Bothaville, 17 October 2025 – Another unforgettable chapter in South African agricultural excellence was written tonight at the Lamb Champs Alfa Dinner, hosted during Nampo Alfa in Bothaville. In front of 450 dinner guests, which included farmers, sponsors, and dignitaries, the title of Lamb Champs 2025 National Champion was awarded to Hennie Jonker, whose exceptional lamb impressed across every judging category, from on-the-hoof evaluation to final taste.
Paarl, 24 September 2025 – Lamb Champs 2025 made history today at Hoër Landbouskool Boland in Paarl with two major highlights: a new world record price for a lamb carcass and the announcement of the winners of the Boland competition.
The Free State town of Parys proudly hosted the third qualifying round of Lamb Champs 2025 on 6 September at the Afridome. With Pick n Pay as headline partner, Toyota as driving sponsor, and Old Mutual as category sponsor, the event brought together farmers, meat lovers, and communities from across the country to celebrate family farming, quality lamb, and true South African heritage.
The people of Pretoria can be proud. Headlined by Pick n Pay, the fourth edition of the annual competition was as succulent as ever; drawing more entrants and attracting thousands nationwide whilst proudly spotlighting the dedication, quality and tradition of family farming.
Every juicy lamb chop has a story. It is a story of families that start working before sunrise, of generations of care and dedication, of pride in a product that has been raised with honesty and hard work. This is the story of family farmers - and this is why Saai created Lamb Champs.
The 2024 Karoo Lamb Champs, held in the historic Parsonage Street in Graaff-Reinet, has once again showcased the exceptional quality and heritage of South African lamb production. The event, a celebration of the best Karoo lamb, concluded with Chrisna Vermeulen being crowned the ultimate champion for producing the tastiest lamb of the year.
Lamb Champs is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Karoo Lamb Consortium for the upcoming Karoo Lamb Champs competition, set to take place in Graaff-Reinet on 14 December. This partnership marks a significant milestone for Lamb Champs as it brings an added layer of authenticity and celebration to the Karoo Lamb Geographical Indication (GI), reinforcing the importance of protecting the unique, region-specific quality of certified Karoo Lamb.
The Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) is excited to announce the winners of the Lamb Champs Reitz 2024 competition, where the finest lamb meat in the Free State was showcased and celebrated. This event, held at the Bielie Mielie Feesgronde in Reitz, saw 37 local farmers competing to determine who has the tastiest lamb in the region.
Both winning farmers participated in the Lamb Champs competition for the first time this year. The competition was tough and the prize money big, but both enjoyed the experience and preparation very much.
Mutton was on everyone's lips in more ways than one during a competition to find the tastiest lamb in the country.
Visitors to the Lamb Champs 2024 were greeted yesterday at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden with the mouth-watering aroma of fragrant lamb roasting on 100 spits. The weather cooperated beautifully and made for a lovely warm winter's day when this year's Lamb Champs champion was crowned.
Every juicy lamb chop has a story. It is a story of families that start working before sunrise, of generations of care and dedication, of pride in a product that has been raised with honesty and hard work. This is the story of family farmers - and this is why Saai created Lamb Champs.
The agricultural network Saai presents the third Lamb Champs competition at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden on Saturday 20 July. Farmers from all over South Africa will compete with their lambs against each other to determine who produces the tastiest lamb and goat meat.
