Electrician crowned MasterChef champion with R1m win

From a kitchen dream to national title, Andrew “Benji” Benjamin has gone from working as a high-voltage electrician in the Northern Cape to being crowned the winner of MasterChef South Africa Season 6.

The 40-year-old Kimberley native brought tenacity, grit and nerves of steel to the kitchen throughout the season, remaining calm under pressure even as the competition heated up.

His victory is the culmination of a journey of a home cook who refused to put his ultimate dream on hold, with Benjamin saying the moment means showing his children and family that “it is possible to reach for your dreams and to achieve those dreams”.

“There was a time when I thought that I wouldn’t make it even past episode two. And my wife encouraged me to stay on there. ‘And just see, take it one episode at a time and see how far you’re going to get’,” Benjamin says.

He went plate-to-plate with charismatic Durbanite Candice Meth, a mother of three and health-care risk management team leader, in a closely fought finale.

“I don’t think there’s a word to describe how thankful I would be for that opportunity that I was given to enter this competition. To show my family and community that it is possible, even though you might think that your age and stuff will be a problem, there is time, and now is the time to act on those things,” he says.

The composed “Benji Baby”, as he was nicknamed by the judges, attributes his demure approach in the kitchen to his high-voltage career as an electrician.

“It was Justine [Drake] who started calling me by that nickname. I’m not so sure because everyone perceives me as this calm guy when I’m busy cooking and that I’m not under stress, but I am actually under stress. I don’t really show it,” he says.

He joins the crop of previous titleholders, including Deena Naidoo, Kamini Pather, Roxi Wardman, Shawn Godfrey and Bridget Mangwandi.

“My calm in certain situations and my work actually contributed a lot. There are steps and things you have to take when it comes to electricity, and you have to be careful and keep other people’s safety in mind as well. So I’m always mindful of others, and you must always remain calm in certain situations,” he says.

Benjamin’s love for cooking was first sparked by his grandmother, who taught him the foundations of cooking while he helped her in the kitchen. He later dreamt of attending culinary school and becoming a professional chef, but limited funds meant he had to put that ambition on hold until his love for cooking found its way back into his life on the small screen.

“I grew up with my grandmother, and I had to assist her from time to time in the kitchen, and that’s where I learnt to cook. When I was growing up, I wanted to go to culinary school, but funds were limited,” he says.

“When I started working, I was alone most of the time and there I started cooking again. That’s where my love for cooking started growing.”

“Many people can relate to me as the guy that would always puts his own goal aside to focus and assist others. And you never have time. But I’m fortunate enough to have a partner and family that supported me through this journey.