Bonsmara is the pride of South Africa

The Bonsmara breed is the leading beef producer in the country and it originated from South Africa.

This cattle was bred with the technique of crossbreeding by Professor Jan Bonsma. Because of the exceptional work done by Professor Bonsma, this cow was named after him.

The Bonsmara cattle comes from a hybridisation of cattle including the Afrikaner and Hereford cattle. Since the 1800s, South Africa has been leading the way in producing cattle made from a combination of different breeds.

History says that the main purpose of making this cattle was to make money by selling Bonsmara cattle or beef.

In less than 25 years that this Bonsmara cattle has existed, it has shown itself to be among the leading beef in South Africa.

Professor Bonsma did crossbreeding experiments and examined the embryos that produced the Bonsmara cattle in 1936 in Johannesburg.

This is one of the cattle that have been created to adapt to the weather conditions in South Africa including drought, cold and other severe conditions.

The Bonsmara SA Cattle Breeders Society said the most important thing about this cattle is that it meets all the needs of beef farmers.

Bonsmara cattle produce quality meat that is quite comparable to other beef cattle, but its farmers believe that it excels in producing quality meat.

Bonsmara cattle are fast growing, reaching full maturity in 12 to 18 months.

The Bonsmara cattle genetics contains 25% of the characteristics of the Hereford cattle, and also 25% of the characteristics of the Afrikaner cattle.

This year a Bonsmara bull was sold for a record-breaking R2.1 million at an auction.

Many times, the Bonsmara cattle boast a red colour – the bulls, cows and heifers. The way this cattle is built makes it easy to hold for farmers. It is easy to feed and raise compared to other types of cattle.

Bonsmara beef is tender, juicy while still being full of flavour, and these are some of the qualities that farmers and butchers love the most.

A Bonsmara cow takes nine months to carry her calf in her womb, which makes her different from other cows that take less time.

Bonsmara cattle are born with horns, but in order for them to be tamed, their horns are cut when they are young, so most of them are hornless.

Bonsmara embryo is sold for R15 000 to R500 000. Bonsmara embryo is sold in many places in South Africa and around the world, and because of the size of this cow, its embryos are sold at a high price.

Bonsmara cattle are often seen at public auctions in neighbouring provinces and countries. Namibia is one of the neighbouring countries that regularly sells Bonsmara cattle publicly.