Royal Agricultural Show Sets New Lamb Carcass Auction Record
A remarkable R110,580 sale at the 2026 Royal Carcass Auction has set a new South African benchmark for the price paid for a single lamb carcass, marking an extraordinary achievement in the Royal Agricultural Society's 175th anniversary year.
The record-breaking sale took place on Saturday, 10 October 2026, at the new Royal Showgrounds at Tweedie, near Howick, during the Royal Carcass Auction hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of Natal.
The Royal Champion Super Lamb carcass, a Dormer prepared and presented by Twee Broers Dormers, weighed 36.86 kg and attracted a winning bid of R3,000 per kilogram from Zaid Omarjee of OJ Traders, bringing the total sale price to an astonishing R110,580 (excluding VAT).
The result exceeds the previously reported world-record total of R72,000 achieved at Lamb Champs Boland in Paarl in September 2025, when a 20 kg Dorper-cross lamb carcass produced by Pierre Cilliers of Affi-Plaas Premium Lamb was purchased by the Kalahari Group.
Saturday's sale surpassed that benchmark by R38,580 — an increase of more than 53%.
A proud history of record-breaking prices
The Royal Agricultural Show has a distinguished history of achieving exceptional prices for championship carcasses.
In 2007, the Royal made agricultural headlines when Ivan Ratthan of Crown Butchery in Durban paid R3,000/kg for a 21.5 kg Champion Ile de France lamb carcass bred by Mark Gietzmann and Jimmy Keyser of DeBonnaire Stud. At the time, the price was reported as a world record.
Nineteen years later, the Royal has once again achieved that extraordinary per-kilogram price, this time for a substantially heavier carcass.
While the 2025 Lamb Champs Boland sale achieved a higher price per kilogram of R3,600, the 2026 Royal Carcass Auction has established a new record for the total amount paid for a single lamb carcass.
Royal Agricultural Society President Tim Nixon, with Tjaart Steenekamp of Twee Broers Dormers, who bred, prepared and presented the 2026 Royal Champion Super Lamb carcass, which sold for an astonishing R110,580 at the Royal Carcass Auction to Zaid Omarjee of OJ Traders.
Recognition for outstanding breeding and production
The achievement continues an established record of excellence and sucess at the Royal Agricultural Show for Twee Broers Dormers, associated with breeder Tjaart Steenekamp of Barkly East.
In 2024, Twee Broers produced the Royal Champion Lamb Carcass and European Champion Lamb Carcass, demonstrating the quality and consistency of its livestock breeding programme.
Through their closely affiliated Twee Seuns Suffolks stud, they also produced the Supreme Champion Ewe on Show at the 2024 Royal Show.
This year, Twee Seuns Suffolk produced the Reserve to the Supreme Champion Ewe on Show in the RAS Gold Cup Awards.
The record-setting Super Lamb Carcass, a Dormer bred by Twee Broers Dormers, sold for R110,580 at the 2026 Royal Carcass Auction to Zaid Omarjee of OJ Traders.
The 2026 result further underlines the importance of the Royal Carcass Competition as a platform for recognising excellence in livestock breeding, finishing and carcass quality.
While championship auction prices are not representative of ordinary commercial lamb prices, they reflect the prestige attached to outstanding animals and the willingness of buyers to reward exceptional achievement.
For the Royal Agricultural Society, the record is a particularly memorable milestone as it celebrates 175 years of service to agriculture and begins a new chapter at its Tweedie Showgrounds.
The Royal Agricultural Society thanks AAM Livestock Agents and Auctioneers, and auctioneer Tom Hodgson, for facilitating such a successful event.
The Society would also like to extend its sincere appreciation to Chris Ngeleza and Selvan Odayan from SAMIC (South African Meat Industry Company), who judged tirelessly throughout the night, as well as to the judges from the South African Fat Stock Judges Association (SAFJA) for their expertise in judging the fat stock component of the 2026 Royal Show on the hoof.
Without generous support and sponsorship, events like this would not be possible, and the Royal Agricultural Society would like to sincerely thank the Red Meat Producers' Organisation (RPO), Voermol Feeds, ADM Animal Nutrition, and HIPRA, for supporting this wonderful event through their generous sponsorship.
Finally, and most importantly, a sincere thank you to our dedicated breeders for taking the time and effort to travel to the Royal. It is your year-round sweat and devotion that produces the excellence that we are able to showcase to the South African agricultural community and the public.
Tom Hodgson was auctioneer on the day for the 2026 Royal Carcass Auction held at the new Royal Showgrounds at Tweedie.
(From left) SAMIC’s National Manager Chris Ngeleza shares a joke with SAFJA Secretary Andrew Adams. Chris was in surprisingly good spirits for someone who had judged through the night with his colleagues.
(From left) SAFJA Secretary Andrew Adams and AAM’s Oliver Aadnesgaard, who explained the importance of recognising and rewarding excellence in breeding through auctions such as the Royal Carcass Auction.
