By Peter Mashala

Horison, a young bull bred by Jacques and Carolien Malan, set a new record by fetching R26 million at the recent stud game auction held at Mbizi in Bela Bela, Limpopo.

Four years and 10 months old, Horison snatched the record from a buffalo cow sold earlier this year in Rustenburg, North West. Owner of Unyati Game Reserve in the Free State, Jaco Troskie, then paid R20 million for the cow. Horison, who was bred by the Malans on their farm, Lumarie, near Bela Bela, boasts horns 51 inches (1,3m) wide with a boss, or horn base of 16 inches (41cm). It was bought by Piet du Toit and two fellow game farmers from the Rustenburg region.



Horison, the buffalo bull that sold for R26 million.  Photo by Tessa Steyn

According to Jacques Malan, this record price fetched for a buffalo bull confirms the strength of SA’s wildlife industry. He said that Horison will help with attempts to return buffalo bulls of similar enormous proportions to the wild, where they had been hunted out indiscriminately in the past. Norman Adami, spokesperson for the Stud Game Breeders’ Association, said good quality game is an excellent investment. The industry is sustainable and contributes around R10 billion to South Africa’s economy annually, he said. The total turnover at the Mbizi auction was R122 million.