Afrikaner - a hardy breed making its mark in feedlots

The Afrikaner cattle breed is prized for its indigenous hardiness, natural resistance, high fertility and ease of calving. Sabrina Dean found out more about the breed from Julian Balt, who was recently elected president of the Afrikaner Cattle Breeders' Society of South Africa.

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Tell us more about the history of the breed.

The Afrikaner breed has been under development for thousands of years, tracing its roots back to the lateral-horned Zebu found among wild cattle on the Asian Steppes.

The breed was believed to have started moving into Africa around 2 000 years ago, gradually migrating southwards.

By the 15th century, Portuguese sailors had started noting the presence of cattle in the southwestern regions of South Africa.

Subsequent research has indicated that the Afrikaner breed arrived in the Western Cape with the Khoi tribes that had moved to the region in the 14th century. Dutch settlers acquired their first Afrikaner cattle from Khoi peoples in 1652 and these cattle were used for meat and milk. They were also widely used for transporting goods across the country in the time before railways were established and were used to pull ox wagons during the Great Trek into the interior.

At the start of the 19th century, the Afrikaner was a well-defined breed with unique characteristics. It became the first indigenous cattle breed of South Africa for which a breeder's society was formed, thanks to the advocacy of Alex Holm, director of the Potchefstroom College of Agriculture.

A studbook was established in 1912 and the Afrikaner was registered as an official cattle breed, enabling controlled breeding to shape the modern Afrikaner.

How has the breed evolved over the years?

The modern Afrikaner has developed from a draught animal into a beef breed that can stand its own ground in the South African market. It is a medium-framed beef breed that exhibits a sleek coat, notably long and deep body, and possesses a docile temperament. It has evolved through a blend of natural and scientifically guided selection, resulting in a robust, adaptable animal with an inherent resistance to ticks and tick-borne diseases.