Randridge Mall turned into an arena of strength and grit on August 9, as it hosted its first-ever Strongman Challenge. Eleven professional athletes, including competitors from Zambia and Congo, tested their limits in front of cheering shoppers.

The headline act was South Africa’s reigning strongman champion Kelin Mills, who secured the overall win. He was followed by Ben Bucarizza in second place, and Armand Goosen in third. Special awards went to David Bezuidenhout for Best Deadlift and Zambia’s David Mberi, who earned the Best Spirit Award for his energy and support of fellow athletes.

Read more: Meet Kreson, a local strongman

The competition featured demanding events, such as the truck pull, car walk, car deadlift, hosted in partnership with Ford Randburg, and the gruelling sandbag to shoulder.

Among the highlights was a moment when spectator Matthew Swanepoel stepped up to try the truck pull after encouragement from the announcer. “It was very difficult. I’m chuffed it moved a little bit, I wasn’t expecting that.” While he has no plans to take up powerlifting, Swanepoel called the experience: “A lot of fun”.

Professional athletes echoed the sense of camaraderie. Jacques De Jager, one of South Africa’s top 105kg strongmen, fresh from winning the world deadlift title in his weight class, relished the chance to compete in the open category. “Some of the guys are 20 to 30kg heavier than me, but I’m excited. It’s about having fun with the guys and sharing the battlefield.”

Also read: Strongmen compete at Honeydew Toyota

According to Maxine Oberholzer, senior marketing manager at Randridge Mall, South Africa’s presence in the strongman arena is stronger than ever. “Athletes like Ryno Nel, who recently won the World’s Strongest Man title and secured back-to-back victories in Holland and Italy, are making headlines internationally. Our event gave the local community a chance to experience this growing sport first-hand.”

Oberholzer added that the atmosphere in the mall was electric, with families lining the arena to cheer the athletes. All participating competitors are part of the South African Strength and Sport Organisation, which has supported elite strongmen since 1989.

For Randridge Mall, the Strongman Challenge was also a way to highlight its focus on health and wellness, backed by tenants such as Pick n Pay’s Live Well, Dis-Chem, Body20, IV Bar, Fruits & Roots, and Our Movement Studio. The centre will also welcome F45 Fitness this September.

Following the success of the debut, Oberholzer confirmed that discussions are already underway for the 2026 edition, promising an even bigger and more powerful experience.

A previous version of the article incorrectly referred to the event as the TNT Mercury Strongman event. We apologise for the error.

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