Third World Child GG Alcock opens my eyes to a massive opportunity – breeding goats

By Alec Hogg

GG Alcock, author of the best-selling autobiography Third World Child, joined me for lunch yesterday. Born white but raised as a Zulu in the poverty stricken Msinga district in KZN, Alcock's interview last October was one of the most memorable we've had so far in the Biznews studio (right up there with Tim Modise's chat yesterday with AMCU's Joseph Mathunjwa).

GG has promised to pop around to the studio again tomorrow. This time we'll be getting a sneak preview of his new book, Kasinomics – a localised version of Freakanomics, which focuses on how money and business operates in SA's black townships. Among the biggest opportunities he uncovers – breeding goats. Such is the demand for goats in spiritual events that SA imports hundreds of thousands of them every year.

Such a pity GG wasn't around to open my eyes during our recent farming experiences. Goats are clearly a better bet than thoroughbreds. Then again, with SA horses frozen out of exports through politics, pretty much any other livestock is.

From Biznews community member S Nicholson

With regard to the horse breeding/racing part of your article. In my view this is a passion, a way of life. The horse racing community must be the most optimistic in the world. The glass is 150% full not half full. What is the difference between a "good" horse and one that is so called not good. Less than one second. If a horse runs a 1000m in one minute it is covering 18 lenghts a second. I bought a "not good" horse breed by the Ellis' at Hartford Stud. He gave me 14 years of pleasure, show jumping, endurance riding through wonderful country side, racing friends in the plantations. Cost plenty to keep but worth every cent. Yes a passion.

From Biznews community member Phil Craib

You are obviously unaware of how damaging goats are to the habitat. For evidence pay a visit to practically any of the traditional homelands. Rather give the occupants title and encourage them to farm something else

From Biznews community member Paul Reynolds

A bit of fun:

There are a few sayings in farming:

If you can't eat it don't farm it.

Be careful of growing water – cabbages

There are more more solids in a glass of milk than in a cabbage

Sadly its not done to eat horses except in Russia

I have a product which kills the smell of smoke – particularly cigar smoke as in the boardroom at Summerveld. I was asked by SAA to meet them at Jan Smuts airport in the 1990's after we became the rainbow nation. I was taken to the simulator where pilots were given advanced training. At the time SAA was using Russian cargo aircraft and pilots, but as the language of the airways is English, they had to become "fluent" in English. I was asked if I could smell anything strange? The answer was Yes, " I can smell horse". They then said that they were using the facility to train the Russians

In the world, more goats milk than cows' milk is consumed, and in Russia they drink more horse milk than any other milk.

You are what you eat – the Japanese think we smell of meat. Anyway a good spray of our product killed the smell!

Incidentally I supply the boss of Checkers, Christo Wiese's goat milk farm at Loxton with product. He milks 300 goats and makes Karroobokmelkkaas on the farm – it is available in upmarket Checkers stores.

The answer – farm and milk goats, make cheese and you can sell the goats at the end of the process. Goats are browsers and love thorn tree leaves – this is where the taste of bokmelkkaas comes from.

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