The 28th production auction of Derek and Tutu Ralfe’s Up George Bonsmara stud on the Wasbank farm in KwaZulu-Natal attracted strong buyer interest, with bulls achieving exceptional prices. The results once again highlighted the reputation the stud has built as one of South Africa’s leading Bonsmara breeders.
By Johan Norval
Bull prices at the auction, held on 3 July on the farm, ranged from R60 000 to a record R2 million. The top-priced bull, lot 12 (LAR 220403), was sold for R2 million to André van der Heyde of the Boschoek stud near Marble Hall and Francois Bornman’s Ons Tuiste stud near Rustenburg. Bornman was named the North West regional winner in SA Studbook’s 2025 Logix Beef Cattle Competition.
The second-highest price of R1,3 million was achieved by the four-star bull LAR 210400, which Kwaai Boshoff purchased on behalf of brothers Fouché and Bertus Blignaut of Sebadja Bonsmara near Marble Hall.
The Blignaut brothers, who farm on Smallepad on the Springbok Flats, are no strangers to investing in elite Up George genetics. In 2025, they paid R4 million for LAR 210045, while Sebadja Bonsmara secured LAR 200375 for R1 million in 2024. That same auction saw four bulls sell for more than R1 million each.
The top-priced female was the heifer LAR 230296, six months in calf to LAR 210400, which was sold to Chris Viljoen of Link Genetics in Brackenfell for R240 000.
The 76 bulls sold realised a turnover of R13,78 million, averaging R183 733. Cows with calves achieved an average of R81 000, while pregnant cows averaged R43 974.
According to Louis Steyl, CEO of Bonsmara SA, the Up George offering maintained an exceptionally high standard from the first lot to the last.
“A major attraction was the offering of 70 females at the auction. The prices achieved reflect the quality of the offering,” he said. “The Up George team has successfully combined excellent breeding values with outstanding conformation, giving buyers a complete package supported by strong pedigrees.”
Steyl added that while the stud continues to attract leading stud breeders willing to pay premium prices for top genetics, most of its bulls are purchased by local breeders, including commercial cattle producers and emerging farmers expanding into commercial production.
“They have commercial breeders who have been buying between five and ten bulls at the auction every year for the past decade because they believe in the genetic merit of the herd.”
The auction was conducted by AAM in collaboration with SwiftVEE, with Brandon Leer serving as auctioneer.
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