Anton Saunderson isn’t your typical cattle feedlot operator. While some farmers chase bigger numbers and quick gains, he goes with a different approach. He shares his story in this episode of the Farmer Mentor series.
For Anton Saunderson, success is not about the size of his wallet or the number of cows in his feedlot. It’s about doing what’s right, building strong relationships with stakeholders, and knowing when to ignore bad advice.
For this feedlot owner, his secret to long-term success is being the kind of farmer or business partner you would want to work with. It’s about doing what you say, when you say you’ll do it.
“If you tell [someone] you’ll pay [them] on Saturday, then you pay [them] on Saturday. No stories on Monday. Be the kind of farmer or businessman [or woman] you’d want them to be. That’s integrity,” says Saunderson, who owns a feedlot where he manages 180 head of cattle with precision and care.
Starting small
Born and raised in Randburg, Johannesburg, Saunderson’s early years were far from privileged. “I was not one of the guys who was dealt with a golden spoon in the mouth, so I had to work for what I wanted,” he shares.
His entrepreneurial spirit ignited early, starting with a small building company. He started with a hardware store after renting a piece of land. “That grew up to quite a big company today in Krugersdorp.”
Later, Saunderson expanded into property investments, buying rental properties that generated a steady monthly income.
However, his heart always lay in farming. To nurture this passion, he bought a small 17-hectare farm and began to “play around” with cattle. “The first 10-15 years of farming were just learning to do the trade properly and to do it right,” he says.
WATCH OUR CONVERSATION WITH ANTON SAUNDERSON BY CLICKING THE VIDEO BELOW.
His venture into feedlotting did not happen overnight. “I actually started with a breedlot, not a feedlot,” he explains.
As his understanding of the meat industry deepened, he recognised the need for a shift. “As you grow and you increase, it’s actually hard to sell cattle that you’re not supposed to breed with because you learn to love your cattle,” he admits.
A debt-free philosophy
With a solid foundation and a keen sense for business, he expanded into feedlotting, a more capital-intensive and specialised operation. However, even in this growth, he held firm to his principles.
“One of the business rules I have is that I don’t make debt. Nothing whatsoever. Don’t make debt. That’s actually a biblical principle. You don’t make debt on nothing. You don’t buy something if you cannot afford it in cash,” Saunderson advises.
This principle governs everything from his farm infrastructure to the cattle he buys. “Every cattle that’s on my farm is paid for. So you save up, you buy it cash, then you don’t have to pay it twice to the bank.”
Saunderson’s feedlot, now managed by his son, embodies efficiency and care. “I can make a turn there for an hour a day, sit in my kraal, and enjoy the cattle.”
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Learning and sharing lessons
This farmer is big on mentorship and sharing knowledge. “I make a lot of TikTok videos. On my TikTok videos, I always tell people not to do certain things, and it’s all things I’ve done. So I made the mistakes, and that’s why I tell people, don’t make this mistake.”
For aspiring farmers, Saunderson’s advice is straightforward: Start with a breedlot.
“Learn to keep cattle alive and healthy on the veld. Learn to multiply your cattle on the veld. If you can look after cattle properly on the veld and they multiply and they stay fat, they stay healthy, and you’re not in trouble, a feedlot is definitely the next step.”
He warns against one of the most common mistakes new feedlot operators make. When he started, he was eager to try every feed recipe he heard, mixing advice from different farmers into his system.
However, what he didn’t realise was the importance of consistency and proper timing. Weighing cattle weekly, as he had been doing, created unnecessary stress for the animals.
Saunderson says he eventually learned to weigh them monthly, reducing stress and ensuring healthier, more productive cattle.
Moreover, consistency is key, he explains. “The recipe you feed your cattle is a 90-day recipe. You cannot change the recipe every two weeks if you get something cheaper.”
Every successful businessman needs a mentor
Mentorship, Anton emphasises, is non-negotiable for success. “Any businessman that’s successful today needs a mentor.”
For his own workers, Anton offers a simple but powerful philosophy. “I always tell my workers, listen to me, everything I say for three years. I don’t want to hear one story for three years.
“After three years, you come to me with your own opinion. For three years, I’m just going to teach you what I know, and you apply that. I’m telling you now, most of that’s going to work.”
Saunderson says he has expansion plans, but for now, he focuses on mentoring new-era farmers on TikTok. Something he really enjoys doing.
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