South Africa’s “Rhino” Rayno Nel Becomes World’s Strongest Man

A South African Powerhouse Makes History

For Rayno Nel, being able to call himself the strongest man in the world still feels surreal. The 30-year-old South African claimed the 2025 World’s Strongest Man title in Sacramento, California  on his first ever appearance in the competition.

“I didn’t go into this year thinking that I’d already be standing on top of that podium,” Nel told the BBC World Service. “It still feels unreal.”

Nel’s victory made him the first African to win the prestigious title, marking a milestone moment for the continent.

From Rugby Dreams to Strongman Success

Born and raised in Upington, a small town in South Africa’s Northern Cape, Nel first chased a career in professional rugby before injuries and setbacks forced him to give up the sport in 2019.

Four years later, he found his calling in strongman competition  a decision that would change his life. “I wanted to do a competitive sport,” he said. “I love the adrenaline of being in a competitive environment. I’m one of those people who likes to put myself through hard times.”

Balancing Work, Training, and a Massive Diet

Nel still works full-time as an electrical engineer, meaning his strongman training routine requires extreme discipline. “All my free time  and my wife’s free time  goes into strongman,” he said. “I train three hours on three weeknights and then a six-to-eight-hour session every Saturday.”

His diet is equally intense: 6,000 calories a day, featuring steak, pasta, and South Africa’s signature dried meat, biltong. “Luckily, red meat isn’t that expensive here,” he joked.

At 191cm tall and weighing 148kg, Nel’s sheer size earned him the nickname “The Rhino from South Africa.” “I think it’s quite fitting,” he said proudly.

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The Battle for the Crown

In Sacramento, Nel outmuscled some of the sport’s biggest names, narrowly beating three-time British champion Tom Stoltman by just half a point after a gruelling four-day contest.

He excelled in four of the five final events, including an astonishing 490kg deadlift  roughly half the weight of a black rhino.

But not everything came easy. Nel called the Flintstone Press event his “worst moment,” admitting the mental strain was harder than the physical challenge. “My lead was cut from seven points to two-and-a-half, and mentally that was the toughest part,” he said.

Victory and Emotion

The title came down to the Atlas Stones, the competition’s iconic final event. Nel needed to finish no more than two places behind Stoltman  and he did, by less than a second, sealing the championship.

“It was a flood of emotion,” Nel recalled. “My family, my wife, my in-laws — they were all there. To see that all our sacrifices came to fruition was incredible.”

Life After Victory

Since his win, Nel’s life has been a whirlwind of media appearances and sponsorship opportunities. “It’s been busy, but I love it,” he said. “It’s what I worked for.”

Now a national hero, Nel says the support from South Africans has been overwhelming. “Africa faces a lot of struggle, so to bring some positive news means a lot. I’m humbled and honoured to represent my country.”

Building Africa’s Strongman Legacy

Nel hopes his success will help bring World’s Strongest Man back to Africa  where it has previously been hosted in South Africa, Botswana, Mauritius, and Zambia.

“There’s a big heritage of strength sports in southern Africa,” he said. “And now, my goal is to defend my title  one or two times at least.”

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