Young farmer reaches for the sky with flightless birds

By Lebogang Mashala

Kabelo Lekalakala, a small-scale ostrich breeder from Brits in North West, believes that relocating to Oudts­hoorn in the Western Cape in 2017 was not a coincidence but a calling to become a transformation agent and one of the leading farmers in the ostrich industry.

Kabelo grew up in Bapong, a shanty village outside Brits that has been left devastated by years of platinum mining. After completing his BTech in business administration in 2013, he moved to Oudtshoorn to work with ostrich farming entrepreneurs as a small, medium and micro enterprise practitioner for a state development agency. This exposed him to the ostrich value chain, including breeding, growing, slaughtering, leather tanning, and making feather and eggshell decorations.

As he gained a broad understanding of the business, he researched ostrich farming and found there were barriers to entry, such as lack of access to finance and sustainable markets. Despite this, he decided to take a leap of faith and become an ostrich farmer in 2019. He loaded 15 chicks in the back of his car and travelled back to Brits, where he started Pitso Ostrich Farm.

Kabelo began in his backyard in Bapong, but after losing some birds he realised it was not a suitable environment for ostriches.

“Because I couldn’t secure land through the tribal authority in my village and the municipality, I purchased this 5ha farm near Brits on a mortgage,” he says. “To buy this farm, I sold my car to improve my credit score to get a home loan (bond).”

Securing the land didn’t immediately solve his problems. Even though it had previously been an ostrich farm, there was so much to do to make it productive and the infrastructure was old, resulting in more birds dying. “One of the birds was killed when a wire pierced its lungs after it ran into the fence,” says Kabelo.

Now he has seven birds: four breeding adults (two females and two males) and three juveniles of about two years old.

“As ostriches breed in pairs, unlike chickens or livestock, I must purchase one male to complete my four pairs,” he says.

The 5ha farm has two boreholes and nine breeding camps where previous owners planted lucerne and Rhodes grass. Kabelo is dividing the remaining 2,5ha into camps and says ostriches are stocked at 15 birds/0,25ha.

The farm also has a maintenance workshop and a steel container for housing newly hatched chicks. “Unfortunately, the recent storms have partly damaged my workshop, which has increased my expenses,” says Kabelo. About 60 chicks can be kept in the container, which has infrared lighting and a ventilation system, and Kabelo plans to convert two sheds to accommodate more chicks. At three months, the birds will be moved into the camps.

“Among the major input costs are feed and electricity. It was fortunate that the previous farmer planted Rhodes grass and lucerne to offset the cost of feed,” he says.

According to Kabelo, the dry climate needed for breeding ostriches means the industry has traditionally been dominated by the Klein Karoo and Southern Cape. In spite of this, he says there has been a niche community of ostrich farmers in North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo who mostly supply chicks to emerging ostrich farmers interested in capitalising on market demand.

“In Magaliesburg, there is an abattoir that is currently closed, but if things work out the way we hope we would like to get the government to help us reopen it once a solid  local ostrich industry is established inland,” says Kabelo.

Almost every part of an ostrich can be sold, including the meat, hide and feathers. Due to its high iron, protein and zinc content, as well as its low fat content, ostrich meat is becoming increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers.

“Ostrich meat is also a great alternative for people allergic to red meat, since it has a similar taste and appearance to red meat, despite being just a larger bird.”

Ostrich hide is highly sought after by manufacturers of luxury leather goods, and feathers are used to make household items such as feather dusters and cushions, as well as hair accessories and handbag trimmings.

According to Kabelo, South Africa was once the only country producing farmed ostriches, and this monopoly was sustained by a law that prohibited live bird exports. This restriction has been lifted and other countries can now import fertilised ostrich eggs, chicks or birds to start their own industries. “However, we still export 90% of our ostrich products and own 75% of the international market.”

Local ostrich farming has declined, says Kabelo, but he is optimistic about his prospects. “The reason for this is not only the continued demand for ostrich products but also the fact that ostrich farming is perfectly suited to the recent global shift to livestock that emits less greenhouse gases.”

Though Kabelo has rebuilt the farm, he still faces many challenges, the biggest of which is funding. Ostrich farming takes time and money, and he is in talks with several investors. He says he wants to purchase 150 chicks. A B-grade chick costs about R450, he says. He intends to raise and sell 100 of these and split the remaining 50 into breeding pairs. “If you have a small flock of 15 birds or fewer, you will not break even,” he explains. He says a profitable ostrich operation involves producing meat, leather and feathers on the farm, but this comes at a high cost.

Chicks are fed starter crumbs for 90 days after hatching. Once they reach 120 days, they are fed grower pellets, followed by maintenance feed. “Grower pellets cost R256 for 40kg, which doesn’t last a week. Every fortnight, I buy two bags, feeding 4kg/bird/day, 2kg in the morning and 2kg in the evening.” He follows the feeding regimen suggested in the Ostrich Business Chamber’s production manual.

When the birds weigh between 120kg and 150kg at 36 months, they are ready for mating. “Ostriches can lay up to 40 eggs per breeding season. Fertilised eggs incubate for 42 days,” explains Kabelo. Slaughtering age begins at 10 months, with a 75kg carcass weight. He plans to set up an incubator where he can hatch eggs to raise chicks for the market.

Kabelo plans to establish a community of black ostrich farmers in and around North West. The aim will be to lobby for support for ostrich farming in the region and for the reopening of the Magaliesburg’s abattoir.

For now, Kabelo has initiated an awareness campaign to attract more black and young farmers to ostrich farming. He says there are just over 400 commercial farmers, mainly in the Western Cape and Northern Cape. The industry is worth R1,7 billion and his goal is to get more young players involved to grow it to over R2 billion by 2030. He also hosts an annual on-farm event in August, Pitso Farm Ostrich Experience and Wine Tasting.

“It has been an exciting and adventurous experience that received a warm welcome from many young people interested in joining Pitso Ostrich Farm to farm ostriches for local consumption,” says Kabelo.

“This year we had more than 100 guests who came to experience the biggest flightless bird in the world and learn how its consumption can benefit consumers and producers.” Visitors were served dishes featuring ostrich livers, biltong, neck and fillets.

“Additionally, there was an exhibition and information-sharing session on ostrich eggshell carvings, ostrich leather tanning, and ostrich leather products,” says Kabelo.

He believes the annual event will help to build support for an inland ostrich-farming ecosystem. “South Africa is the world’s leading producer of ostriches. With such a powerful position, aspirant ostrich growers should be able to participate and successfully introduce ostrich consumption to new markets locally, continentally and globally,” he says.

“You will always hear doom prophets and naysayers telling you all about the risks and challenges emerging ostrich farmers face – from how complicated it is to raise young ostrich chicks to how expensive it will be to set up your operations. I want my story to inspire and paint a very different picture.”