The Savannah Goat in South Africa:
Preserving a Proud Heritage
Brian Payne, Dr. Frank Pinkerton
Grapeland, Texas, January 19, 2003

The Savannah goat in South Africa was first recognized as a distinct breed with the formation of the Savannah Goat Breeders Society on November
21, 1993. At this time a Breed Standard was drawn up and the Society joined the South African Studbook Association (Campbell, Origin and
Development of Savannah Goats).

A common misconception in North America is that Savannahs are “white Boer goats”. Nothing could be further from the truth! Mr. Keith Ramsay,
Registrar of Livestock Improvement in the South African National Department of Agriculture, suggests that “the breed is phenotypically different
to the Improved Boer Goat…my main criteria when I recommended that they be recognized as a separate breed. Initial genetic distancing also
supported this. The Savannah is a more compact animal – shorter legs.” (personal communication)

History scholars also suggest that the Savannah goat’s origin is distinct from that of the Boer. The origin of “the Savannah White Goats of
Olierivier” is described in “The Indigenous Sheep and Goat Breeds of South Africa” by Dr. Quentin Peter Campbell. Dr. Campbell was part of the
development team as well as “the officer in charge” of the South African National Mutton Sheep and Goat Performance Testing Scheme. South
African Dorper sheep and Boer goat stud breeders have recognized his contribution to the development of these fine breeds through his
leadership of this program as well as his academic and judging pursuits.

Dr. Campbell suggests that the Savannah probably developed from goats belonging to the Khosa people of the Ciskei and Transkei of the Eastern
Cape. “These indigenous goats were mostly white or roans or piebalds” while “the most accurate description of the ancestors of the Boer Goat”
was provided by Barrow (1801) who wrote that “near the Hartebees river in the Northern Cape he encountered some Namaqua Hottentots who
possessed a herd of small handsome goats that were spotted like the leopard.”

Dr. Campbell gives credit to this very early description of the indigenous ancestors of the modern Boer goat by referencing the first edition of the
South African Boer Goat Breeders’ Association Journal (1959). In this issue; Mr. T.B. Jordaan, a pioneer breeder, declared that “a big, robust,
dapple-coloured male goat” was important in the development of the Buffelsfontein stud. Dr. Campbell then suggests that this stud “influenced
the development of the Boer Goat (breed) to a marked extent.”

Even though a breed’s history is interesting and its appearance important in setting it apart from others of the species, the key question for all
goat ranchers to ask is: Why farm with Savannahs?
Dr. Campbell suggests the following reasons:

1)        Savannah goats are hardy and adaptable with natural resistance against tick born diseases such as heartwater and against other external
parasites.
2)        Since natural selection played a big role in the development of Savannah goats they are heat and drought resistant and easily endure cold
and rain as well. Fully pigmented skin provides protection from strong ultra-violet rays.
3)        Savannah goats have relatively simple and low nutritional requirements and can survive and reproduce where other small stock breeds can
not exist. Savannah goats produce a higher net profit because of lower input costs.
4)        Savannah goats breed year round, exhibit early sexual maturity and have long productive lives. Does aggressively defend their kids and
milk well. Kidding on pasture with no assistance and no need for bonding pens is to be expected.
5)        Savannah goats require minimum handling and care. Range performance trials (Veld tests at Ellisras) indicated that indigenous goats like
the Savannah did not develop mouth or hoof problems as was the case with some Boer goats. Overdeveloped or “overshot” lower jaws do not
occur.
6)        Savannah goats have been selected for rapid growth and good carcass conformation. Their pure white color makes them much sought after
for religious slaughter.   

Savannah breeding, from Dr. Campbell’s perspective, is  fundamentally important because of the crucial role it plays in indigenous breed
preservation. On a global scale “indigenous genetic material is being swept away on a wave of breed substitution and crossing” (J.P.Gibson, 1993,
Animal Breeding has much to offer livestock productivity). The importance of maintaining breeds with a unique ability to perform in harsh
environments is pointed out by Dr. Laurie Hammond (1985), director of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization as follows:

“Breeds of cattle, pigs and poultry, once the backbone of
farming economies in many countries, were being replaced by
a few super breeds which only performed in ideal conditions.
Irreplaceable genetic resources are being lost. Many of these
native breeds have maintained humans for more than 10,000
years. Their loss is not just a matter of heritage. It’s very much
about our future”.

