The 19th Cleaver Awards, a pinnacle in South Africa’s butchery industry, celebrated outstanding achievements across the nation during a recent ceremony at Loftus Versfeld stadium.
Hosted by RMIS and sponsored by Freddy Hirsch, the event coincided with the exhilarating Springboks victory over Ireland, marking a memorable evening for both sports and culinary excellence.
The Cleaver Awards annually commend the commitment and superior standards upheld by the country’s top butcheries. This year’s winners exemplify excellence across various categories, showcasing their dedication to quality and customer satisfaction.
The national winners are as follows: Karoo Lusern Butchery in the category of more than three tills, Franks Meat in the category of less than three tills, Malelane Super Spar in the meat market category, and Meat World Katlehong in the main market category.
Key winners with more than 3 tills
- KwaZulu-Natal: Bluff Meat Supply, Richards Bay
- Eastern Cape: Cuyler Butchery
- Free State: Fredilia Meat, Welkom Park
- North West: Impala Vleis, Brits
- Western Cape: Karoo Lusern Butchery
- Mpumalanga: Lebombo Slaghuis
- Gauteng: Mondanette Irene Meat Merchant
- Limpopo: Vleislapa, Marshall Street
Key winners with less than 3 tills
- Gauteng: Boma Meat Market, Olympus
- Mpumalanga: Franks Meat
- KwaZulu-Natal Natalia Meat Market, Vryheid
- Free State: Powermeat
- Western Cape: Tollies Slaghuis
- Eastern Cape: Van Der Stel Butchery
- North West: Vision Meat, Klerksdorp
- Northern Cape: West End Vleismark, Hadisonpark
Meat markets:
- North West: Food Lover’s Market Cornerstone
- Gauteng: Karaglen Superspar
- Mpumalanga: Malelane Super Spar
- Western Cape: Old Oak Spar
- KwaZulu-Natal: Oxford Freshmarket Waterfall
- Free State: Roots Mannys Butchery, Welkom 2
This year’s awards introduced innovative categories and a refined selection process to ensure transparency and fairness.
The addition of the main markets category spotlighted retail butchers serving rural and township areas, emphasising their vital role within local communities. SAMIC evaluated nominated butcheries nationwide, covering aspects such as food safety, hygiene, value for money, and customer service.
RMIS, overseeing industry standards up to the abattoir level, concluded its involvement with the Cleaver Awards this year. Going forward, Ryan Read and the Twins Black team will manage this esteemed recognition program, with RMIS extending best wishes for their continued success.
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