About The Breed

No other individual has contributed so much to cattle breeding as professor Jan Bonsma, the father of the Bonsmara breed.

Thanks to Proffesor Jan Bonsma, the Bonsmara is the only beef breed in the world created through well-documented crossbreeding programmes with the aid of objectively recorded performance data.

Strict selection for economic traits such as fertility, milk production, growth and adaptability are still practised. This has contributed to the reality that Bonsmara proudly succeeded in becoming the strongest and most professionally administered beef breeds in Southern-Africa.

Origins

Any breed can survive and produce under ideal conditions. It is only when drought strikes and fertility and growth is influenced that an animal is put under pressure. With our typical African climate, parasite-related illnesses and diseases are another risk for cattle farmers. The Bonsmara was bred to excel even under these harsh conditions and rough climates.

The Bonsmara was bred at the Mara and Messina Research stations between 1937 and 1963 by scientists under the watchful eye of Prof Jan Bonsma. The name Bonsmara was derived from Prof Bonsma’s surname and Mara, where the first crossbreed calves were born. Prof Bonsma exercised crossbreeding experiments in about 20 commercial herds in different parts of South-Africa, to finally establish the best performing crossbred beef breed, which consists of 5/8 Afrikaner and 3/8 Exotic Hereford/Shorthorn. The first Bonsmara bulls were made available to commercial breeders in the 1950’s and soon the Bonsmara were widely spread across South-Africa.

In 1970 the first Bonsmara cattle were brought into Namibia by Peter Becker. On 25 November 1976 the Bonsmara Club in Namibia, namely the “SWA Bonsmara Club”was established. Soon the SWA Bonsmara Club had 45 active registered breeders, and after nearly 50 years of breeding, 14 of these breeders are still active.

Today we are one of the leading cattle breeds in Namibia and called the Bonsmara Cattle Breeders Association of Namibia, with 40 active breeders and more than 13 000 registered Bonsmara cattle as well as numerous commercial farmers all over the country.

Characteristics

Functionally efficient.
Well adapted to the extensive Southern African climate.
Very fertile and breed small to medium calves for easy calving, every year.
Calves have a steep growth potential and reach a very efficient wean weight.
Are subject to minimum growth standards and produce high quality meat.
Calm temperament and are handled with ease.
Equally suitable in cross-breeding as well as pure cattle farming.
Strictly selected according to minimum breed standards to enhance the production potential of commercial farmers.
Performance tested, inspected and approved by inspectors according to minimum breed standards.
Pure and approved Bonsmaras bulls are branded with a B on the right shoulder.