The process of domestication and the critical importance of breeders and breed societies in shaping the appearance of the animals that they tend
is described by Valerie Porter (1996, Goats of the World):

“Domestication is not simply a matter of taming individual
animals…Domestication involves breeding in captivity for
several generations, so that human beings can select…the
traits within the species that are useful or pleasing to them – in
terms of behaviour,  productivity and general appearance –
and can control such factors as where and when the animals
feed and where they live. That is to say, the animals become
dependent on…human beings…juvenile characteristics  
persist into adulthood: the brain may be smaller, the
senses generally less acute as the dependence
increases….Thus, gradually, different types evolved for
different situations in various localities, formed as much by
the demands of humans as of the environment.” (p.3 & 4)

It is this process of human intervention that created the Boer  goat as we know it today:

“By means of selection white farmers have eliminated throat
tassels, speckled colour, dappled colour and the piebald
markings of the indigenous goats in the modern improved
Boer Goat….The spotted or speckled goats (skilder bokke)
were described by Barrow (1801)…When the goat farmers of
the Eastern Cape started improving the conformation and meat
producing capabilities of the Boer Goat they selected for a red-
head goat with a white body…As a result of this, indigenous
goats of other colours were eliminated or ‘graded up’ with red-
head Boer Goats.”

From Dr. Campbell’s perspective the association of this white body and red head with productivity lead to the virtual extinction of most of South
Africa’s indigenous goats through the wide spread crossbreeding of indigenous goats with improved Boer goats (and also with Angora goats):

“Eventually only a few flocks of speckled goats
survived….White as well as black farmers claim that the
speckled goats are better adapted to unfavourable extensive
Savannah grazing conditions than Boer Goats. They also
claim that the survival rate of ‘Skilder’ kids is higher than
that of improved Boer Goats. Perhaps extreme
environmental conditions will ensure the survival of this old
historic strain of goats.” (Campbell, p.38)

Dr. Campbell’s insistence on the critical importance of natural selection in the development of the Savannah breed, the importance of private
breeders in preserving the breed and the importance of the environment in dictating the breed standards are illustrated in the following
quotations from his 1995 publication, “The Indigenous Sheep and Goat Breeds of South Africa”.

“The indigenous white goat stud of Messrs DSU Cilliers and
Sons was started in approximately 1957 from a mixture of
colored indigenous ewes and a white ram….Selection was
aimed at breeding a white heat and parasite resistant
functionally efficient meat producing goat. These white
goats which are kept in a Savannah type camp close to the
Vaal river had to survive under extremely unfavourable
conditions….natural selection…..survival of the fittest,
played a big role in the development of these fertile easy
care heat and drought resistant animals.” (p. 36)

“Three factors – temperature, humidity and light – rule supreme
and in South Africa they are generally stern masters who are
apt to go to extremes, and cause shocks to vegetation and
animal life. Sometimes these shocks are difficult to endure and
therefore indigenous animals are of a definite and
distinctive pattern… (a fundamental standard).
Characteristics and qualities… (of indigenous
game animals)…such as light-footedness, mobility, lively
posture, a short smooth glossy covering of hair…a roomy
loose, relatively thick skin and dark pigmentation; lean long,
shapely flat legs; a lean skull; strong large and well-developed
back, loins and buttock muscles; a slightly hanging rump – all
these are very definitely apparent”. (citing Opperman, p.9,10)

In a video-taped interview with Dr. Campbell in South Africa (B. Payne, Bloemfontein, 1999), he further explains that the essential difference
between Boer goats and the less improved indigenous goats like the Savannah can be seen from specific conformation traits.  Dr. Campbell
concurs with Keith Ramsay’s contention that the Savannah goat is phenotypically different from the Boer goat. Rather than criticizing the breed
for its “slab sides and a tendency towards hockiness”, Dr. Campbell suggests that like the South African game animals, these are the conformation
traits that nature had selected. He further suggests that if we try to create too round a rib and an animal that is too wide and heavily muscled we
“put at risk the animal’s adaptability. Their hardiness and survivability under unfavourable climactic conditions and their ability to convert low
quality browse into high quality red meat.”

