The search for South Africa’s best boerewors is down to the top 10 finalists after months of recipe testing and rigorous judging. 

Now in its 34th year, the Shoprite and Checkers Championship Boerewors Competition continues to celebrate the country’s rich braai heritage while uncovering its finest traditional boerewors recipes. This year’s finalists range from students and home cooks to meat experts and finance professionals and include first-time entrants as well as seasoned competitors.

As someone who has always loved cooking and entertaining, Durbanville’s Amoré Stemmet (32), a project manager at a business fibre provider, felt inspired to develop her own traditional boerewors recipe. “I don’t think anyone, myself included, expected me to make it this far,” she says.

Mbali Dyamle, a 25-year-old beauty therapy student from Johannesburg, entered the competition without ever having made boerewors. She watched videos, asked questions and sought advice from experienced boerewors makers. “I wanted to see what I was capable of,” she explains.

Melusi Ntethelelo Masuku (24), a small-scale caterer from Ulundi and Nokukhanya Gumede (35), a mom of four, are also first-time entrants.

Others brought years of competition experience.

After several previous entries, Pieter Jaars has finally secured a place in the Top 10. “They say persistence wins,” says the 39-year-old from Robertson. “I kept trying.”

Ashook Beharie (65), a Checkers Meat Market Regional Manager from Ladysmith, has entered almost every year for three decades and is making his third Top 10 appearance. “This year I feel more confident and better prepared because I have learnt so much from previous competitions.”

As a child, Dean De Sousa attended Championship Boerewors events with his father. Now the 33-year-old investment actuary and portfolio manager from Johannesburg is a finalist himself. “I’m extremely proud and humbled to be in the Top 10, and I’m hoping I can go all the way this year.”

Also among the finalists are Luhan Pretorius, a Checkers Divisional Meat Market manager from Bloemfontein who has spent more than 25 years refining the same recipe, Nakieta Aaron, a Meat Market Assistant at Shoprite Ceres who has worked on her recipe for three years, and Quinton Erasmus, a Meat Market Trade Readiness and Support Specialist from Brackenfell, who reached the Top 10 after seven years of entering the competition. 

To earn their places in the Top 10, the finalists impressed an expert judging panel over several rounds of evaluation. Every recipe had to comply with strict traditional boerewors guidelines before being assessed on quality, flavour, texture and overall balance. The judges first selected the Top 30 recipes before narrowing the field.

The finalists will now travel to Cape Town for the grand finale on 15 August, where they will prepare and cook their boerewors before the 2026 Boerewors Champion is crowned.

The winner will receive a new Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 RB AT valued at more than R700 000, along with R20 000 in cash. The runner-up will receive R50 000, while third place will take home R30 000. Every Top 30 finalist also receives a R1 000 Shoprite or Checkers gift card.

The winning recipe will become the official 2026 Championship Boerewors and will be produced and sold at Shoprite and Checkers stores nationwide from 4 September 2026.  

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