Multimillion-rand EL game sale success

A GAME auction at last weekend’s East London Agricultural Show was such a multimillion-rand success that it will be an annual event.

Stutterheim auctioneer Kelvin Burger said that while he had been “very, very nervous” to hold his first game sale in East London, the result had been “exceptional”, with bidders from all over South Africa.

Burger said up to 1 700 animals had gone under the hammer, including nyala, lion, giraffe, zebra, red hartebeest, sable, waterbuck, springbok and Cape eland.

“There were more than 500 people in the tent and many were saying it was the best sale in the Eastern Cape. I do cattle sales every weekend and have never seen so many people and so many bidders,” said Burger, who owns Fourways Livestock sales.

He sold the game in conjunction with Elliott Bros Auctioneers.

“People came from the Northern Cape, Free State, Western Cape and Gauteng. Some animals achieved what are probably record prices.”

Burger said the highlight of the auction was the sale of two “top quality” sable antelope females and a calf by a Gonubie farmer for R800 000.

They went to Bombazi Game Reserve in Stutterheim.

Grahamstown game breeders Frans and Justine Bussiahn sold 15 springbok to a Gauteng farmer for R8 700 each.

“They achieved this special price because they – like most game on this auction – are from a Hartwater area, meaning they are immune to ticks,” explained Burger.

A blesbok ram from Mpongo Private Game Reserve, which was expected to fetch about R1 900, sold for R21 000 due to its special face marking.

“It had a white mask on its face which is why it went for such an enormous price.”

Also noteworthy was the sale of eight scarce white blesbok by the Peterson Bros of Kidds Beach and 30 red hartebeest from Tony Cotterell’s Kei Road farm for R5 100 each.

“I was impressed by how strong the local game farmers were in bidding and buying,” said Burger.

“It shows East London game farmers have stepped up a level and are buying quality game and paying top prices. This used to happen only in the Grahamstown and Kirkwood auctions so this is good for the local economy.”

Burger said the success of the auction meant that it would become an annual event at the East London Agricultural Show.

“The sellers are very happy and all want to enter again next year and help with the organisation of the sale. The tent will have to double in size.”

East London Show outdoor convener Fiona Eveleigh said although game auctions had been held at the show in the past on “a much smaller scale”, this was the first one of this magnitude.

“We are very excited about it and are definitely looking at bringing it back next year. This year we were testing the waters and didn’t expect it to be this big.

“Bidders were flying in from all over and it has put East London on the map.” —