T H E
K A L A H A R I
K I D
Communicator
VOL.1 • NO.1
NEWSLETTER OF THE KALAHARI KID CORPORATION
he Kalahari Kid Corporation is a new company which has taken the initiative to bring the
South African goat industry to its rightful place in the international goat trade. As such,
Kalahari Kid is dedicated to producing only superior goat meat and value added products
for both the local and international markets.
This business aims to create sustainable jobs and improved income generation as it uplifts
communities throughout South Africa. It plans to achieve this through the delivery of quality
products to local and international markets and the delivery of superior advisory and support
services to Kalahari Kid Contract Growers.
Kalahari Kid's ultimate objective is to market the meat,
offal, leather, milk and fibre products of 1 million
goats per year. This is our 3-year vision.
Mark of quality
The Kalahari Kid brand aims to
draw together goat products
sourced from all South Africa's
goat farmers and value-adding
entrepreneurs, under one allencompassing brand. This is a
new development, long called for
by the largely under-developed,
South African goat industry.
Successful branding of goat
products is essential to ensure
that the market accepts the final
products favourably. An allencompassing brand is also
beneficial in negotiating shelf
space with retailers, being able
to develop consumers' affinity
towards the selected brand and
packaging.
A large number of resource-poor
farmers own goats for traditional
purposes. The commercialization
of indigenous goat resources,
bringing goat meat and other
products into the formal retail and
consumer markets will create an
enormous additional income to
these communities, and create
many additional jobs in the rural
areas.
To successfully accomplish the
commercialization of this previously un-utilized resource,
formal marketing rules must be
adhered to. Such rules include
the positioning of the product as
an up-market, luxury item in the
retail sector, an appealing and
attractive brand name, logo and
packaging, and the presentation
of a high quality product that is
safe and hygienic.
The arrival of the Kalahari Kid
Brand is thus one of the most
important marketing activities for
successfully positioning goat products in the formal retail sector of
South Africa and internationally.
Contents
National goat brand
hits South Africa
1
Mark of quality
1
Partnership is
a winning recipe
2
Company Structure
2
Contract growing:
The new alternative
3
Marketing the
"other red meat"
3
Food for thought
- Local Boergoat news
- Interntional Boergoat
news
4
In 1944 a letter to the Farmer's Weekly by Ted Outram explained that farmers
and not the goats were to blame for exploiting the grazing. His arguments in
favour of goats included the less damaging browsing behaviour of goats versus
the grazing of sheep close to the ground, the inclination of sheep and not goats
to walk in single file causing foot-paths, and also, the propensity of goats to 1
curb bush growth which improved grazing.
The Greek tragedy plays also
stem from an earlier source.
The word tragedy has its
origins in the Greek
word "tragoidia" or
goat song, from
"tragos" (goat)
and "aeidein" (to
sing). The word would
have referred to
either the prize, a
goat, that was awarded to
the dramatists whose tragedy
plays won the earliest
competitions or to the dress
(goat skins) of the performers,
or to the goat that was
sacrificed in the primitive
rituals from which the Greek
tragedy developed.
Partnership is
a winning recipe
The Kalahari Kid Corporation is a joint initiative
between private sector commercial partners,
several government stakeholders, and emerging
and commercial farmers in several provinces of
South Africa (Eastern Cape, Northern Cape,
North West). The involvement of the Boer Goat Breeder's Society and the
Kalahari Red Breeder's Club further strengthens the initiative. Much of the animal and
product research was undertaken by the Agricultural Research Council under the
auspices of the National Commercialisation of Indigenous Goats Project over the last
6 years.
Moving forward however, the Kalahari Kid corporation management has drawn together
a team of Marketing, Legal, Financial and Agricultural experts, who together, are
building the business into a winning formula. Strengthened by strategic partnerships
with independent Goat Enterprises in the Provinces, Kalahari Kid aspires to creating
a sustainable goat industry where benefits are shared throughout the organisation.....from
the grass roots emerging farmer to the international consumer.
Company Structure
KALAHARI KID ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
Provincial
Investors
Public
Shareholders
Marketing
Expertise
Agricultural
Expertise
Private
investors
Processing
Expertise
Financial
Expertise
The Zodiac sign of
Capricorn is believed to
be a representation of
Retailers
the Greek god Pan. The
fishtail seen in this sign
is thought to originate
Leather
Cashmere
Milk
Processing Processing Processing
Consumers
Stock
Exchange
from the incident where
Pan, trying to avoid the
m o n s t e r Ty p h o n , j u m p e d
into the water just as he
was changing into animal
Regional
Centres
e.g.
Umzimvubu
Goats
Kalahari Kid
Regional
Officers
Other specialized
trainers sourced
by Kalahari Kid
Provincial
Extension
Officers
2
Farmers will
need
education and
training
Regional
Centres
e.g.
Kgalagadi
Dipudi
Contract Growers
Regional
Centres
e.g. Amatole
Project
Regional
Centres
e.g. Mogwase
Project
Members of
Kalahari Kid
Producers
Association
Contract Growers
Contract Growers
Contract Growers
Contract Growers
shape. The half above
the water assumed the
shape of a goat, while
the lower half beneath
the water assumed the
shape of a fish.
The new alternative
Over the last three years the red meat industry has lost a considerable
amount of market share to the white meats in South Africa. This can be
largely attributed to the Foot-and-Mouth epidemic and concerns surrounding
Mad Cow's Disease. However, another reason has been the lack of vertical
integration in the red meat industry. This entails the strengthening of the
links between the producer and the consumer through the value-chain.
