Game meat industry growth stalled by persistent barriers

South Africa’s game meat industry has significant potential to contribute to economic growth, food security, job creation and transformation. However, industry stakeholders say barriers across the value chain continue to constrain its development.

Three years after the Game Meat Strategy was introduced, many of the challenges it aimed to address – including limited market access, infrastructure constraints and financing barriers – remain key obstacles to the growth and transformation of South Africa’s game meat industry.

Spearheaded by the department of forestry, fisheries and environment, the strategy aims to formalise and transform the game meat industry in the country.

“The game meat industry is largely untransformed, and there is a very low participation rate of previously disadvantaged individuals (POIs).

“In addition, there are large areas of community-owned land that are suitable for plains game and which provide opportunities for community-based enterprises to drive rural socio-economic development,” the strategy stated.

Lack of strategy implementation

While the strategy has called for a more concentrated, formalised and transformed game meat industry in South Africa that supports thriving rural economies, more needs to be done to ensure that this becomes a reality.

“Game meat could be an alternative healthy source of protein to South African, specifically from a food security perspective and sustainability of wildlife systems, as it provides an opportunity to diversify income streams,” the strategy further outlined.

Chief executive officer of Ekim Wildlife and the deputy chairperson of the Black Agricultural Commodities Federation (BACF), Mike Gcabo, said policy alone would not unlock the industry’s full potential. He added that continuous engagement with relevant stakeholders is needed for the strategy to fully life its life.

“The game meat industry is still not sufficiently developed. The approval of the game meat strategy is important and necessary, but policy on its own is not enough to drive industry growth,” he said.

Emerging farmers limited to primary production

Gcabo said one of the biggest challenges is that many black game farmers and emerging industry participants remain confined to primary production.

“Black game farmers are generally limited to primary production, meaning they simply farm with the animals. When you are at that end of the scale, you are almost forced to accept the price that is offered to you,” he said.

He explained that opportunities become increasingly restricted further along the value chain, particularly in harvesting, processing and marketing.

Unlike conventional livestock, game animals require specialised harvesting methods because they are free-roaming and often harvested in extensive veld conditions.

“The logistics involved in harvesting game from the field can be prohibitively expensive,” he said, adding that limited access to compliant processing facilities, cold storage and specialised transport further increases costs for small-scale producers.

According to Limpopo commercial farmer MJ Nunes, game farming can offer diversification opportunities, but farmers should understand that profitability often depends on multiple income streams rather than game meat alone.

Game breeding, hunting, tourism key for profitability

Nunes said venison remains a niche product compared to mainstream proteins such as beef and chicken. While demand exists, the market is relatively specialised, making it important for producers to explore additional revenue opportunities.

One such avenue is genetic game breeding, where the value of animals is determined by factors such as genetics, horn size, colour variants and species. He noted that the growth of the genetic breeding sector from the late 2000s significantly increased the value of certain wildlife species, including sable antelope, nyala and colour-variant game.

“The value of game can vary significantly depending on its genetics. For some producers, breeding and selling high-quality genetics can be as important as meat production,” he explained.

Drawing on his experience managing wildlife on a Limpopo game ranch, Nunes said many operations combine several enterprises, including hunting, wildlife tourism and limited venison production, to improve profitability and spread risk.

He added that while some game farms continue to focus on breeding programmes, others have shifted their attention towards hunting enterprises, which remain an important source of income during the hunting season.

Market access and finance hinder growth

According to Gcabo, access to markets remains one of the most significant barriers facing small-scale producers. “The small producer does not have direct access to the market. Retailers have high barriers to entry and strict requirements that many emerging operators struggle to meet.”

Access to finance is another critical concern. Gcabo said many financial institutions do not adequately recognise game animals as valuable, bankable assets, making it difficult for producers to secure funding.

While acknowledging the challenges, Gcabo believes game farming remains a viable diversification option for farmers with suitable land. He said game farming can also create additional revenue streams through wildlife tourism, hunting and educational activities.

“People travel from around the world to experience wildlife. Game farming creates opportunities for tourism and allows farmers to generate value beyond meat production,” Gcabo said.