Windhoek
A game farmer recently spent as much as N$1 million on a male roan antelope during a game auction that took place at Outjo this past weekend.
The cash-loaded farmers paid N$510 000 for a female roan antelope, N$400 000 on a female sable antelope and N$260 000 on a white rhinoceros.
Among the 50 buyers registered for the auction, were prominent civil servant, Levi Hungamo (the Permanent Secretary at the National Planning Commission) and businessman Vaino Hipondoka.
“These farmers, who farm in the vicinity of Otjiwarongo, have started to diversify their farming enterprises by including game and we are happy to be able to provide them with the opportunity to buy top-quality game,” said auctioneer Henno Badenhorst about the presence of Hungamo and Hipondoka at the auction.
Heinrich Haarhoff of Cribo Hunting Safari is the game farmer who spent N$1 million on a male roan antelope.
The Outjo Game Auction, which sold 390 head of game of 22 different species for a combined price of N$11 million, took place at Sophienhof Lodge on May 2. Badenhorst said the good offering, with high quality animals of top genetics, contributed to a significant increase in prices compared to previous years, especially regarding rare game species.
“Buyers come back to the Outjo Game Auction because they know what they get there and are willing to pay a price,” said Badenhorst, adding that the auction “has built a reputation and become a reputable ‘brand’, attracting also new buyers every year”.
Agra Livestock in collaboration with Du Preez Game at the Outjo Game Festival hosted the auction. This is the highest turnover in the 12 years that Agra livestock has hosted the auction.
Tsessebes were sold for the highest price of N$50 000, waterbuck bulls for up to N$38 000 and nyalas for up to N$40 000.
There were also impalas, hartmann zebras, ostriches, kudus, black springbucks, black wildebeests, giraffes – which sold for as high as N$13 000 while elands and white springbucks sold for N$27 000.