My grandfather, Percy Graham, farmed Aberdeen Angus Cattle and later my father and mother, Robin and Lyn Rous, continued farming with Black Angus Cattle. My mother experimented in cross breeding using a Nguni bull in a terminal cross with our Angus heifers. We were very impressed with the progeny. In the early 90’s my brother Trevor and I started farming full time and as a result from the increased interest in Nguni cattle and the higher prices paid for pure animals, we changed to a pure Nguni stud farming system.

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We sourced a broad genetic base throughout Southern Africa, where my brother Trevor and I selected for smaller framed animals. We often travelled to many remote areas in acquiring our breeding animals.  The smaller framed cattle came out of an area of Zululand called the Makatini where the grass was ‘sour’ and less palatable to grazing animals.  We found that a smaller framed animals were able to produce a healthy calf, often with less feed, than a bigger framed cow. We strived to keep things as natural as possible and selected animals that were able to adapt to our farms in the Karoo with only rock salt as supplement.

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In 2007 my farm was bought by the ANC government. I flushed embryos from some of my cattle and exported them to Australia. In 2008 my family and I moved to Australia and we have finally settled with my Nguni’s in the Gundaroo district of NSW. I have the same genetic base but find that the cattle are growing bigger and are doing exceptionally well with only a rock salt as supplement feed.

I believe Nguni cattle are the cattle from the past for a sustainable future making them perfect for any program for grass fed, organic or from paddock to plate.

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Edwin Rous