54 / 112
FOCUS
Animals
Special
the need for future development in terms of not only ensuring the
growth of well-established consumptive markets, but also establish-
ing new consumptive market opportunities to ensure game ranching
remains an economically viable land use option.
New market development
Utilising the opportunities presented by game meat is most prob-
ably the key in terms of new market development and/or expansion
in the quest to ensure the continuous growth and sustainability of
the game ranching industry in South Africa.
Although a notable percentage of the red meat consumed in South
Africa is game meat, the market is largely undeveloped and many
consumers consume game meat unknowingly. Future growth
expectations rely heavily on developments in terms of game meat.
At the same time, cohesive growth and development will be central
in terms of ensuring the future sustainability of the industry. The
different segments of the game ranching industry cannot function in
isolation and unlike the past, the success of the future will depend on
how successful the industry can grow the different segments pro-
portionally to each other. The latter will require that future growth
and development be guided by the principles of long-term sustain-
ability and not by potential short-term gains that may be at the cost
of other segments in the industry.
Game ranching in South Africa is unique, not only in terms of spe-
cies diversity, but also in terms of our institutional environment, i.e.
South Africa is one of only a few countries in the world where condi-
tion ownership of wildlife is vested with private landowners, which
presents game ranchers with a comparative advantage second to
none – there is no reason why game ranch-
ing cannot become or remain one of the
leading agricultural land use options in the
years to come.
With the aforementioned in mind, the
growth potential of the industry is ample;
however, it will be difficult to sustain the ro-
bust growth rates of the past. The industry
is likely to report a more moderate growth
rate in the years to come.
References
Cloete, P.C., Van der Merwe, P. & Saayman, M. 2015.
In Press.
Profitability of the game ranching industry
in South Africa
,
Second edition
. Pretoria: Caxton
Publishers.
Du Toit, J.G. 2007. Role of the private sector in the
wildlife industry. Pretoria:
Wildlife Ranching SA
/Du
Toit Wilddienste.
Professional Hunters Association of South Africa
(Phasa). Undated. Professional hunting statistics,
Unpublished Statistics.
Van der Merwe, P. & Saayman, M. 2005. Market pro-
file and economic impact of biltong hunters in South
Africa, Institute for Tourism and Leisure Studies,
North-West University, Potchefstroom.
Van der Merwe, P. & Saayman, M. 2013. Market pro-
file and economic impact of biltong hunters in South
Africa. Unit for Tourism, Research Economics, Environs
& Society. North-West University, Potchefstroom.
Oktober 2015
52
From a biltong hunting perspective, the growth in economic value was mainly due to an increase
in related spending and not so much as a result of an increase in animal prices or in terms of the
number of animals hunted.
Growth expectations
From 2005 to 2013, related spending by biltong hunters has in-
creased threefold (300%) comp red to an increase of 25% in terms
of the spending on animals. On the contrary, the number of animals
hunted by local hunters declined by 12% from 2005 to 2013.
Trophy hunting
A similar trend was visible in terms of trophy hunting with a 37% de-
cline in the number of animals hunted from 2007 to 2012. The latter
is coupled with a notable decline in the number of foreign hunters
visiting South Africa, from just over 16 000 foreign hunters in 2007
(before the economic crisis) to around 9 000 foreign hunters in 2012
(Phasa, undated).
Factors such as the changes in the firearms act of 2004 and the
successive growth in the Namibian hunting industry as well as the
economic crisis all contributed towards the decline. However, it is
unclear whether other factors such as perceptions and/or social
pressure resulting from negative media attention and the shift in
ranching practices had an influence on the decline, and if so, to what
extent? It is clearly something that needs the attention of the indus-
try with a continuous decline in the number of foreign hunters that
will hamper the growth potential of not only the segment, but the
industry as a whole.
Utilisation of game animals
Based on the available data, it is estimated that the consumptive
utilisation of game animals in South Africa is unlikely to exceed
70% of the annual progeny, which suggests a healthy population
growth rate.
Game numbers are constantly on the increase and so is the number
of hectares dedicated to game ranching. However, this emphasises