| Genre: | Reality |
| Creator: | Justin Bonello |
| Director: | Season 8 - Geoffrey Butler |
| Country: | South Africa |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 8 |
| Producer: | Megan Tinkler |
| Cinematography: | Sunel Haasbroek |
| Last Aired: | present |
The Ultimate Braai Master is a South African reality cooking competition television series created and hosted by Justin Bonello.[1] The first season premiered on 13 September 2012. The first three seasons aired on SABC 3 before switching to e.tv.[2] As of season 7, the series is also available to stream on Netflix.[3]
The series has won multiple SAFTAs with additional nominations, and 2017 numbers indicated The Ultimate Braai Master was the most popular cooking show in South Africa.[4] Judges have included Bertus Basson, Marthinus Ferreira, Petrus Madutlela, Benny Masekwameng, and Pete Goffe-Wood.[5]
In May 2021, it was announced the series would be returning that September after a break due to COVID-19, having received funding from Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality to film a contained season 7 there.[6] [7]
Teams of two, consisting of a Braai Master and a Braai Buddy, compete against each other in various braai (barbecue) challenges across 13 episodes in multiple locations. Teams are eliminated along the way and the winning team can win prizes and the title of Ultimate Braai Master.
| Season | Original run | Judges | Winning team | Braai Master | Braai Buddy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 September – 6 March 2012 | Bertus Basson Marthinus Ferreira | Who Dares, Wins | Laertes Melidonis | Elaine Ensor-Smith |
| 2 | 18 September – 18 December 2013 | Good Better Brai | Jacques Bester | Nadia Botha | |
| 3 | 11 September – 4 December 2014 | Bertus Basson Petrus Madutlela | Tikka Boys | Mohamed Yusuf Sujee | Stephen Mandes |
| 4 | 20 September – 13 December 2015 | Weskus Anna's | Piet Marais | John Grundlingh | |
| 5 | 5 February – 30 April 2017 | Benny Masekwameng Pete Goffe-Wood | Salty Flames | Chanel Marais | Nick Perfect |
| 6 | 3 February – 28 April 2018 | The Brafia | Corné "Borries" Bornman | Kagiso "Mr K" Mpinda | |
| 7 | 5 September – 18 December 2021 | Iron Tummies | Yash Singh | Taahir Abader | |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Reality Show | The Ultimate Braai Master | ||
| 2015 | |||||
| 2016 | |||||
| 2017 | |||||
| 2019 | |||||
| 2020 | Best Reality Competition Show | [8] | |||