A South African shearer once again took the top spot at the podium at the World Sheep Shear and Wool Handling Championshipslast in Nieu Zealand last week.

Mayenzeke Shweni took first place in both the Southland All National Open Championships and the World Championships for hand shearing. He also shared the podium in the team section with Bongani Joel. Joel took the fourth place in the single hand shearing section.

The National Wool Growers Association (NWGA) congratulated both Shweni and Joel on their achievements and said the attitude the South African team showed during the announcement and presentation testify to true ambassadorship.

Team manager Izak Klopper said the South African team was much stronger than competitors from other countries, because they shear more sheep. He said their forearm and hand muscles are much more developed and they have great perseverance.

Klopper, who is also part of the training team at NEGA, said the results are also a good reflection of training standards for shearers in South Africa.

Shweni is originally from Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape and is a shearer by profession.

He first took part in the World Sheep Shearing Championships in 2012 in Masterton, New Zealand, where he took second place. He then took part in the 2014 championships in Gorey in Ireland where he claimed his first World Title.

Klopper says he spends about ten months of the year shearing for the Cape Mohair and Wool company, where the hand shearer is his preferred tool.