The WCPAA was originally initiated in 2002 by the Hex Valley Table Grape Association in the Hex Valley area. The competition was established to give recognition to the valuable and important contribution of the agri worker to the sustainability and growth of agriculture in the Western Cape. Since 2005, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture has been financially involved with the competition and is responsible for the administration and coordination thereof.  The competition has grown from 36 entries in the Hex Valley, in 2002.  In 2025, 1 393 agri workers participated in the competition. To date, a total of 18 728 agri workers have participated in the competition