South African car salesman crowned 2025 Checkers boerewors champion

From selling cars to making sausages: 33-year-old Roberto-Rui Agrela from Paarl has been crowned South Africa’s 2025 Boerewors Champion.

The second-hand car salesman beat more than 2,350 hopefuls in the 33rd Shoprite & Checkers Championship Boerewors competition, walking away with a brand-new Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 RB AT and R20,000 in cash. His recipe will also be produced and sold nationwide in Shoprite and Checkers stores from 5 September, just in time for Heritage Month and the Springboks’ clash against New Zealand.

The finale, held at Cabo Beach Club in Cape Town on Saturday, 23 August, was judged by experts from the South African Chefs Association. Every detail of the freshly made and braaied boerewors was scrutinised before Agrela emerged as South Africa’s No. 1 wors maker.

Remarkably, this was his first-ever attempt at creating a boerewors recipe. Inspired by Robbie Wessels and Appel’s Afrikaans hit Boereworsgordyn, Agrela decided to enter the competition on a whim.

“I can’t believe I’m the winner,” he said. “It was my first time entering, and I never imagined my passion for braai—and even a song—would bring me here. It just shows you must stay true to yourself, keep believing, and always stay humble.”

Agrela admitted he hadn’t even tasted his recipe until the final round and described the journey as nerve-racking: “When I made the Top 10, I was overwhelmed. I spent weeks leading up to the big day practising and perfecting my skills.”

The competition’s diverse Top 10 finalists reflected its nationwide appeal, with contenders from De Aar, Swellendam, Ladysmith, the Boland, Benoni, Durban, and Wellington.

• 2nd place: Roland Blaauw (47), an Application Support Specialist from Wellington
• 3rd place: Asheel Beharie (40), an entrepreneur from Ladysmith

Other finalists included:

• Ayanda Dyanse – Butcher, Humansdorp (Eastern Cape)
• Emmerencia Pretorius – Rescue technician, Swellendam (Western Cape)
• Keani van Drimmelen – HR and Finance, Benoni (Gauteng)
• Niekie Horn – Safe house administrator, De Aar (Northern Cape)
• Thandanani Buthelezi – Barista, Durban (KwaZulu-Natal)
• Tyron Adams – Chef, Wellington (Western Cape)
• Xavier Blaauw – Matric learner, Wellington (Western Cape)

South Africans’ love for wors is staggering: in 2024 alone, fans bought enough Championship Boerewors to make 56 million rolls—stretching 8,393 km, far enough to reach from Cape Town to Austria.

For Agrela, the dream is only just beginning. His recipe, now set to be enjoyed by millions nationwide, has secured him not only bragging rights but a place in South Africa’s culinary history.

“It’s crazy to think that when people pick up a Championship Boerewors at Checkers or Shoprite, they’ll actually be buying my recipe,” he said.

And as for next year? Agrela isn’t ruling out giving it another go.