An Ankole heifer from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Ntaba Nyoni cattle operation has made South African livestock auction history after selling for R6.4 million.
Queen Arusha, registered as NANK23 001, was sold as Lot 20 at the Ntaba Nyoni & Friends auction held at Phala Phala near Bela-Bela in Limpopo on Saturday, 3 October 2026.
The in-calf heifer achieved the highest price at the auction and set a new South African record for a female animal across all cattle breeds. The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed.
The sale was confirmed by Veilingswinkel chief operating officer JP Smith, who said the price reflected the value attached to the animal’s breeding genetics and its potential to contribute to future breeding programmes.
Rather than being valued only for the individual animal, Queen Arusha’s worth is linked to the genetic material she can potentially produce through future offspring and reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer.
Record-breaking auction
The R6.4 million sale formed part of an auction that generated total turnover of approximately R22.5 million.
The event attracted around 120 registrations, while approximately 100 people attended the auction in person.
Queen Arusha was among several Ankole animals and breeding materials that achieved significant prices during the sale.
Two straws of sexed semen from Ankole bull Optimus Prime sold for R250,000 each, setting a separate South African record for sexed semen across cattle breeds.
The two straws were bought by Ntaba Nyoni for a combined R500,000.
In total, 37 semen straws were sold for R1.235 million, with an average price of about R33,378 per straw.
Nineteen embryos were also sold for a combined R1.445 million, with the highest-priced embryo selling for R100,000.
The auction also included live bulls, heifers, pregnant cows, cows with calves and recipient animals.
Ten bulls sold for a combined R2.75 million, averaging R275,000 each. The highest-priced bull sold for R650,000 and was bought by Gabriel Ngomane of Ngomane Stud Breeders.
Eight heifers sold for an average of R482,500, with the highest price in that category reaching R900,000.
Four pregnant cows achieved an average price of R432,500, while the top price was R650,000.
Queen Arusha’s genetics
Queen Arusha is described as a full sister of Optimus Prime, an Ankole bull known for its 68-inch horn measurement.
Her pedigree includes Tshinakaho and Akira, with Kovu further back in the bloodline.
The record price therefore reflects the significance placed on high-value genetics within the Ankole breeding industry.
The Ankole breed is known for its distinctive long horns and has developed a growing presence in South Africa’s specialist cattle-breeding market.
Ramaphosa’s Ankole operation
Ramaphosa has been involved in Ankole cattle breeding for more than two decades.
His interest in the breed began after a visit to Uganda in 2004, where he developed an interest in Ankole cattle and subsequently established the foundation of his herd.
His Ntaba Nyoni operation has since become associated with Ankole breeding in South Africa and has also worked with other cattle breeds, including Bonsmara, Boran, Nguni and Wagyu.
The operation focuses on breeding and acquiring cattle with desirable genetics and maintaining breeding records.
The latest auction places Queen Arusha among the most valuable female cattle ever sold in South Africa, with her R6.4 million price setting a new national benchmark for female cattle across breeds.
- Cable Theft in South Africa Leaves Residents, Businesses and Municipalities Paying the Price
- Ramaphosa’s Ankole Heifer Queen Arusha Sells for Record R6.4 Million
- Boksburg couple allegedly forced to drink rat poison before deaths, court hears
- Six Killed, Including Three SAPS Members and Two Prisoners, in R524 Crash
- Feroz Khan’s Associate Preggy Padayachee Shot Dead in Ekurhuleni
