DURBAN - In an auction held over social media app Whatsapp, a rare breed Nguni Bull was sold for R310,000 which beat the previous highest world-record price for a Nguni bull, sold at R197,000.
Like many of the industries in the South African economy, the livestock auction industry suffered a severe financial blow due to the current pandemic. In similar fashion to most other savvy businessmen in this age, they turned their attention to a digital platform to conduct their business.
The majestic beast was
bred by the Nandi Nguni stud near Cedarville and sold at a KwaZulu Natal elite Nguni bull auction.
“This bull is special because his bloodline is a combination of two of the oldest Nguni herds in the country,” said the auctioneer Clive Biggs.
“His mother has bred 13 calves in a row for us by the age of 15. So, genetically this bull is exceptional. He is extremely hardy, very fertile, carries much meat, is well-built, and [has proven ability] to pass these traits onto his progeny,” added Biggs.
The pair of buyers,
Nico Harris of Vriendschap Boerdery who owns the Matatana Ngunis stud and Barry Cole of Manyenyeza Nguni stud
admitted to going way over budget on the auction but said that it was a good buy.
“This is the second top bull we have bought together. This specific bull is exceptional, and our eyes have been on him for the past three years. We went over our limit, but the bull is worth it,” said Cole.
NetAuctions in Bloemfontein was the party responsible for hosting the auction via WhatsApp.
“The WhatsApp auction was a great success. There were 168 registered buyers on the group, with 124 females and 10 bulls on sale. We shared the catalogue of the cattle with their prices on the platform and started bidding from there,” explained Gert Coetsee of NetAuctions.
Following the staggering success on the Whatsapp auction, Coetsee added that, “we are looking forward to hosting other auctions on this platform.”
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