Pilgrim’s Rest was bustling with activity during the 2023 World Gold Panning Championships from August 6 to 12.
The event was organised by South African Gold Panning Association (Sagpa), in partnership with the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR).

One of the major highlights was that Dix van Dam, Linda Traill, Coen Vermaak, Judith Mason and Sonja Vermaak from South Africa won the five-person national team event.

There were a total of 356 competitors, of whom 87 were internationals, representing 17 countries across Europe and the US, as well as Canada and New Zealand.

After the traditional street parade of nations on August 6, Thandi Shongwe, the MEC for the DCSR, officially opened the event, welcoming the participants and inviting them to stay over for a while and experience the beauty and landscapes of Mpumalanga.

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“The South African experience was very special for our international participants – from culture to dress to cuisine,” said Sanjay Singh, current president of the World Gold Panning Association and long-standing member of Sagpa.

“South African hospitality was at its best in the little town of Pilgrim’s Rest.”

The competition was fierce among some of the world’s top gold panners, but also fun.

The aim of a gold panning competition event is to pan out an unknown number of gold flakes seeded in a bucket of sand in the fastest time. A three-minute time penalty is added for each lost piece of gold. The variety of categories show this is beyond a doubt a sport for the whole family.

Proficient men
1. Dirk Melhorn (Germany)
2. Dix van Dam (South Africa)
3. Heydrich Leon (Germany).
Proficient women
1. Sonja Vermaak (South Africa)
2. Judith Mason (South Africa)
3. Linda Traill (South Africa).
Juniors
1. Guus Spijker (the Netherlands)
2. Sarah Spijker (the Netherlands)
3. Barbara Jakusova (Slovakia).
Veterans (60 and over)
1. Coen Vermaak (South Africa)
2. Linda Traill (South Africa)
3. Uwe Kleinschmid (Germany).
Traditional Klondike
1. Surprise Mdluli (South Africa)
2. Bright Malatjie (South Africa)
3. David Miller (Canada).
Children (12 and under)
1. Pholosho Mogane (South Africa)
2. Sander van Wijhe (the Netherlands)
3. Kagiso Malatjie (South Africa).

This was the first year in which the children’s event was held as a new official category.

Another first was an unofficial masters category for those over 70 years of age, which was won by Antti Seppala from Finland.

Because of the number of entries, there were two runs of the added fast and furious winner-takes-all Jokers event. Sanjay Singh and Coen Vermaak, both from South Africa, were the lucky winners of these jackpots.