Almost 200 buyers descended on Willem Pretorious Nature Reserve for the 29th Annual Game Auction on 11 and 12 April 2014. The two day game auction attracts buyers from all over the country to bid for the stock at hand.
This year, sixteen species of 865 animals from the province, 8 of the 14 state owned game reserves were up for grabs. The first day saw 88 hunting packages sold for R3.276 million, on the second day the Auction registered R10 162 million revenue, posting a 22% improvement from the previous year’s revenue. Revenue generated from the sale of the biological assets of the Free State Provincial Government in the past three years total R32.9 million.
The game auction on offer this year included Blesbuck, Giraffes, Springbuck, Kudus, Sables, Waterbuck, Red Hartebeest, Zebras, Buffalos, Wildebeest and Cape Mountain Zebras. The highest price was for a Sables lot which fetched R298 000.00 per animal.
The MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mosebenzi Zwane says, “The success of the game auction is confidence shown by farmers throughout the country to effective nature conservation management in the Free State. It is for this reason that we encourage more previously disadvantaged people to venture into this industry.”
The auction is a family affair with everything for everybody. The event offers a marathon, bicycle race, food stalls, beer tent, arts and craft and lots of music.
For more information:
Kgotso Tau
Cell: 082 833 9595
Tel: 051 400 9544
E-mail: tauk@detea.fs.gov.za