Realising the importance of quality, safety, traceability and price, Kalahari Kid is developing the "vertical integration"
model into its dealings with both emerging and commercial goat farmers across South Africa. Both types of farmers will be contracted to grow superior quality kid for export and the local retail industry. To do this an active
training and supervisory function is necessary, especially among new goat farmers. To do this the Kalahari Kid
Corporation is employing a team of dedicated Regional Agricultural Officers, headed by Merida Roets, who will
work closely with Extension officers of the Provincial Departments of Agriculture and emerging and commercial
farmers directly. These Regional Officers will be responsible for contracting goat farmers to deliver on specific
dates, specific quantities and, of course, to certain quality specifications. Training in goat management will be
offered, a mentorship programme will be launched, and farmers will need to comply with several strict requirements
before goats are channelled into the value-adding chain.
Marketing the "other red meat"
Leading the Marketing team of the Kalahari
Kid Corporation, Judith Weidemann has
travelled extensively to develop South
Africa's foothold in the international arena.
Working closely with the Department of
Trade and Industry, leading chefs and
famous South African personalities, Judith
plans to penetrate the South African
market just as surely as the international
trade.
Bone-In Leg
Boneless Leg
Shank Off
What is Capretto?
Capretto is a tender,
juicy, lean and tasty
Bone-In Chops
Bone-In Saddle
meat from a young
goat kid. It is the
Bone-In Rack
An advertising campaign aimed at the upmarket end of the market spectrum will
assure that South African goat products
Boneless Shoulder
are seen as the superior alternative to
other red meats. Catch phrases such as
"Don't put their health on the line", "For
the adventurous and heath conscious",
Cubes
and "Alternatively superior" are being used
throughout the campaign. Recipes and
cooking instructions are being distributed,
and retailers and butchers will be certified
before they are able to present Kalahari
Kid products to discerning consumers.
Bone-In Ribs/Flap
perfect alternative for
adventurous
and
health conscious
Boneless Shoulder
Rolled Netted
families. Capretto can
be prepared using
Bone-In Shoulder
traditional cooking
methods and has
an array of mouthwatering possibilities.
Capretto
compliments
Flavours that go
well with Capretto
include: mint,
pepper, rosemary,
thyme, garlic,
honey and citrus.
During the Renaissance dances were often styled on animals
and birds. More sedate dances imitate the behaviour of birds
such as the peacock, whereas the French dance, the capriole,
imitated the bawdy behaviour of the goat.
3
F O O D
F O R
T H O UBy Judith
G Weidemann
H T
Local Boergoat News
Boergoat farmers will aggressively start to market their
"heart friendly" animals to
ensure that the meat is
available on supermarket
shelves early next year.
Mr Izak Vorster, president of
the SA Boergoat Breeders
Association (SABTV) said that
in his opinion commercial
breeders would have to
double their production to
supply the increased demand.
Other negotiations are taking
place with large supermarket
chains and an abattoir/
distribution group to ensure
that this succulent, very
healthy meat reaches the
consumer under the brand
name KALAHARI KID.
In almost all the South
Using only baby kid goats, the
meat is lean and tender.
Taste profiles are being
researched to give the
consumer an end result which
is not only healthy, but also
convenient in a 'take home heat and eat' form. Packaging
and shelf life of the range of
products is in its final stages,
with recipes perfected by well
known chefs and nutritionists,
ensuring that the consumer
can be confident that she is
feeding her family only the
best! Research has shown
that boergoat meat has very
little saturated fats, calories
and cholesterol, with a lot of
iron and protein, which could
make this the red "MEAT OF
THE FUTURE" !
International Boergoat News
Chinese scientists are attempting to clone Boergoat embryos in
North China's Tianjin municipality, according to press reports.
The first cloned kid is expected to be born by October 2003. The
cloning project could lead to increased meat production. Boergoats
grow very fast and their meat yield rate is around 50%
higher than ordinary animals, which have a yield of
around 20 - 30%.
They will however be using older adult boergoats,
weighing around 100 kgs, which will provide approximately
40 kgs of meat. According to Dr Ding Boliang, director of the
Research Institute, boergoat meat is full of nutrients, lean and
very popular in the US market. The Tianjin research center has
over 300 purebred Boergoats, which are kept as breeding stock
and a storage area for genetic material from Boergoats, such as
embryos, is being built.
In British fairytale, the
Urisk or Uruisg was a
Head Office:
brownie, half-human,
227 Du Toitspan Road, Kimberley
PO Box 3004, Kimberley 8300, South Africa
Tel/Fax: (053) 8311 928
half-goat, who herded
Email: [email protected]
solitary rough kind of
cattle, did work
around the farm, and
was very lucky to
4
Where to contact us:
have in the house.
Johannesburg Office:
125 Silverstone Crescent, Kyalami Business Park, Kyalami
PO Box 1645, Midrand 1685, South Africa
Tel: (27 11) 466 3565 / 66 / 77 • Fax: (27 11) 466 3470
Email: [email protected]
African languages, "goat"
means "the questioning
animal" or "that which asks
a question"; in Zulu, imbuzi,
in Xhosa ibhokhwe, in
Sotho and Setswana pudi
and, in Venda, Tonga and
Shangaan, mpundzi. This
is because the goats has
been used for centuries by
the tribes of South Africa to
communicate with the gods
and ancestral spirits.
"............I hear you cry, oh
imbuzi, on the altars of our
ancestors. I hear you cry,
oh goat, in the shrines of
our forefathers. You are the
one who asks the
questions.
That is the meaning of your
name. The animal which
asks questions. Questions
which often
have no answer....."
Credo Mutwa