Food Trail South Africa returns to Network 10 for Season 4 – South African-born Australian chef and television presenter Warren Mendes is heading back on the road for a new 10-part season of Food Trail South Africa, premiering Saturday 3 October at 3.30pm on Channel 10.
The fourth season will screen weekly and take viewers well beyond South Africa’s best-known landmarks. Food remains the entry point, but the series is also built around the chefs, producers, guides, conservationists and local communities who give each destination its character.
For Network 10, the return adds a locally produced travel and food title to its Saturday afternoon line-up. It also gives Australian viewers a practical look at the range of experiences that can sit within one South African trip, from major cities and wine regions to remote reserves, coastal communities and traditional braais.
Where Warren Mendes travels in Season 4
Across the new episodes, Mendes travels through the vast Great Karoo, the protected coastline of De Hoop Nature Reserve and Cape Town’s Constantia Valley. The itinerary also takes in Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal and the Greater Kruger.
Each stop is shaped by the people who live and work there. Local hosts introduce Mendes to regional ingredients, traditions and stories, while food provides a common thread between very different parts of the country. The programme aims to show not only South Africa’s culinary range, but also the warmth and hospitality of the communities behind it.
South African Tourism’s Regional General Manager for Australasia, Gcobani Mancotywa, said that human stories are central to the show’s appeal.
“What makes Food Trail South Africa so special is the people. Food brings joy and is an incredibly powerful way to discover the country because every dish has a story behind it, shaped by culture, community, and the people who create it.”
Mancotywa said the new season captures the warmth and hospitality for which South Africa is known, with the hope that viewers will be inspired to discover the country for themselves as well as on screen.
A series with an international audience
Season 4 follows three previous 10-episode seasons which, according to the announcement, collectively reached more than five million viewers in Australia. Earlier seasons have also screened on SBS.
The programme has travelled well beyond Australia, with broadcasts across 46 African countries as well as Japan, Poland and Canada. It has also inspired an award-winning cookbook, extending the series from television into recipes that home cooks can try for themselves.
Mendes said South Africa continues to reveal new stories even after four seasons.
“What I love about Food Trail South Africa is that there’s always another story to uncover. Even in our fourth season, South Africa continues to surprise me – with new places and new flavours I haven’t experienced before.”
He said food opens the door, but the stories people share and the connections made along the way are what bring the journey to life.
The television journey becomes a hosted tour
The new season will also be connected to a travel experience launching in 2027. Luxury Escapes will offer a Signature Series culinary tour inspired by Food Trail South Africa, hosted by Mendes alongside chef and television personality Miguel Maestre.
The hosted itinerary will give travellers the opportunity to experience some of the destinations, flavours and stories featured by the programme. It turns the on-screen journey into a bookable trip for viewers interested in following part of the food trail themselves.
About Warren Mendes and the production
Mendes is a chef, recipe writer and presenter who has collaborated with a number of Australian chefs. He is a former Food Editor of delicious. magazine and remains a contributor, while also appearing in cooking segments on Channel 10, SBS and online platforms.
Food Trail South Africa is produced by Australian company Projucer. The multiplatform producer specialises in factual, lifestyle and branded entertainment, with a focus on visually led storytelling.
Food Trail South Africa Season 4 premieres Saturday 3 October at 3.30pm on Channel 10. New episodes screen weekly and will also be available online through 10.com.au.
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