Annelie Coleman
Annelie Coleman represents Farmer’s Weekly in the Free State, North West and Northern Cape.
Agriculture is in her blood. She grew up on a maize farm in the Wesselsbron district where her brother is still continuing with the family business.
Annelie is passionate about the area she works in and calls it ‘God’s own country’. She’s particularly interested in beef cattle farming, especially with the indigenous African breeds.
Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys popular as pets in South Africa
Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys are growing in popularity as pets in South Africa due to their sweet, affectionate nature, says Free State breeder Angelique du Preez, who runs her donkey herd as part of the family-run Collett Farming business.
How to show off your animals in a show ring
Andrew and Colette Masterson run an expanded farming concern on the farm Milagro in the Humansdorp district. Their farm includes, among others, a Simmentaler stud and an Angus stud. The Mastersons are active participants in the show ring.
Lessons learnt on the journey to build a Nguni stud from scratch
When Cecilia Prinsloo-Van der Linde started exploring the idea of cattle farming, she was advised to farm animals that are suited to the land, so she decided on Nguni. Annelie Coleman spoke to her about the pros and cons of setting up and developing a stud in a relatively short period of time.
Resistance to internal and external parasite control in the beef cattle sector is a worry
Dr Dave Midgley, CEO of the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa, believes that parasites’ growing resistance to anthelmintic remedies and an increasing parasite load among beef cattle in South Africa is a serious cause for concern. He spoke to Annelie Coleman.
Van Rooy: a highly economical sheep farming option
The Van Rooy sheep breed, developed by South Africans for South African producers, is a treasure trove of genetics and has proven itself time and time again as a decidedly economic choice. Pieter Wiese, owner of the Kasteel stud in the Northern Cape, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the value of the breed.
Nick Serfontein calls on Steenhuisen over FMD crisis
Nick Serfontein, Sernick Group chairperson and Bonsmara stud breeder from Edenville in the Free State, warns that South Africa’s cattle industry is on the brink of an abyss due to the ineffective management of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks.
Meet South Africa’s only herd of iconic Murray Grey cattle
Johannes and Marijke Botha’s herd of the Australian Murray Grey cattle is the only one of its kind in South Africa.
Fighting rural crime: how AfriForum empowers communities across SA
The rural safety crisis in South Africa remains dire, with farm attacks and murders on the rise. Jacques Broodryk, chief spokesperson for community safety at AfriForum, talks about how the organisation’s farm watch initiative helps farmers protect their communities, improve security, and reclaim control over their farms.
Hampshire Down: mutton sheep fast gaining in popularity
Hennie Jonker, an award-winning Hampshire Down stud breeder from Kroonstad, describes this sheep breed as a topmost mutton producer that provides sterling terminal sires for commercial and crossbred flocks. Annelie Coleman visited his Zorro stud to find out more about the breed.
Nampo Alfa: ideal networking opportunity for livestock value chain
The Nampo Alfa Livestock, Hunting and Outdoor Expo is taking place at Nampo Park near Bothaville from the 16 to 18 October. Farmer’s Weekly spoke to Albert Loubser, organiser of the Alfa livestock programme, about the expo.
Cape Lob Ears flourish under exacting conditions in the Northern Cape’s Sneeuberg
Ronel Retief, a Cape Lob Ear indigenous veld goat stud breeder, runs her top-performing Klawervlei flock high in the Sneeuberg mountains near Richmond. The flock flourishes under extreme conditions, with winters marked by extreme cold, snow, and sleet.
CRE Brahmans: where structure meets performance
Since its inception in 2004, the CRE Brahmans stud’s motto has been ‘performance meats integrity’. Studmaster Ampie Rossouw told Annelie Coleman that one of the cornerstones of the operation is its commitment to Phase C testing for young bulls to evaluate growth and feed efficiency.
Maize Valley Savanna Goat Stud rises to record-breaking success
The award-winning, top-performing Maize Valley Savanna Goat Stud, run by Andrew Roberts and Ju-mari Pretorius, came about by accident due to broken communications and poor Internet connectivity, writes Annelie Coleman.
Kroonstad Hampshire Down breeder wins Lamb Champs Parys competition
Hennie Jonker, a Hampshire Down stud breeder from Kroonstad in the Free State, took the laurels in the Parys leg of the Southern African Agri Initiative’s (Saai) Lamb Champs 2025 competition.
Uncertain future for Polokwane’s rhinos
The DA has called for an independent wildlife management specialist to urgently review the future of the city of Polokwane’s relocated rhinos.
Hume, five others arrested in high-profile rhino horn trafficking case
South Africa’s Private Rhino Owners’ Association, whose members own most of the country’s white rhinos, has declined to comment on the John Hume case that has recently dominated headlines. It did, however, confirm that Hume was no longer a member.
Botswana among countries most at risk of extreme drought – report
A new global analysis by the US's National Drought Mitigation Center and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), published in July 2025, reveals that Botswana is among the countries most vulnerable to extreme drought in the coming years.
Second case of FMD confirmed in the Free State
Another case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been reported in the Free State, this time in the Metsimaholo Local Municipality near Deneysville.
How intercropping helped a Free State maize farm grow
The main goal of intercropping is to achieve the highest possible yield on a particular piece of land by using the available resources to their full potential. And that is precisely the route that father-and-son team Francis and Mike Mandy took on their crop and cattle farm in Harrismith.
Mixed feelings as judicial commission probes SA policing authorities
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent decision to investigate widespread corruption and political interference in South Africa’s justice services has been called a step in the right direction. However, Bennie van Zyl, CEO of TLU SA, questioned whether the move came 30 years too late.
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