Ramaphosa’s ankole bags record R6,4 MILLION at auction

A pregnant Ankole cow named Queen Arusha was auctioned off for a whopping R6,4 million, becoming the most expensive cow of any breed sold in South Africa. The heifer was sold by Ntaba Nyoni Ankole, a cattle breeding company owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The farm is located at his Phala Phala farm, near Bela-Bela, in Limpopo.

The president is believed to own more than 100 of the unique breed, which is indigenous to African countries such as Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and parts of Tanzania.

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA BAGS R6.4M FROM RECORD ANKOLE SALE

On Saturday, 3 October, Cyril Ramaphosa’s Ntaba Nyoni Ankole company netted a record-breaking sale at an auction at his Phala Phala farm.

A female heifer, Queen Arusha, sold for a whopping R6,4 million to an anonymous buyer. The Ankole was born in 2023 and is already in calf.

The sale reportedly set a South African record for a female animal across all cattle breeds, not just Ankole.

It’s not the first time the president has netted a small fortune for his pedigree cattle.

In 2022, his Ankole heifer, Fafa, was sold at auction for R2.1 million to businessman Patrice Motsepe, his brother-in-law.

In 2024, another pregnant heifer, Khethiwe, was sold for R1.8m at his auction.

WHY IS QUEEN ARUSHA SO EXPENSIVE?

Queen Arusha is a stud female, making her valuable primarily as a breeding animal and for her elite genetics.

Her R6,4 million price tag is attributed to the following:

Genetically valuable

Queen Arusha comes from a highly sought-after Ankole bloodline. She is the full sister of Optimus Prime, an Ankole bull whose horns measure about 68 inches. During the auction on Saturday, President Ramaphosa’s Ntaba Nyoni Ankole company bought two vials of Optimus Prime’s semen for R250 000 each.

Pregnant, and breeding potential

As a stud female, Queen Arusha has an enormous breeding potential through producing calves and embryos. Her genetics can potentially be multiplied through artificial insemination and embryo transfer.

The Ankole is also an in-calf heifer, meaning she is pregnant with her first calf.

Ankole is a niche market in South Africa.

According to the Ankole Cattle Breeders’ Society, there were only about 1,792 registered Ankole cattle, of which 1,198 were Fullblood, in its 2025 figures. 

Hardy breed

Ankole – known for their long horns – produce lean meat, rich milk, and quality leather. Their horns are also considered a hot commodity. The breed is known to be “hardy cattle” and can live up to 30 years, relying on limited food and water.

AN AVID ANKOLE FARMER

In 2004, Cyril Ramaphosa—then an astute businessman—bought 43 Ankole cattle from Uganda, but they had to be brought into South Africa via artificial insemination. 

The embryos of the cows were implanted in surrogate cows.

In his 2017 coffee table book, Cattle of the Ages, Ramaphosa described his fascination with the breed. 

He said, “They each had long, white, beautiful horns glinting in the African sun. I suddenly became fixated and couldn’t stop looking at them. I was intrigued and in awe and fell in love with these creatures immediately”.

He now owns more than 750 elite cattle, including breeds such as Bonsmara, Boran, Nguni, and Wagyu.