Who was Mynie Steffens? TV chef reportedly dies at 43 in helicopter crash

Mynie Steffens passed away on November 10, 2025, as the helicopter she was in crashed on a citrus farm named Roodegrond Farm outside Patensie, South Africa. Steffens was spraying pesticide on the citrus trees when the accident occurred. She was also operating the helicopter. Mynie got her flying license in 2022. She was 43 years old at the time of passing.

Multiple news outlets reported that the Accidents and Incidents Investigations Division (AIID) said the helicopter struck power lines before crashing. Photos of the crashed helicopter have spread on the internet. The owner of the citrus farm, Ruan Scheepers, said that the farm workers alerted him about the accident.

The cause of the helicopter crash remains unclear, as the investigation is ongoing. Mynie Steffens is a television personality and celebrity chef. She co-hosted the South African cooking show, Speel met Vuur, with her friend Aldi van der Walt. Steffens also released her cookbook, Mynie Plays with Fire, in 2021.

Aldi van der Walt told IOL that her friend's sudden passing was a "massive shock" and she is still coming to terms with it. She noted that Mynie Steffens lived her life to the fullest and won people over with her "big heart" and "gentle soul." 

"Mynie lived life to the full. She was always full of ideas that had transformed into successful endeavours, and then executing that with success, winning over people as she went along. She could make time for people from every walk of life, and that was her priority. She had a big heart, gentle soul, the glue that kept people together," she stated.

Mynie Steffens and her friend decided to create the popular cooking and lifestyle show when they met after years

Aldi van der Walt told the press that she played hockey with Mynie Steffens at school. They met after years and reconnected over their love for food. They decided to start Speel met Vuur, which means play with fire in English.

In the show directed by Aldi van der Walt, Mynie cooked over an open fire, a tradition known as braai cooking in South Africa. As she shared cooking tips with her guests and viewers, the chef would often share personal or travel stories. Her publisher told The Sun that Mynie Steffens fell in love with braai cooking at the age of 10.

According to the TV with Thinus blog, Sisa Majola, the spokesperson for the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), stated that the aircraft was a Robinson R22 helicopter, and an investigation is being conducted, and after 30 days, a preliminary report will be published on the SACAA website.

"Investigators have been dispatched to the site where a preliminary report will be published on the SACAA website 30 days from the day of this accident," Majola said.

The official Facebook page of VIA, the television channel where Mynie Steffens' cooking show aired, posted a tribute. Stay tuned for more updates on the celebrity chef.