Parasite management: the key to farming Boer goats in the Lowveld

André and Brenda Swanepoel’s 9ha smallholding on the outskirts of Mbombela in Mpumalanga is the ideal home for their Boer goat meat production enterprise: it is sufficiently large for their flock and perfectly placed to service the demand for goat meat in the area. One drawback is the subtropical climate, which results in high pest loads. Nonetheless, the couple has found that with careful management, they can maintain a healthy flock, and today have an efficient commercial operation with excellent growth prospects.

FROM A HOBBY TO A BUSINESS

Brenda launched the goat flock in 2016 with André’s help. Named Meraki Goats, the enterprise was essentially a hobby that sprang out of Brenda’s love for animals. At the time, André was working in the steel industry. In April 2018, however, he was retrenched and since then has increasingly taken over the day-to-day running of the flock. This has helped him and Brenda