Corporate day job fuels farming dream

Marius Smit lives in the middle of Gauteng in Centurion and spends his workdays in the fast-paced high-stress corporate sector as a group forensic head for Discovery.

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Weekends, however, he is on his small farm located in the world heritage site of the Vredefort Dome, near Parys, working his land and farming his herd of 400 kidding ewes that comprise his operation, Aegagrus Boer Goat Stud.

He laughs as we speak about the name, explaining that Aegagrus is a Latin word for goat. “The name has been quite a talking point and once people find out the meaning, they never forget it.”

Smit says his farm is his escape from the stress and rush of the corporate world. “It is where I can allow my mind to break free from the day-to-day issues while I just get on with doing the things that need to be done on the farm.”

He may only be on the farm over weekends, but he is intimately involved with all aspects, using technology to communicate with staff and staying abreast of industry movements and dictates to ensure his goats are preforming optimally.

In addition, he serves as chairperson of the Sentraal Binneland (Central Inland) Boer Goat Club, which extends across parts of the Free State, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and even into KwaZulu-Natal. He also serves on the council of the breeding society. This participation is a practice that stems from his corporate background.

"If you want to be successful in any industry, you must know what's going on, be involved, and be a part of the growth and development of that industry," he says.

LONG-TERM STRATEGY

Smit first decided to start Farming in partnership with a longtime friend, Heinrich Hamman, about 12 years ago. They both had a dream to farm and had researched various options before settling on Boer goats.

“I am an animal lover so I was drawn to livestock. I especially liked the idea of the goats because they seemed to have more character and personality than sheep,” says Smit.