In short, Dr. Campbell states quite emphatically that the Savannah Breed Standard was created by observing survivor animals in the field NOT by
“sitting in a room around a table”. The integrity of the Savannah breed; its distinct appearance and unique history, is thus firmly tied through the
Breed Standard to its proud South African heritage and the demands of the South African environment. Clearly, preserving this heritage demands
an association that adopts the South African Standard.

The Savannah Goat in North America:
A Proud Past; An Uncertain Future
Brian Payne, Dr. Frank Pinkerton,
Grapeland, Texas
January 19, 2003

Savannah goats were first imported to North America by Jurgen Schulz early in 1995. The Schulz family had been engaged in the importation of
exotic animals from Africa for many years and the surge of speculative interest in Boer goats provided the incentive for this business venture. The
Savannahs were a small part of a larger shipment of nearly 500 animals which included primarily Boer goats but also some Dorper sheep.

The entire shipment of animals entered the United States through the Truman Quarantine Station in the Florida Keys. They were released later to
a “USDA approved quarantine station near Goldthwaite, Texas” (Ranch and Rural Living, May, 1995) in May of the same year. The Boer goats
became identified as CODI-PCI animals within the American breed registries and have contributed significantly to the development of the Boer
goat in the United States.

Little is known about the production and sale of Savannah goats from the Schulz ranch in the three years following their importation and
quarantine. We do know however, that the entire herd of 34 goats was dispersed through the Kifaru Exotics Sale Barn in Lampasas, Texas on
December 5, 1998.

Almost all of the original South African imports of this pioneering period did not have pedigree information issued through a central breed
registry; an import permit, an embryo certificate, a South African stud number and a sire and dam was all that was required for registry purposes.
The authenticity of the imported livestock was primarily dependent on the stud breeders’ embryo production records, his reputation in the South
African industry and his breeding records (pedigrees).
Reputation and records are still the core criteria in evaluating the authenticity of registered, purebred seed stock today. However, most of the
early pioneers in the Boer goat industry remember the phrase: “If it looks like a Boer …. It is a Boer!” Many naïve investors bought white goats
with a red head and thought they were purchasing a full blood animal. In other words, in the absence of a credible, centralized registry and
breeding records an “exotic goat” can sell for large sums of money based on phenotype (appearance) alone!

Given the highly heritable nature of white as a color, small numbers of true Savannahs and a poorly organized group of breeders, will we soon see
a wave of white goats put forward as being authentic South African Savannahs?  

The future development of the Savannah breed in North America has several serious challenges to overcome if it is to be successful:

1)        Identifying authentic Schulz foundation stock and their
offspring. This problem has been compounded by the fact that the original Schulz Savannahs were widely dispersed with no central registry in
place to track and record changes in ownership or to document the generations of kids produced from the original foundation stock. The Pedigree
International registry was not established until at least a year and a half after the Kifaru dispersal (Goat Rancher, August 2000).
2)        Preventing the potentially divisive development of two
classes of Savannahs. Original South African imports   
(Schulz, Keri-Rose, DN Africa) with good documentation as
compared to poorly documented Schulz derivatives.
3)        Most critically, maintaining the integrity of the breed by
setting up a registry that is backed by a DNA verification system in order to separate true descendents of authentic South African Savannahs from
white imposters. Setting up a registry is always a challenge, but in the case of the Savannah goat in North America, it is like “closing the gate
after the horses are already out”!

Clearly, a registry is only as good as the documentation provided by the participating breeders. Is it the registry’s problem if a new breed is
introduced but there is no breed association in place to instruct the registrar on “proper documentation?” Breed associations are critical to the
success of a registry because it is the “association” that defines “foundation stock’ and sets the criteria for an animal’s entry into the herd book.
The association also defines the breed standard and creates the rules for registry that further refines and develops the breed. Perhaps most
importantly, however, the association unifies breeders and sets ethical standards for conduct in the breeding and sale of purebred livestock.

4)        Given the history outlined above, perhaps the most daunting challenge facing the Savannah breed today is to try and build the trust and
cooperation required for association development with a responsive and credible registry as its foundation.

