JOHANNESBURG — An Ankole heifer from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Ntaba Nyoni cattle operation has sold for R6.4 million (approximately Shs1.5bn), setting a new South African record for a female animal across all cattle breeds.
The in-calf heifer, Queen Arusha (NANK23 001), was sold as Lot 20 at the Ntaba Nyoni & Friends auction held at Phala Phala, near Bela-Bela in Limpopo, on October 3.
The sale was confirmed by JP Smith, chief operating officer of auction platform Veilingswinkel, according to Farmer’s Weekly. The buyer has not been publicly identified.
The R6.4 million price substantially exceeds previous high-value Ankole female sales recorded in South Africa. The Ankole Cattle Breeders’ Society’s published records show a heifer from Ntaba Nyoni sold for R2.1 million in March 2022, while an Ankole cow with a heifer calf from the same operation sold for R1.8 million in March 2024.
Queen Arusha’s value is tied largely to her breeding potential and pedigree. She is described as a full sister of Optimus Prime, an Ankole bull with horns measuring about 68 inches. Her pedigree includes Tshinakaho and Akira, with Kovu further back in the bloodline.
The auction also demonstrated the premium being placed on Ankole genetics rather than only live animals.
Two sexed semen straws from Optimus Prime sold for R250,000 each, setting what organisers described as a South African record for sexed semen across cattle breeds. Ntaba Nyoni bought both straws for a combined R500,000.
In total, 37 semen straws sold for R1.235 million, while 19 embryos generated R1.445 million. Ten bulls sold for a combined R2.75 million, with the highest-priced bull fetching R650,000. Eight other heifers averaged R482,500, with the highest in that category selling for R900,000.
The auction generated approximately R22.5 million in turnover, attracting about 120 registrations and around 100 people physically attending the event. The average price across lots was approximately R490,000.
The record has particular significance for Uganda because the Ankole longhorn is an indigenous East African cattle breed, and Ramaphosa’s interest in the breed traces back to Uganda.
Ntaba Nyoni says Ramaphosa developed an interest in Ankole cattle during a visit to Uganda in 2004 and subsequently acquired cattle from Uganda. Because of restrictions governing the movement of live cattle into South Africa, the genetics were introduced through embryos and surrogate cattle.
The South African operation has since developed the breed into a specialised stud market, with buyers paying premium prices for animals and reproductive material carrying desirable genetics.
The latest sale, however, is on another scale.
At R6.4 million, Queen Arusha is not merely the most expensive Ankole female reported in these South African records; the sale has been reported as a national record for a female animal across all cattle breeds.