How Livestock Auctions Work in South Africa

Livestock auctions are where most South African cattle, sheep, goats and game change hands. Whether you are restocking a farm or buying your first few animals, here is how the sales work and what to check before you bid.

The main kinds of livestock auction

• Weekly or fortnightly sales: local sale yards sell commercial stock — weaners, slaughter stock, cows with calves — on a regular sale day.
• Production auctions: stud breeders sell registered bulls, rams and females, usually once or twice a year, with a printed or online catalogue of each animal's records.
• Game auctions: wildlife is sold to ranches and reserves, often from a catalogue, with animals delivered under permit after the sale.
• Online and hybrid sales: many auctioneers now stream the ring or run timed online sales, so you can bid from anywhere in the country.

Before the sale

Register with the auctioneer before sale day and complete FICA (your ID and proof of address). Read the conditions of sale: they set out the buyer's commission, VAT, payment terms and when the risk in the animals passes to you. Our guide to auction fees explains the usual costs.

For stud and production sales, study the catalogue — breed society registration, weights, fertility and performance figures. For commercial stock, look at condition, age and how the lot is grouped.

On the day

Arrive early to inspect the pens. Ask the auctioneer or the seller about vaccinations, dipping and any health certificates, especially if you are moving animals into another area. Decide your maximum per head or per lot before bidding starts — livestock sales move fast.

After the hammer falls

• Pay within the period in the conditions of sale.
• Paperwork: you need a document of identification for the animals from the seller to transport them, and the animals should carry the seller's registered brand or mark. Ask the auctioneer what they provide.
• Transport: arranging loading and transport is usually up to the buyer, and the animals are normally at your risk once sold.

Find livestock auctions

Browse livestock auctioneers by province, see what is on in auctions this week, and follow the sale yards you buy from so you hear about new sale days.