Malebogo Diraditsile, a very humble man well-known as Malome Malebogo, from his beginnings in Bona-Bona village in Kagisano Molopo Municipality in the North West province, won season 8 of 'The Ultimate Braai Master' with his childhood friend Naledi Matshitse.
Childhood friends Malebogo Diraditsile and Naledi Matshitse, also known as the 'Village Cooks, ' recently won season 8 of 'The Ultimate Braai Master'. The Ultimate Braai Master is a South African reality cooking show celebrating our diversity and favourite activity. Teams of Braai `Masters' and `Buddies’ compete on a 52-day road trip, expected to catch their food under the most challenging conditions and cook to a standard of culinary excellence that shatters stereotypes of meals from an open fire. The competition was filmed on the West Coast, Western Cape, where the Village Cooks battled it out one challenge at a time to take home the crown.
"The Ultimate Braai Master is South Africa's toughest outdoor cooking competition and has been running for seven seasons. We are in the 8th season. Contestants were tested on their cooking skills at various locations. We were called The Village Cooks. The competition was very tough, but we battled until we won the title of The Ultimate Braai Master season 8,” said Diraditsile.
In the last episode, which aired on Sunday, 30 April 2023, the remaining three teams (the Village Cooks, the Braai Bokke, and the Bird Tanners) were given five hours to prepare a five-course dining experience, drawing from the different cuisines and cultures. The contestants had to prepare a Malay-inspired fish dish, a Portuguese-inspired seafood dish, a Dutch-inspired spiced dessert, a whole English roast with all the trimmings, and a Xhosa-inspired tripe dish. But, despite stellar efforts and multiple wins on the journey to the final, the Braai Bokke and the Bird Tanners were ultimately outcooked by the Village Cooks.
Diraditsile got his inspiration from his mother, who taught him the pit cooking method, and he dazzled the judges with his skill by digging a proper hole, filling it with rock and coals, and producing an underground lamb in record time to secure their place in the final. "The passion for cooking started at the age of fifteen. I remember very well when my mother asked me to bake bread with an underground oven and cook cabbage. That is how I first learned how to knead bread for the first time. I was so excited I got to cook on my own, and to my surprise, the meal turned out perfectly," he expressed his passion for cooking.
In 2018, Diraditsile registered his company called Malebogo's Tasty Food Restaurant. His wish was for the company to run as a restaurant, but due to a lack of finance, it did not materialize. He then resorted to using it for event catering. It allowed him to cater events like weddings, parties, and lobola celebrations. He worked with companies like; Monakaladi Gardens & Wedding Venue, Empire Travel & Tours, Marang Gardens Lodge, Department of Health, and Missy M Holdings.
"From here, moving forward, I plan to start my childhood dream, to own a restaurant/bakery and, of cause sharing my cooking skills with the upcoming generation and also give back to the communities I was raised in and let young ones know it is possible and you can become anything you dream of as long as you persevere and focus,” he concluded.
