Today, I thought I would use my pen to celebrate our agricultural scientists and to inspire them to follow in the footsteps of giants and to understand the meaning of leaving a legacy. History is littered with great stories that showcase scientific evolution by remarkable men and women who dedicated their time to experimentation for the future and sustainability of both human beings and animals.
By Maile Matsimela, African Farming Digital Editor
One such giant was the late Professor Jan Bonsma, the visionary behind South Africa’s most successful composite breed, the Bonsmara. What began as a scientific experiment in the 1930s has evolved into South Africa’s most dominant beef breed, representing a remarkable testament to the power of systematic breeding and agricultural science.
As a curious person who’s fascinated by science, I find Professor Bonsma’s legacy particularly inspiring. His work demonstrates what is possible when scientific rigour meets unwavering dedication to improving African agriculture.
The Birth of a Revolutionary Breed
The Bonsmara story begins with Professor Jan Bonsma at the Mara Research Station, where the first crossbred calves were born in the late 1930s. The breed’s name itself pays homage to its origins, combining “Bonsma”, after its creator, and “Mara” from the research station where this agricultural revolution began.
Professor Bonsma, who lived from 1909 to 1991, faced a challenge that continues to resonate with livestock farmers across Africa today. As noted by the Bonsmara SA Cattle Breeders’ Society, “Early Bos taurus breeds imported from Europe and the US struggled with heat and humidity, while indigenous African cattle lacked good carcass quality.” The solution required combining the best of both worlds through a scientifically guided crossbreeding programme that would span nearly three decades.
Professor Bonsma’s Scientific Foundation
After graduating from the University of Pretoria in 1931 with a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science, Professor Bonsma dedicated his career to revolutionising cattle breeding in Africa. His systematic approach would prove to be decades ahead of its time, a lesson for today’s agricultural scientists about the importance of thinking beyond immediate results.
The development programme, which ran from approximately 1937 to 1963, represented a departure from traditional breeding methods of that era. According to breed documentation, the final genetic composition settled on “approximately 5/8 Afrikaner, 3/16 Hereford, and 3/16 Shorthorn”. This precise formula wasn’t arrived at by chance but through systematic evaluation of performance data over multiple generations.
The Afrikaner contributed the essential adaptability traits that would prove crucial for South African conditions. The Hereford brought superior meat quality characteristics, while the Shorthorn enhanced milk production traits. As agricultural researchers note, “This scientifically guided approach made Bonsmara unique as it was based on objective performance data rather than just visual selection or tradition.”
Revolutionary Methodology
What strikes me most about Professor Bonsma’s methodology is how revolutionary it was for its time. He established principles that modern geneticists still follow today, proving that good science is timeless. His insistence on measurable data over visual appeal laid the foundation for scientific animal breeding in South Africa – a principle that every agricultural scientist should embrace.
The transition from experimental breeding programme to commercial success was remarkably swift. The first commercial Bonsmara bulls were released in the 1950s, leading to rapid adoption across South Africa’s farming communities. The formal breed society was established in 1964, just one year after the completion of the initial breeding programme.
Today’s statistics reflect the extraordinary success of Professor Bonsma’s life work. According to current industry data, Bonsmara cattle “represent about 45% of all beef births registered in South Africa”. The Bonsmara SA Cattle Breeders’ Society now oversees “more than 120 000 registered Bonsmara cattle”, making it the country’s most prominent beef breed by a considerable margin.
More than three decades after Professor Bonsma’s passing, his creation continues to dominate South African beef production. This is what true legacy looks like – work that not only survives its creator but also thrives and grows stronger with time.
Breeding for African Conditions
The breed’s success stems from its adaptation to South African environmental realities, exactly as Professor Bonsma had envisioned. His breeding objectives focused specifically on what researchers term “veld adaptability” and “functional efficiency”. The selection criteria remain stringent today: “All Bonsmara cattle are inspected before breeding age; those not showing good veld adaptability or functional efficiency are rejected or culled.”
Professor Bonsma’s breeding philosophy emphasised traits that ensure cost-effective production from natural grazing lands. These include early puberty, with animals “capable of breeding at 12–18 months”, ease of calving that reduces labour and losses during birth, and superior fertility maintained through strict selection standards.
Massive Economic Contribution
Bonsmara’s economic contribution to South Africa’s agricultural sector cannot be overstated. According to recent agricultural economic analyses, the breed has been “contributing nearly half (47.6%) of total gross income within certain sectors of agriculture related to red meat production”.
This economic success is built on the exceptional performance characteristics that Professor Bonsma bred into the foundation stock. Research indicates “Bonsmara bulls perform exceptionally well in growth tests” and “are tested more annually than all other breeds combined in South Africa”. The breed’s feedlot performance is particularly noteworthy, with weaner calves showing “rapid growth, reaching market readiness quickly (around 112 days)”.
The commercial value is reflected in market prices, with recent data showing “Class A producer prices reaching R81.02 per kilogram, a 45.2% increase year on year”. This price strength, according to market analysts, reflects “robust demand for quality beef such as that from Bonsmara cattle”.
Modern Challenges and Climate Adaptations
Despite its success, the modern Bonsmara faces challenges that Professor Bonsma could not have fully anticipated. Research on tick resistance reveals that “Bonsmara cattle show moderate tick resistance but are less resistant compared to indigenous Nguni cattle”. Studies indicate although Bonsmaras demonstrate “relatively low tick burdens (11–30 ticks on average in summer)”, they can be “more susceptible to certain tick-borne diseases prevalent in their regions compared to indigenous breeds”.
Climate change presents both challenges and opportunities for the breed Professor Bonsma created. Agricultural scientists note that Bonsmaras “demonstrate valuable traits such as drought tolerance and heat resilience, which are critical under changing climate scenarios”. The breed’s “genetic diversity supports adaptation potential”, with studies showing “high heterozygosity levels suggesting good genetic variability, which is important for resilience against environmental stresses”.
Professor Bonsma’s foresight in creating a genetically diverse foundation continues to serve the breed well in facing modern environmental challenges.
Add to it that this breed’s influence extends well beyond South African borders, fulfilling Professor Bonsma’s vision of creating a breed suitable for diverse environments. The breed has established itself across southern Africa, with documented herds in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. International expansion has reached Australia, the United States and Brazil, where the breed is “appreciated especially under similar environmental conditions”.
In Zimbabwe alone, there are “at least seven registered Bonsmara breeders with around 650 animals”, indicating steady regional growth.
The global recognition of the Bonsmara serves as a fitting tribute to Professor Bonsma’s vision of creating a truly world-class breed from African genetic resources.
Continuing the Legacy with Modern Technology
Today’s Bonsmara breeding system still maintains Professor Bonsma’s scientific principles while incorporating modern genetic technologies he could never have imagined. The breed society requires that “membership involves an initial herd of at least 20 Bonsmara-type females and performance testing as prerequisites for registration and membership”.
Performance recording remains central to breed improvement, with “approximately 60 000 registered Bonsmara females under performance recording [programmes] involving both commercial and seedstock herds”. The society provides “extensive support to both commercial and stud breeders through verified sale catalogues containing detailed statistics for informed selection decisions”.
Modern genomic technologies have enhanced the selection methods Professor Bonsma pioneered, but the fundamental principles he established remain unchanged: objective measurement, systematic selection and adaptation to local conditions. This continuity between past and present offers valuable lessons for today’s agricultural scientists about building solid foundations rather than constantly reinventing approaches.
Sources: Bonsmara Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa, Oklahoma State University Livestock Breeds Database, Smith Bonsmara, American Bonsmara Association, research publications on environmental adaptation.
