| Livestock is the largest agricultural sector in South | | | | Karakul sheep are farmed in the more arid areas, |
| Africa, with a population of some 13.8-million cattle | | | | with some 20 173 pelts with a gross value of |
| and 28.8-million sheep. Stock breeders concentrate | | | | R3-million produced in 2002/03. The indigenous |
| on the development of breeds that are well | | | | meat-producing Boer goat accounts for about |
| adapted to diverse climatic and environmental | | | | 30% of all commercial goats. The Angora goat is |
| conditions. | | | | used for mohair production. |
| Dairy farming: | | | | Poultry and pig farming: |
| Dairy is produced throughout South Africa, with | | | | South Africa's poultry and pig farms are more |
| most farms in the eastern and northern Free | | | | intensive than the extensive sheep and cattle |
| State, North West, the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, | | | | production, and are found near the metropolitan |
| the Eastern and Western Cape, Gauteng and the | | | | areas of Gauteng, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Cape |
| southern parts of Mpumalanga. The four major | | | | Town and Port Elizabeth. The predominant pig |
| dairy breeds in South Africa are the Holstein, | | | | breeds are the South African Landrace, the Large |
| Jersey, Guernsey and Ayrshire. | | | | White, the Duroc and the Pietrain. |
| The dairy industry is important to South Africa's | | | | South Africa's annual poultry meat production is |
| job market, with some 4 300 milk producers | | | | 960 000 tons. Broiler production contributes about |
| employing about 60 000 farmworkers and | | | | 82% to total poultry meat production, with the |
| indirectly providing jobs to 40 000 people. Milk | | | | rest made up of mature chicken slaughter (culls), |
| production for 2003/04 was estimated at 2-billion | | | | small-scale and backyard poultry production, |
| litres. | | | | ducks, geese, turkeys and other specialised white |
| Beef farming: | | | | meat products. Income from poultry and egg |
| South Africa produces 85% of its meat | | | | production amounted to R11.3-billion in 2002/03. |
| requirements, with 15% is imported from Namibia, | | | | South Africa accounts for 67% of world sales of |
| Botswana, Swaziland, Australia, New Zealand and | | | | ostrich products - leather, meat and feathers. The |
| the EU. Local demand generally outstrips | | | | gross value for ostrich feathers and products |
| production, even though there are untapped | | | | during 2002/03 was R276.5-million. |
| reserves in the communal farming areas. | | | | Game farming: |
| Cattle ranches are found mainly in the Eastern | | | | South Africa has more game and a wider variety |
| Cape, parts of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, | | | | of game species than most countries. Game |
| Limpopo and the Northern Cape. Popular beef | | | | farming has grown over the years, and today is a |
| breeds include the indigenous Afrikaner and Nguni | | | | viable industry with great economic potential. The |
| and locally developed Bonsmara and | | | | country's main game areas are in Limpopo |
| Drakensberger. European and American breeds | | | | province, North West, Mpumalanga, the Free |
| such as Charolais, Hereford, Angus, Simmentaler, | | | | State, the Eastern Cape, the Karoo, the Kalahari |
| Sussex, Brahman and Santa Gertrudis are | | | | in the Northern Cape and the thorn scrub of |
| maintained as pure breeds or used in | | | | KwaZulu-Natal. |
| cross-breeding. | | | | A descriptive game-production model has been |
| Sheep and goat farming: | | | | developed for optimising intensive animal |
| South African sheep farming is concentrated in | | | | production on game farms, with the potential to |
| the Northern and Eastern Cape, Western Cape, | | | | increase the global produce of the game industry |
| Free State and Mpumalanga, with Ermelo in | | | | by between 8% and 15%. |
| Mpumalanga being one of the largest | | | | Aquaculture: |
| wool-producing districts. Fifty percent of sheep | | | | The aquaculture industry in South Africa continues |
| are fine-woolled Merinos. Other breeds include the | | | | to make meaningful progress in cultivation |
| locally developed Afrino, a woolled mutton breed | | | | technology, marketing strategy, marketing |
| adapted to arid conditions, the South African | | | | practice and scientific innovation. Mussels, trout, |
| Mutton Merino, the Dohne and the Merino | | | | tilapia, catfish, oysters and waterblommetjies |
| Landrace. South Africa's mutton is produced from | | | | (Cape pondweed) are the major aquaculture |
| the Dorper - a highly productive and locally | | | | species. Mussel farming occurs mainly at Saldanha |
| developed mutton breed for arid regions - and | | | | Bay. |
| the woolled Merino. | | | | |