Testing the limits with genetic progress

Koos and his wife, Nada, live on Misty Heights, a farm near the small town of Mooi River. Koos is the general manager of De Heus South Africa, while Nada is an industrial engineer. His journey with De Heus began when Nada accepted a position in the Netherlands, giving the family the opportunity to live in Europe for several years.

- Izak Hofmeyr

During this time, Koos was appointed export manager at De Heus, overseeing exports to Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Iran, and Jordan. After five years, he was entrusted with the task of establishing De Heus in South Africa. “At the time, our children, Kobus and Karijn, were four and two years old,” Koos recalls. “We had to decide whether to stay in Europe or raise our children as South Africans. It was actually an easy choice, and in 2007 we returned home.” Their third child, Pieter, was born after their return.

At the time, the livestock feed industry in South Africa was dominated by large, integrated businesses that mostly managed their own broiler operations. Surplus capacity in their feed mills was then used to supply the open market. “There was a need for a focussed feed manufacturer with an international footprint that could add value within a virtual value chain without competing with its customers,” Koos explains. “That is the niche in which we positioned ourselves.”

Interest in cattle farming

Koos has long had a keen interest in cattle farming, with a particular fascination for optimising resources through improved genetics. “We live in a world of limited resources, be it land, water, or money. The real challenge is to add value within these constraints by using genetics to unlock greater value over time.”