South African Charl Schwartzel claimed his fourth European Tour title Sunday by firing a final-round 67 to win the Africa Open.

The 25-year-old from Vereeniging south of Johannesburg finished one shot ahead of compatriot and joint overnight leader Thomas Aiken to pocket a ?158 500 first prize.

Schwartzel was the lowest ranked golfer in the tournament at 66 and displayed consistency over the par-73 links-cum-parkland course with rounds of 67, 70, 68 and 67 for a 272 total in generally favourable conditions.

"I played so good all day, hardly making a mistake, and then I put pressure on myself by taking four strokes to reach the green at the last and completing my round with a bogey," said Schwartzel.

"I said to my caddie Wynand after hitting my second shot short and right 'we are still two ahead so let us make a five and let them make a birdie' and it worked in my favour.

"It is great coming from a holiday in the bush and winning a trophy in the first European Tour event of the year. I played so well last season but never got my hands on silverware."

Schwartzel started the final round two shots off the pace and steadily climbed the leaderboard while Aiken and fellow third-round leader Trevor Fisher became error prone as the wind strengthened on the 6,038-metre layout.

The South African, whose last European Tour success came at the 2008 Madrid Masters, had to endure some anxious minutes after completing his round with a bogey five.

Aiken found the last green in two and needed to hole his 15-foot birdie putt to force a play-off, but the ball was always veering right and he had to settle for par and a ?115 000 cheque.

The result ended European dominance in the South Africa leg of the Road to Dubai series this season with Spaniard Pablo Martin winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship and Scot Richie Ramsay the South Africa Open last month.

South African JB Kruger finished third and Fisher shared fourth place with compatriot Chris Swanepoel, Australian Rick Kulacz and Englishman James Morrison.

Crowd favourite Darren Clarke from Northern Ireland, Africa Open runner-up to South African Retief Goosen last year, closed with a 70 and ended eight strokes behind Schwartzel.