But there is more to Livestock Wealth
than profitable returns. The company
tries to give the customer a direct
connection with the animal, and the
experience of farming. The website
and a mobile app enable an investor to
“manage” a cow remotely and share
recent pictures, weight and pregnancy
status on social media. Investors get
new data on their cow uploaded at
least once a month.
“We are offering something much
more than an ordinary investment,”
Shezi says. “The market is people who
understand the value and pride of
owning cattle. We are using SMS,
emails, our own app on a daily basis to
tell about the state of the grazing, how
much rain we are getting, how their
traditionally been a measure of
with significant surplus income, as well
cow is feeling, how their calf is doing.
prosperity – and power. For millions of
as many with more modest assets who
You are far away but emotionally
people cattle still remain the most
are looking for a safe investment. The
there.”
valuable possession and primary
key to Livestock Wealth in terms of
There are 13m head of cattle in South
economic asset. Globally the market
marketing are “the nostalgic but
Africa. Half remain on poor land, often
for meat, particularly beef, has been
entrepreneurial, urbanised new South
communally held, and are managed in
driven by increased demand from
African middle class”.
small herds by people who are
China, and other developing
“The whole project came out of my
otherwise very poor. The rest are
countries. South Africans are eating
personal frustration in trying to invest
found on commercial farms, which
more beef, too.
in the stock market, and pick shares,”
often lie on the best pastures, as a
The South African economy is
says Shezi. “I was thinking: 'What is a
result of colonial land grabs and the
flagging, with negative growth in
simple, easy way to grow my own
apartheid system.
recent months. Unemployment is
money?'. My thinking always came
Across Africa, owning cattle has
high, but there are also lots of people
back to the cow.”
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[33]FARMERS
REVIEW AFRICA
July - August 2016