MasterChef South Africa is moving to e.tv in 2026, and integrated marketing group Brave Group has been tapped to drive a full spectrum of marketing responsibilities. This included advertising, public relations, experiential marketing and digital innovation.
The campaign will utilise FORGE, Brave’s proprietary AI platform, to deliver data-driven insights and precision targeting whilst maintaining the authentic, culturally grounded storytelling for which both MasterChef SA and Brave Group are known.
“MasterChef South Africa represents everything we believe great storytelling should be: authentic, diverse, and deeply connected to the lived experience of South Africans,” said Musa Kalenga, chief executive of Brave Group. “This is a show that celebrates craft in its purest form, the craft of cooking, yes, but also the craft of building dreams and forging new futures. At Brave, we approach marketing with that same reverence for craft.”
A marketing force
Kalenga says Brave Group brings together strategists, storytellers, technologists and cultural architects. “When you add our proprietary AI platform, FORGE, and the full spectrum of capabilities across House of Brave, BOLD, and Bravado, you have a marketing force that can operate at the speed and scale that a property like MasterChef demands,” he said.
“What excites us most is the opportunity to connect MasterChef’s incredible stories with audiences who may be discovering the show for the first time on e.tv. Our technological prowess allows us to understand and reach South African audiences with precision, but it’s our cultural fluency that will ensure the campaign resonates authentically,” he adds. “When MasterChef South Africa says it’s ‘Made in Mzansi,’ we want every South African to feel that in their bones.”
From 2026, viewers will be able to watch all the culinary drama unfold every Sunday at 6:00 p.m. on eTV, with additional screenings on eReality and eExtra.
