Beyond the carcass and the cut, the South African cow is a goldmine of secondary resources. According to data from Biomket, a waste trading company, the livestock industry is valued at over R152 billion, yet a massive portion of its profit potential remains untapped in the form of waste that can be converted into energy, medicine, fertiliser and much more.
As South African farmers navigate a 2026 landscape defined by high input costs, the cow is being redefined as more than just a source of beef. While the meat market is the traditional focus, the true resilience of a modern cattle operation lies in the valorisation of its byproducts, the process of turning everything from manure to bone meal into a secondary paycheque.
“A cow isn’t just meat; it is a walking factory of opportunity. A smart farmer sees value in every part,” said Thapelo Kgosi Ramokala, the brand owner of Thuo.
Ramokala explained how, beyond meat, every part of the cow turns into profit:
- Horns and hooves: These can be processed to make glue, ornaments, combs or traditional crafts. In some cultures, horns are sold and polished to make decorative items.
- Manure/dung: Can be dried up and sold as organic fertiliser or used to produce biogas for cooking and electricity.
- Urine: Used in traditional medicines like distilled Hetha treatment for diabetes and as an ingredient in natural pest-repellent pellets for crops.
- Fat/tallow: Animal fat is rendered into tallow used in soaps, candles, lubricants and even cosmetics.
- Intestines and stomach: They are cleaned and used as natural sausage casing, while the stomach lining, or tripe, is eaten as a delicacy.
- Glands and organs: Certain glands are used in the pharmaceutical industry for producing hormones and enzymes.
- Hide/skin: Is used to make leather shoes, belts and furniture.
- Blood: Is used in making blood meal, a high-protein supplement for animal feed or an organic fertiliser for crops.
- Bones: Crushed bones make bone meal, which is also used as a fertiliser and animal feed; some are also turned into jewellery (shin bone/femur), buttons and crafts.
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Farmers in action
Mbongeni Moyo, a cattle farmer from Delmas in Mpumalanga, said he maximises even unexpected losses. He sells whole cattle at auction.
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“I don’t throw away anything because the cow is sold as a whole. What I have explored is that if there are losses in the farm, like an animal dying on its own or, in some cases, being struck by lightning, we usually sell to dog food makers (meadow) to make dog food or dog owners, and we try to recover the losses,” Moyo said.
While some farmers are already tapping these opportunities, others are poised to follow. Cobus van Coller of Libanon Farm in Viljoenskroon, Free State, said, “At this stage, we take the cattle straight to the abattoirs; we do not do processing, but in the future, we might.”
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