Bonile Rabela and Zwelamakhosi Mbuweni, Karoo sheep shearers who last year helped South Africa dethrone New Zealand as the hand-shearing world champions at the Golden Shears World Championships in Scotland, are two of the flag bearers.
Herman Archer, chairperson of the South African Sheep Shearing Federation, says the men are excited to be part of the event. He says the shearing federation and sheep shearing in South Africa have never received as much exposure as they have since Rabela and Mbuweni’s world championships success. “I stopped counting how many interviews we did, how many publications we appeared in and how many stories were done.”
The Proteas sheep-shearing team were nominated alongside the Springboks as finalists in the team of the year category at the South African Sports Awards. The Boks won the title after winning the World Cup for the fourth time last year.
“Many thanks to SA Rugby for the opportunity they are giving us and for recognising and acknowledging these guys,” says Archer. “It is excellent exposure for the industry. Many people who did not know much about shearing are suddenly interested.”
Another representative from agriculture is Dawid Rooifontein, a honey farmer from St Helena Bay on the West Coast, who last year won first place in the British National Honey Show’s international category with his citrus-flavoured honey.
Pieter Loubser, owner of the Pieter Loubser Honey Farm where Rooifontein was employed in 2019, will act as a flag bearer alongside him. Rooifontein still works for the farm but also manages and farms with his own bees under Loubser’s mentorship.
Rooifontein produces honey with flavours such as wildflower, fynbos, renosterveld, eucalyptus, rooibos and buchu, but citrus is his most popular. His hives are spread from St Helena Bay to Markuskraal near Citrusdal.
He says being chosen as a flag bearer means a lot to him and he is looking forward to the match.
SA Rugby says Saturday’s flag bearers are noteworthy young South Africans who represent the country and deserve more recognition.
