Dean De Sousa, a 33-year-old investment actuary from Bryanston in Gauteng, has been named the country’s top boerewors maker at the 34th annual Championship Boerewors finale on Saturday, 15 August.

An investment actuary uses mathematics to assess financial risks and manage investments. De Sousa also works as a portfolio manager, looking after investment funds for clients.

He impressed the judging panel with a recipe that balanced flavour and texture while staying true to traditional boerewors.

“Winning the Championship Boerewors Competition is an incredible honour. To be named the maker of the best boerewors in the country means having the best boerewors around the braai, and that is something I am extremely proud of. My dad has been a huge inspiration throughout my journey and I’m happy to make him and the rest of my family proud with this achievement,” says De Sousa.

A family tradition

De Sousa was inspired by childhood memories of attending Championship Boerewors events with his father, who always encouraged him to cook and experiment with flavours. This led to a lifelong passion for making boerewors

His father, Tony de Sousa, was one of the first South Africans to become a Master Butcher in 2020 after receiving this professional qualification from Britain’s Institute of Meat. A Master Butcher is a recognised expert in meat preparation and butchery. He joined the Shoprite Group in 1998 and is a Spice and Meat Operations Manager at the retailer’s Home Office in Brackenfell.

What the winner receives

As the 2026 champion, De Sousa’s recipe will be produced as the new Championship Boerewors and will be on sale in Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets nationwide from Friday, 4 September. He also won a Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 RB AT valued at more than R700 000 and received R20 000 in cash.

Luhan Pretorius from Bloemfontein in the Free State took second place and received R50 000. Ashook Beharie from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal took third place and received R30 000.

Finding the nation’s flavour

Judge, chef and cookbook author Carmen Niehaus said selecting a winning recipe was incredibly challenging because each finalist brought something unique.

“Every recipe reflected its maker’s passion, creativity and dedication, with carefully balanced flavours and countless hours of effort behind it. We were not simply judging boerewors recipes, we were looking for the flavour that best represents South Africa. In many ways, we were selecting the nation’s flavour,” said Niehaus.

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