The search for South Africa’s next culinary star is officially underway as The Taste Master Junior returns for a second season. 12 of the country’s most passionate young foodies are set to show off their skills under the guidance of celebrity chef Zola Nene and master baker Fritz Schoon.
Each of these contestants bring a unique blend of creativity, dedication, and youthful energy to The Taste Master Junior kitchen. As the new season officially kicks off, here are the aspiring chefs ready to make their mark this season:
Kimberly Porter
Age: 14
City: Midrand
Kimberly is a vibrant teen with a passion for all things food. Inspired by her parents, she’s been cooking since the age of six and is always experimenting with new dishes, from baking to pickling. She loves spaghetti Bolognese and chicken with veggies, and her biggest pride is seeing how much she has grown in the kitchen year after year.
Arona Yster
Age: 14
City: Krugersdorp
Passionate about cooking and baking, Arona finds joy in both the kitchen and on the netball court. Inspired by her mom’s creativity, she dreams of using food to bring warmth to others. Her favourite dish is pasta with prawns, and she once helped cater a wedding for more than 100 guests — a moment that cemented her love for cooking.
Sarah Flowers
Age: 14
City: Pretoria
Sarah is a born creative, balancing a love for painting, dancing, writing, and cooking. She grew up in front of the camera and brings plenty of sparkle to everything she does. She loves cooking boeber and dumplings, and making dumplings from scratch stands out as her proudest kitchen achievement.
Aphiwe Sithole
Age: 17
City: Germiston
Aphiwe’s passion was sparked in Consumer Studies class, and his mother’s encouragement inspired him to embrace food as more than just a skill. When he’s not in the kitchen, he’s outdoors cycling with his dad. Shepherd’s pie is his favourite dish to make, and stepping into The Taste Master Junior kitchen is already his greatest milestone.
Tshenolo Chimuka
Age: 17
City: Johannesburg
Known as Nolo or Tshetshe to friends and family, Tshenolo is a guitar player and maths lover who finds joy in baking and cooking. Inspired by food shows and supported by his family, he loves preparing meat dishes and once pulled off a full family meal solo — a moment that boosted his confidence and love for food.
Joy Nxumalo
Age: 16
City: Pretoria West
Joy grew up cooking alongside her grandmother and mother, both of whom shaped her passion for food. With dreams rooted in faith and family, she loves making mac and cheese with mince and cherishes the memory of catering for her family and seeing the joy her cooking brought them.
Matthew Harvey
Age: 16
City: Steinkopf
Matthew discovered his passion during lockdown through Fatima Sydow’s YouTube recipes, which inspired him to start cooking seriously. A fast learner with big dreams, he loves preparing lasagna and is proud of starting his own food-selling hustle to earn pocket money and build confidence.
Leandri Joubert
Age: 15
City: Pretoria
Leandri is a baking enthusiast who dreams of studying culinary arts and opening her own café one day. She started with two-minute noodles and grew to love creating pasta dishes and baked treats. Her proudest achievement is bringing smiles to her loved ones through her cooking.
Rorisang Moloi
Age: 15
City: Sebokeng
Bright and creative, Rorisang sees food as a way to express herself. She started by helping her mom and granny in the kitchen and now loves experimenting with both traditional recipes and bold new dishes. Steak Diane is her favourite to cook, and preparing a big family meal gave her the confidence to dream bigger.
Tyler Robinson
Age: 17
City: Cape Town
Cooking runs in Tyler’s blood thanks to his chef dad, who owns a restaurant. Determined to follow in his footsteps, Tyler dreams of becoming an executive chef. His favourite dishes are Beef Wellington and carbonara pasta, and one of his proudest moments was creating a three-course school breakfast that earned him high praise.
Kodi Bertish
Age: 15
City: Cape Town
Adventurous and creative, Kodi’s passions include surfing, photography, and cooking. Inspired by his mom and nana in Scotland, he loves tapas-style food like pork potstickers and baking cupcakes from family recipes. His proudest kitchen achievement is a festive mozzarella-and-thyme Christmas tree starter.
Isaiah Jaganathan
Age: 16
City: Johannesburg
Isaiah’s love for cooking began with his grandmother, who introduced him to the kitchen as a child. Outside of cooking, he enjoys music, board games, and spending time with friends. He loves bold flavours, especially Mexican food, and his proudest moment was preparing an entire Christmas dinner for his family on his own.
Season two of The Taste Master Junior is set to showcase South Africa’s brightest young culinary talents as they chop, stir, and plate their way to glory. With their creativity, determination, and passion, these contestants are ready to prove that the future of food is in excellent hands.
Chipo Kamukwamba, Brand Manager at Clover, adds “We’re thrilled to once again partner with The Taste Master Junior, a show that celebrates imagination, confidence, and the simple joy of food. At Clover, we believe that great meals create connections, and there’s no better way to inspire future chefs than by giving them a platform to shine. Supporting this journey allows us to be part of moments where children discover their creativity, grow their skills, and show that food is about far more than recipes, it’s about passion, family, and fun.”
Watch new episodes of The Taste Master Junior Season 2, brought to you by Clover, airs every Tuesday at 7:30pm on SABC2, with repeats every Wednesday at 1pm and Sunday at 4pm.
For more information, visit www.thetastemaster.co.za and make sure you follow The Taste Master SA on Facebook, Instagram,TikTok and X.
