Freelance Chef

Freelance Chef

Chefmate | Sandton, Rosebank, Midrand, Randburg, Parkhurst, Parkhurst

Dinner is handled. You choose when you cook.

Chefmate is a home-cooking platform connecting households with experienced chefs who come into the customer's home, prepare fresh meals in their kitchen, and clean up afterwards.

We're looking for reliable, experienced freelance chefs to join the Chefmate network and take on cooking sessions with private clients across Johannesburg.

This is a flexible freelance opportunity ideal for chefs looking to earn extra income during the week, as well as experienced professionals who want to build a more consistent full-time schedule.

What you'll do

As a Chefmate freelance chef, you will:

• Travel to clients' homes for scheduled cooking sessions.
• Prepare fresh home-cooked meals using the client's ingredients.
• Follow the client's meal preferences, dietary requirements and cooking instructions where applicable.
• Prepare enough food for the household, including portions that can be enjoyed as leftovers.
• Keep the client's kitchen clean and tidy throughout the session.
• Communicate professionally and respectfully with clients.
• Arrive on time and be dependable for every confirmed booking.
• Represent the Chefmate brand and deliver a warm, professional experience in the client's home.
• Work independently while following Chefmate's service and food-safety standards.

The sessions

• 2–3 hour cooking sessions
• With weekday and weekend opportunities , depending on client demand.
• Flexible scheduling you choose the sessions that fit your availability.
• Multiple clients and locations across Johannesburg.
• Opportunities for once-off and recurring bookings .
• Potential to build a regular client schedule over time.

Whether you're looking to make extra money alongside another job , supplement your income between shifts, or eventually make freelance cooking your main source of income, Chefmate gives you the flexibility to choose how much you work.

Who we're looking for

You could be a great fit for Chefmate if you are:

• An experienced chef, or culinary professional.
• Currently working in a restaurant, hotel, catering environment or similar.
• A former restaurant chef looking for more flexible work.
• A freelance or private chef looking to build your client base.
• Someone with professional cooking experience who enjoys preparing food for households.
• Reliable, punctual and comfortable working independently.
• Friendly, professional and confident interacting with clients in their homes.
• Comfortable cooking in an ordinary home kitchen , rather than relying on a professional commercial kitchen.
• Passionate about good, practical home cooking and making people's lives easier.

Requirements

Essential:

• Previous professional restaurant or culinary experience .
• Valid food safety / food handling certification .
• Own reliable transportation and a valid driver's licence.
• Able to travel to client homes across Johannesburg.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Reliable access to a smartphone and WhatsApp.
• Professional appearance and conduct.
• Ability to work independently and manage a cooking session from start to finish.
• Comfortable working with different households, kitchens and client preferences.

Areas we're currently recruiting in

We are particularly interested in chefs who live in or can reliably travel to:

• Rosebank
• Sandton
• Fourways
• Midrand
• Randburg
• Parkhurst
• Surrounding Johannesburg areas

Living outside these areas doesn't automatically exclude you — what matters is your ability to reliably travel to client bookings.

What Chefmate offers

• Flexible freelance work
• Choose sessions that fit your schedule
• Weekday opportunities
• Multiple private clients
• 2–3 hour sessions
• Opportunity for recurring bookings
• Earn additional income without committing to a traditional full-time kitchen job
• Opportunity to build a consistent schedule and potentially make Chefmate a larger part of your working week
• A platform that handles customer acquisition and booking coordination

This could be for you if...

You're an experienced chef who loves cooking but doesn't necessarily want to spend every day working long restaurant shifts.

Maybe you're looking to:

Make extra money → Pick up a few sessions during the week.

Work more flexibly → Choose bookings around your existing schedule.

Build something more consistent → Take on recurring clients and increase your weekly sessions.

Move beyond restaurant hours → Use your culinary experience in a more flexible home-cooking environment.

Join Chefmate

We're building a network of reliable, talented chefs who can bring great home cooking directly to people's kitchens.

If you love cooking, are great with people, and want more control over when and where you work, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply to become a Chefmate freelance chef

Apply here: https://chefmate.co.za/apply

• Please note: Chefmate is a freelance/independent contractor opportunity. Booking availability is based on customer demand and your selected availability.