If current Savannah goat breeders are able to overcome these serious impediments to breed recognition in North America, the breed’s proud
South African history and the legacy of the initial Schulz importations and others will shine in North America, just as the CODI-PCI name has shone
in the Boer industry.
History Update from the Savannah breed creator Mr. Lubbe Cilliers

I was impressed by the original breed standards I found while researching the Savannah breed.  The emphasis
on mothering and function inspired me and others to invest in this animal with the durable blueprint.  I have
since seen versions of the breed standard that have been revised and have personally strived to focus on the
intentions of the original breeders here on our farm.  I am happy to report that I received word from South
Africa in response to our efforts here in the states to preserve the breed.  Mr Lubbe Cillers wanted to
provide us with the correct information in order to ensure that his work continued outside of South Africa.  
On November 23rd 2010 Mr. Cilliers personally supervised the translation of his article that published in
Boerbok Nuus approximately 2005.  He feels that the article provides us with details important to breeders if
his Legacy of the Savanna is to be continued here in North America.  The publication of this document is
permitted by Rising Sun Ranch and will be published under savannagoats.org via The North American
Savannah Association with permission by Mr. Cilliers.  Any reprinting or duplication of this document is
prohibited without express permission. Please click on the links to the right column to read the article in
afrakannas or english.
Rising Sun Ranch
New Video Documentary "Thoughts on the Savanna Goat From South Africa"

The blueprint of the savanna goat is explained through interviews and video footage of Savannas goats in
South Africa. This video series was filmed in February 1999 by Brian Payne before he imported Savanna
embryos and includes interviews of both Dr. Quentin Campbell, South African small livestock expert and
Lubbe Cilliers, Savanna breed originator.  I was able to create “Thoughts on the Savanna Goat from South
Africa”   by posting this old footage provided to me by Brian Payne (now president North America Savannah
Association).  This adventure to see the Savanna goat is a four part series.   

PART 1 The Role of Natural Selection with Dr. Quentin Campbell

PART 2 Savanna Traits with Dr. Quentin Campbell

In the first and second segments, Dr. Quentin Campbell discusses his role in livestock development in South
Africa including his role in the development of the Savanna goat breed.  Dr. Campbell is a highly respected
small stock expert who also contributed to the Boer and Dorper breeds. The Savanna goat is noted by Dr
Campbell to be a breed selected by nature in the harsh and unforgiving South African environment. He
explains the differences between mother nature's design to survive and thrive versus mans vision of livestock
selection and ultimately how that affects the overall success of all small stock production including the
commercial goat producer in South Africa and abroad.  This is a must see as it provides valuable insight and
guidance for the success of today’s goat producer.

PART 3 Creating the Savanna goat with Lubbe Cilliers

PART 4 Savannas on the Veld with Lubbe Cilliers

The third and fourth segments showcase the Legacy of Lubbe Cilliers and the Savanna goat in South Africa
with the breed creator. In this video footage from 1999 Lubbe explains how he created and founded the
Savanna goat breed in South Africa over a 42 (now 54) year period.  The video is filmed at the Cilliers farm in
South Africa.  Mr. Cilliers has expressed that he is pleased with the new interest and appreciation of the
Savanna Goat abroad and is now working with NASA to ensure that this legacy endures in North America. Mr.
Cilliers has provided me with the breed standard that was forwarded to NASA for public view.  The Cilliers
family still actively breeds and develops his original line in South Africa.  Lubbe plans on assisting us by
providing photographs to illustrate and accompany the standard.  These will also be made available to the
public as soon as they are available.    
"South Africa, with its ever
changing weather conditions
and extensive grazing areas
that stretches from the
Kalahari sand regions to thick
bushveld areas, is the birth
place of the largest variety of
wild buck and indigenous
breeds in the world. This
includes the kudu, eland,
gemsbok, swartwitpens,
springbok and many more wild
buck types. In the case of
farming animals, a selection
of cattle breeds like the
Afrikaner and the Nguni had
their origins here. The
Savanna should also be seen
as a proud indigenous product
of this sunny but unforgiving
country and its extreme
conditions. Natural selection
created the Savanna." Dr
Quintin Cambell
The South African Savanna

ORIGIN OF THE BREED
The development of the white Savanna goat started in 1955 on a farm belonging to DSU Cilliers and Sons. The near river location of the farm
enforced little care and with fluctuating temperatures and rainfall, the goats were expected to adjust, survive and multiply in a typical savanna
environment. The breed started off by using an indigenous multi-color, floppy ear female and a large white buck. The result was a fertile, heat-,
parasite- and drought resistant breed with good meat characteristics.

