Ankole's huge potential in SA beef production

The Ankole is a versatile breed that is highly sought after in South Africa due to the animals' exclusivity and scarcity. This is according to Anton de Swardt, president of the Ankole Breeders' Society of South Africa and owner of the Ubhejane Wildlife stud near Bela-Bela, Limpopo.

- By Annelie Coleman

"We firmly believe that Ankole has a bright future due to their resilience and relatively low production costs. They are sought after and versatile, and do well notwithstanding all the challenges nature could possibly throw at them," says De Swardt.

Ankoles are sometimes mistaken for Watusis, but De Swardt points out that the Ankole in South Africa comes from Uganda. Traditionally, Watusi cattle come from Rwanda. The Watusi herds in South Africa are descendent from animals that were in the Bloemfontein and the then Port Elizabeth zoos, and from animals imported in the late 1980s and 1990s.

FIRST ARRIVALS

According to an article written by Dr Morné de la Rey, Jacques Malan and Sally Blaine and published on the society's website, the Ankole, a Ugandan landrace, was brought into South Africa by Cyril Ramaphosa and De la Rey. This followed a visit by Ramaphosa to Uganda. A nucleus herd of Ankole was bought from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and moved to an approved facility at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The animals were flushed, and the first embryos arrived in South Africa and were transferred in 2003. The first offspring from these embryos were put through all the testing required by the Directorate of Animal Improvement. The Ankole was consequently listed as a breed being evaluated in terms of the Animal Improvement Act and was finally approved as a recognised breed in May 2019.

"The official approval of the Ankole was a true bonus for South Africa. The Ankole is extraordinarily hardy and does well across all South African provinces. They are a low-maintenance breed with excellent returns on investment. The breed's extreme resilience and genetic distinctiveness give the breed great potential to become a valued player in the local beef production industry, although the production of Ankole beef is still in its infancy," according to the article.