DU TOIT Family History

The Du Toit’s have been small stock farmers in the Prieska district for five generations, ever since they moved from Villiersdorp in the Western Cape. They have mainly bred Merino sheep. During the fifties of the previous century the current owner’s grandfather was the leading Merino farmer in South Africa. In 1980 the present owner’s father decided to start breeding Dorpers, mainly for three reasons :

•  He had a large agricultural enterprise, consisting of five small stock farms and an irrigation unit within a radius of approximately 200 kilometer ;

• He was already well advanced in years ;

• He found Dorper sheep easier to manage.

After her father’s death in 1990 the present owner, Ms Christine du Toit, started farming at Geelbeksdam, Nauga and Holsloot. Three of her brothers still farm on the rest of the estate in Prieska. Her son, Francois, bought Nauga-East in 1997 and her daughter, Hester, also joined them in 2001. Christine  is married to Jannie, a S.A. Meat Merino stud farmer of Riebeeck-West and they have two other children.

She also compiled a scientific handbook, “The Damara Sheep in Southern Africa” for the Damara Sheep Breeders’ Association.  She was the winner of the Northern Cape Province’s Female Farmer of the Year Competition in 1999.

Prieska is situated in a summer rainfall area and the average annual rainfall is 225 millimeters. The vegetation consists of bushes, shrubs, trees and grass.  The carrying capacity is 30 hectares per one large livestock unit (cattle). The winter is short, from June to August. The temperature varies between 2 °C and 25 °C with occasional frost at night. The summer is long and very hot and with temperatures varying between 18 °C and 45 °C.

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