At just nine years old, while he was still in primary school, Obakeng Ntshabele was already helping his father, Butika Hosea Ntshabele, farm in Sefikile, a small mining village in North West’s Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
This is the second article in African Farming’s series on Obakeng’s farming enterprise.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
Before school, Obakeng took the family’s cattle to communal grazing and fetched them again after classes.
“I used to drive the cattle for grazing on my way to school and then, after school, I would fetch them and drive them back home,” he recalls.
Those daily chores planted the foundation for a lifelong relationship with agriculture. Today, although sunflower is his main production enterprise, cattle remain an important part of the family farming operation.
The herd is kept at Morewag farm, which covers just over 1 000ha. The family traditionally farmed Brahmans, which were selected for their hardiness and adaptability to local conditions. In the late 1990s, however, they identified a problem with weaner weights and introduced Simmental genetics.
“We started at Bedford with a breed that was easily adaptable, which was Brahman, and moved to Morewag with the same breed during the late 1990s. After settling at Morewag, we realised that weaner weight was a problem for us at six to seven months. We then decided to introduce Simmental into the farm,” says Obakeng.
The change proved successful, with Simmental cattle adapting well and producing vigorous animals without the additional costs initially anticipated.
Also read: Less diesel, smarter sunflower: Obakeng Ntshabele’s conservation turnaround
Breeding for the environment
The breeding strategy combines the complementary strengths of Brahman cows and Simmental bulls. Simmental genetics contribute faster growth, heavier muscling and improved weaning weights, whereas Brahman females provide heat tolerance, hardiness, parasite resistance, longevity and strong maternal traits.
The crossbred calves also benefit from heterosis, or hybrid vigour, which can improve growth, survival, fertility and overall robustness compared with straightbred animals.
“In terminal systems, Simmental bull calves wean heavy, perform exceptionally well in feedlots and deliver good carcass yields,” says Obakeng.
The Brahman female line is particularly valuable under North West conditions, where cattle may face heat, ticks, variable grazing and long walking distances. Simmental genetics add growth and carcass potential, making the combination suited to a commercial beef system.
Obakeng says the Brahman cows have good mothering ability and longevity, whereas Simmental influence can improve milk production and calf development.
For him, breeding is ultimately about matching genetics to the environment and production objective rather than chasing breed trends.
Also read: One hectare and a mentor: How Success Mdluli and the Zamukele project helped Zanele Motau grow her farming dream
Seasonal nutrition
Nutrition is adjusted according to seasonal grazing conditions. During summer, the cattle receive a summer lick supplemented with chop and salt. In winter, when grazing quality declines, the supplementation programme is increased with winter lick, more chop, salt and additional energy.
“We provide a summer lick with a bit of chop and salt so that they don’t become too dependent on supplements. In winter, we feed winter lick with more chop, a bit of salt and calories,” he explains.
The aim is to support animal performance while controlling feed costs and making maximum use of available grazing.
Managing parasites
Parasite control is another key component of the herd-health programme. Obakeng says internal parasite control starts in early spring and continues until about April the following year, meaning parasite management is required for roughly eight months of the year under his conditions.
External parasites, particularly ticks, are managed through regular dipping. The aim is to reduce parasite pressure while helping to break the tick life cycle.
“We also control external parasites and dip the cattle to break the tick cycle,” he says.
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From weaners to the feedlot
Obakeng’s long-term ambition is to expand the cattle enterprise so that it becomes an important financial buffer for the cropping operation. A larger herd would provide an alternative income stream during difficult sunflower seasons and strengthen the overall resilience of the farm.
His ultimate goal, however, is to move further along the beef value chain. Rather than selling all his weaners, he wants to develop a backgrounding and finishing programme, retaining selected calves produced on the farm and feeding them through to slaughter.
This would allow him to capture more value from his own genetics while making greater use of farm-produced feed resources.
“I want to increase the numbers so that I can have my own backgrounding programme and eventually finish the weaners produced on the farm for slaughter,” he says.
For Obakeng, the objective goes beyond increasing cattle numbers. He aims to build an integrated crop-and-livestock system where the enterprises support each other, spread risk and improve profitability.
Also read:
‘South Africa, please help us!’ – Botswana feedlotters stranded with 6 600 cattle after FMD court loss
Breeding for growth: How Masala Murovhi is building his livestock operation
Young black farmer breaks barriers in livestock auctioneering
