32, Auditor, WA

Growing up in a big family in Zimbabwe and then South Africa, Ralph Kahango moved to Australia aged 17 and focussed on his studies, going on to achieve his Master of Accounting.

Working for five years as a government auditor and kicking professional goals, Ralph now feels that the time is right to put his passion for cooking first. Being in the kitchen is Ralph’s creative outlet away from the constraints of work and he cooks to relax.

Considering his mum his biggest inspiration, Ralph recalls her working hard to make ingredients go further to feed their family of eight, while his dad worked tirelessly as the breadwinner. The Kahango kids cooked from a young age, and Ralph credits his older sister and brother for his understanding of flavours, and his younger sister with supporting his passion and pushing him to apply for MasterChef.

Ralph knows how much his parents sacrificed to provide the family a better life. Tragically, Ralph lost two of his brothers at a young age and will be inspired by their memory in the MasterChef kitchen. Life is short, and tomorrow isn’t promised - Ralph has no intentions of living with regret.

With a love of Italian food, Ralph looks up to chefs like Marco Pierre White and has built knowledge through cookbooks, YouTube and recreating restaurant dishes. He looks forward to sharing his Zimbabwean food, culture and traditions with the judges, where sharing food is a unifier and a display of love.

While baking may be a weakness, Ralph plans to hone his skills during the competition, always being open to feedback.

Very social and with a large group of friends in Perth, Ralph loves nothing more than eating out and entertaining for friends and family. In his spare time, he plays basketball and enjoys watching sport, and has a serious passion for singing, often attending gigs and workshops.

Having turned his attention to food, Ralph hopes that he can make a career out of it. Ultimately, he would love to host a cooking show, to share with people just how joyous cooking can be.