South Africa’s grain producers raised the yield benchmark once again at the 2026 Grain SA Grow for Gold National Yield Competition, with 11 new competition records set across maize, soya beans, wheat, and sunflower.
The winners were announced at the Grow for Gold Awards in Muldersdrift on 22 September, where Corné Louw, Grain SA’s head of applied economics and member services, highlighted the sharp increase in participation in the competition.
According to data presented by Louw, entries increased from 79 in 2025 to 110 in 2026 – a 39% increase. This was the largest year-on-year increase since the competition recorded a 37% increase between 2020 and 2021.
Dryland yields stand out
While the exceptionally high yields achieved under irrigation attracted attention, Louw told Farmer’s Weekly that two of this year’s performances were particularly remarkable because of the challenging production environments in which they were achieved.
Janna du Rand of Mareetsane in North West produced 16,910t/ha of maize, setting a new Grow for Gold record in the North West Region. Du Rand also took second and third places in the category, with yields of 15,631t/ha and 14,890t/ha respectively. Louw said the result was exceptional given the dry conditions in Mareetsane.
“These farmers do not have high-potential soils to work with, but somehow they achieve these high yields – they must be doing some things right,” he said.
The same applies to Izak van Zyl of Makwassie, also in North West, who produced 8,046t/ha of soya beans to win the North West regional category.
The results demonstrate that exceptional production is not necessarily confined to areas with the highest-potential soils or most favourable growing conditions. Instead, Louw pointed to the production practices being employed by farmers who consistently achieve outstanding yields despite environmental constraints.
Danie Bester of Balfour in Mpumalanga also made a clean sweep in the maize category for the Eastern Highveld region by winning the category and taking second and third places.
Irrigation yields reach exceptional levels
The other striking feature of the 2026 competition was the level of production achieved under irrigation.
Hannes Bruwer of Hopetown produced 24,431t/ha of maize, the highest maize yield recorded in the 2026 competition, using Pioneer P1197PW. Jac Cilliers of Douglas was second with 20,938t/ha, while Sitrusrand Boerdery of Hofmeyer came third with 20,663t/ha.
“I never knew that yields like this could be accomplished in South Africa, and our farmers have done this two years in a row. That is remarkable,” Louw said.
The northern irrigation wheat category produced another record, with Ernie Steinberg of Douglas achieving 13,992t/ha with the cultivar Agricol IS Tordo.
Eleven new records
The 2026 competition produced three new records in maize, six in soya beans, one in wheat, and one in sunflower.
In maize, Eduard Snyman of Brits set a new Central Region record with 17,019t/ha, using the Direct Entry DKC65-60 cultivar.
Janna du Rand’s 16,910t/ha established the North West Region record, while Hannes Bruwer’s 24,431t/ha set a new benchmark in the irrigation category.
Soya beans accounted for six of the new records.
Tommie Scholtz of Bergville set the KwaZulu-Natal regional record at 5,859t/ha, while Danie Bester of Deepwater Trading in Balfour set the Eastern Highveld record at 8,213t/ha.
Neul Menezes of Reitz produced 6,654t/ha to set the Eastern Free State record, while Francois Smit of Derby established the Central Region record at 7,172t/ha.
In North West, Van Zyl’s 8,046t/ha established the new benchmark, while Bakkes Boerdery of Wesselsbron set the Water Table Region record at 6,498t/ha.
In wheat, Steinberg’s 13,992t/ha established the new Northern Irrigation Region record.
The final new record came in sunflower, where Stompie Olivier of Ventersdorp produced 4,863t/ha to set the North West Region benchmark with the Pannar cultivar PAN 7180CLP.
Passion for high yields
Danie Bester of Deepwater Trading in Balfour, Mpumalanga, was one of the standout performers at the 2026 Grow for Gold awards, taking first, second, and third place in the Eastern Highveld maize category. His winning yield of 19,928t/ha was followed by 18,944t/ha and 18,084t/ha. He also won the Eastern Highveld soya bean category with 8,213t/ha, setting a new competition record.
Bester said his pursuit of high-yielding maize and soya beans had become a passion over several years, with his approach to the two crops closely linked. He recalled initially viewing yields of 5t/ha for soya beans and 15t/ha for maize as significant achievements, but said he had learned considerably along the way as his yields continued to improve.
For Bester, the value of Grow for Gold extends beyond the competition itself. He said the event creates a platform where producers with a shared interest in improving yields can learn from one another and apply those lessons on their farms.
He also emphasised that achieving high yields is not necessarily about spending more money. Rather, he said, it is about learning how to manage crops effectively. Although only 2ha are entered into the competition, the lessons learned can be applied across the rest of a farming operation, ultimately improving its bottom line.
2026 Grow for Gold Records
| Crop | Category | Record yield | Producer |
| Maize | Central Region | 17,019t/ha | Eduard Snyman |
| Maize | North West Region | 16,910t/ha | Janna du Rand |
| Maize | Irrigation | 24,431t/ha | Hannes Bruwer |
| Soya beans | KwaZulu-Natal | 5,859t/ha | Tommie Scholtz |
| Soya beans | Eastern Highveld | 8,213t/ha | Danie Bester |
| Soya beans | Eastern Free State | 6,654t/ha | Neul Menezes |
| Soya beans | Central Region | 7,172t/ha | Francois Smit |
| Soya beans | North West Region | 8,046t/ha | Izak van Zyl |
| Soya beans | Water Table Region | 6,498t/ha | Bakkes Boerdery |
| Wheat | Irrigation Northern Region | 13,992t/ha | Ernie Steinberg |
| Sunflower | North West Region | 4,863t/ha | Stompie Olivier |
