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The winner of Plaas Media’s Toyota SA National Young Auctioneer Competition was announced on Friday, 12 September at NAMPO Cape in Bredasdorp. Five top aspiring auctioneers competed for the title, but it was Toog Vermaak who ultimately took top honours. The competition was presented for the twelfth time this year, with Toyota SA acting as the name sponsor since the competition’s inception.
During the first regional round hosted at the Bloem Show in Bloemfontein, Pietman Oosthuizen and Pieter Viljoen took first and second place. The second regional round was hosted at the Thabazimbi Agricultural and Industrial Show in August. It was the first time that a regional round was presented at this show. Toog Vermaak and Christie van Schalkwyk placed first and second here. Kevin Olivier was the fifth finalist.
Participants are judged in various categories. Appearance, introduction and approach, speech clarity, voice control, efficiency and contact with the audience, ability to chase and retain a bid, auctioneer traits and personality, and livestock knowledge are all considered.
More about Toog Vermaak
Vermaak is a worthy winner and has wanted to become an auctioneer since he saw an auctioneer in action for the first time. The personality, the difference that an auctioneer can make at an auction, and everything that goes along with that, made it an enticing career option.
The most enjoyable part of being an auctioneer, says Vermaak, is the feeling of satisfaction when you get a livestock producer the price he wanted, and when everyone, not just the seller, but the buyer as well, is satisfied with how the auction went. He expressed his gratitude to Vleissentraal Bosveld for giving him the opportunity to practice at their premises before he eventually entered their workforce.
Finalists with potential
Appie Maritz, one of the judges in this year’s final, said all five of the finalists have it in them to be successful auctioneers. After the competition, Maritz said that aspiring auctioneers should take heed of talking too fast – it’s a misconception that auctioneers have to talk fast. Rhythm, voice control and clarity, as well as self-confidence, are much more important traits in an auctioneer. He also warned against sharing too much information. “Choose a few important aspects about the animal and emphasise that. Don’t draw out the terms and conditions of the sales. Say only what is necessary.”
As part of his prize, Vermaak will participate in the 2026 international auctioneer competition in Calgary, Canada. Previous winners who also showed their mettle there include, amongst others, Fiso Hadebe, 2024 winner and Tom Hodgson, 2022 winner. The competition has opened many doors for previous winners. Other previous winners include André van Zyl (2014), Gareth Hughes (2015), Steven Mathews (2016), Gavin Mathews (2017), Barco van Niekerk (2018), JP Marais (2019), Hennie Goosen (2020), Henri Byleveldt (2021), and Vincent Pike (2023). – Press release, Plaas Media
For more information about the 2026 Toyota SA National Young Auctioneer Competition, contact Deidré Louw on 066 231 2430 or send an email to deidre@plaasmedia.co.za
