Smallholder Goat Production in Southern Africa: A Review

Abstract

Goats play a crucial role in improved livelihoods and food security in Africa. Indigenous and locally developed types exhibit a wide range of phenotypic diversity, but are commonly well adapted to the harsh environment in which they need to survive and produce. They have various functions in communities in developing countries, from providing food security to being a liquid form of cash and playing a role in ceremonial occasions. The Southern African goat population exceeds 35 million animals, most of which are kept in small-scale traditional production systems in communal areas. These traditional production systems are characterised by informal, lowly-skilled labour, small numbers of animals and limited resources. Most goats are part of mixed crop-livestock systems, where different livestock species and crop farming compliment one another. The productivity and offtake from these animals are relatively low. Some goats form part of agropastoral production systems, with marginally higher management and resource inputs. Both of these systems are dependent on a high degree of variability where the keepers/farmers can exploit various resources as and when necessary. Goats possess a range of adaptive mechanisms that enable them to deal with harsh and challenging environments, making them the ideal species for use in these production systems. This chapter aims to provide background information on the current smallholder management practices of goat keepers in Southern Africa.

Integrating remote international experience and community engagement into course‐based animal behavior research

“…Goats play a particularly important role in domestic affairs in much of Africa. There are approximately 425 million goats in Africa, with roughly 5.2 million of these in South Africa (Mataveia et al, 2021 ). In South Africa, there are both a commercialized, intensive goat production system, and a semi‐intensive system that consists of small farming cooperatives and individual farmers (Mdladla et al, 2017 ; Morrison, 2007 ).…”

“…The Nguni goats used in this study are part of this semi‐intensive “village” goat system, which is characterized by animals with limited housing and veterinary care that are generally adapted to harsh conditions. This production system usually consists of informal labor, with herders overseeing small herds with minimal use of technology and other inputs (Mataveia et al, 2021 ). Production performance and goat behavior in these village goat systems are much less studied than in commercialized systems (Masika & Mafu, 2004 ; Ncube et al, 2020 ), but research on these systems could help contribute to management practices that provide benefits to marginalized communities.…”

Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Conservation in South African Indigenous Goat Ecotypes: A Review

“…Studies have indicated that goats respond better to environmental heat stress than other livestock animals [ 48 , 49 ]. They can cope better, even when farmed with other livestock species [ 1 ]. Due to various morphological, phenotypic, and largely genetic traits, they can adapt to any environmental condition [ 50 ].…”

“…The African goat population accounts for at least 41% of the world’s goat population, which equates to approximately 423 million goats, of which, 35 million come from Southern Africa [ 1 , 2 ]. South Africa is the third-highest goat-producing country in Southern Africa, preceded by Tanzania and Malawi.…”

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“…The goal is to increase the number of goats and increase their productivity. 4 Improving goat production has been an on-going challenge at both academic, institutional, village, and individual farmer levels, and a major pathway is through breeding. Benefits from genetic improvement that add value to goat meat endproducts could achieve sustainable development and reach a wider population of the poor and needy.…”