his time in the tent, he said: “I was always trying new and outlandish flavours and techniques. I am now referred to as ‘The Flavour King’ in our bakers group chat.”
Nomahlubi “Hlubi” Gcilishe
This season the Joburg-based Gcilishe will keep viewers entertained as she talks to herself during bakes.
“I’m described as the ‘monologue baker’ on account that I always speaking to myself during the bake, and I’m not sure my neighbours in the tent appreciated it. LOL!
“Then, ‘Last Minute Louisa’ was another name I took on. I was scrambling till the very last minute!”
Rizwana Adam
This season Adam is referred to as the “helpful dark-humoured baker”. The Midrand-based attorney and personal trainer enjoyed baking cakes, biscuits and breads.
Taking away a valuable lesson she said: “Things won’t go as planned no matter how much you practice!”
Xolile Makutoana
He is the season’s “improviser”. He said the competition is “definitely not as easy as it seems”
“I expected it would be a cruise experience, as this is something we do or familiar with in our lives. In reality it was a competition that required mental discipline, a huge amount of time and dedication. Definitely not a holiday 🙂.”