Interest in the breed led to the recognition of the specie in its own right and the Savanna Goat Breeders Association was formed in 1993.


GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Medium to large white floppy ear buck with a thick loose skin and short, smooth hair. In spite of the white color, the Savannah buck is well
pigmented with all non hairy areas colored black to brown.

CHARACTERISTICS
•        Fertile with good mother instincts. Females give birth in the open veld and bind well with their kids.
•        Multiple births
•        Good growth from the surrounding growth (Veld)
•        Balanced carcass with little fat and tender appetizing meat
•        Very good at searching for food, good grazers, utilize grass well and effective control of bush and weeds
•        Well pigmented
•        Parasite resistant/tolerant
•        Heat tolerant
•        Level temperament, easy care with maximum profit

GENERAL
The Savanna goat must be a strong, lively, functional, effective buck with an awake but not wild posture.

The females must  be of average/medium size and should appear petite and feminine. Females with suckling kids must be protective of the kids
and should defend them aggressively against dogs and other predators.

Bucks must appear manly, stately, robust and muscular.

The Savanna goat is developed under harsh conditions and should easily endure harsh conditions like heat, intense sunlight, cold and rain.

The breed moves with ease and can, should the need arise, travel long distances in search of food and water.

The Savanna goat must be able to utilize a wide spectrum of plants for example trees, bushes, brush, grass and shrubs that are hard, even when
undesirable for other animals.

The goat must have a lengthy breeding season and must be able to produce and breed kids any time of the year.

SPECIFIC BREED CHARACTERISTICS
•        Lively appearance
•        Symmetric build: not too short, not too long body or legs
•        Thick, loose and dark pigmented loose skin
•        Short Kemp-like white, older goats, the hair coverage. In winter, the goat develops extra down-like hair to protect itself.
•        The goat has strong jaws with well developed and durable teeth.
•        Good mother characteristics and high fertility
•        Long productive life cycle.

HEAD
The Savanna has a average length head with a slightly bent nose section and the shape of head is like the head of a large mouth yellow fish. The
head and nose must be quite wide but not sharp-like.

The mouth must be strong and relatively wide with muscular jaws. The upper and lower lips must be muscular and loose like those of the Kudu.

The teeth of young, old, male and female goats must have a good bite on the cushion of the top jaw. No deviations or mouth defects will be
tolerated. Only with a full mouth buck or female is a 6mm too long bottom jaw allowed.

The eyes must be lively, encircled by black pigmented eye lids and skin. Must be protected by a well developed eye banks.

EARS
The ears must be moderate in size, hang to the side of the head, must be neat and have an oval shape. The ears must be well pigmented and must
be well reactive in order to easily deter ticks, midges, gad-flies and other parasites.

HORNS
The horns are dark black and grow to the rear. Must be sturdy, oval shaped and must not press against the neck. Must not be wild or too wide or
too long. Males have stronger and heavier horns than the females. The base of the must show a reasonable gap.

Females, as well as bucks must drop their horns in an aggressive stance to protect their young when threatened.

NECK, FRONT QUARTERS, LEGS AND CLAWS
The neck is muscular and relatively long so it can easily lift its head to reach and eat  branches, leaves and pods that are high up on trees.

The front quarter is muscular and of moderate width. Too narrow or too wide front quarters will be discriminated against. The front legs are well
placed and straight. The pipe-leg beneath the knee on both the front and hind legs is relatively short but strong. The talus-joint on both front and
hind legs must be strong and resilient and should show a moderate slope. Upright or slow talus-joints will also be strongly discriminated against.

The claws on both the front and hind legs must be strong (durable), hard, black and relatively large. The two individual claws (trotters) of each
claw must be against each other.

The claws must not grow out and the claws of the Savanna must not crack, must not  easily inflame or be sore.

Top of the legs must be well integrated and fixed to the front quarters and hump.

The hump area is slightly higher as the back and rear-end. Older bucks show moderate skin wrinkles, especially on the front quarters.

BACK AND MIDDLE AREA
The middle area must be relatively long and deep and the goat must show capacity to take in and digest roughage.

The back and eye muscles (musculus longissmus dorsi) must be strong and wide, not straight and also not hollow.

The middle area must not, especially in older animals, be cylindrical or shallow. The Savanna goat has a good rack of ribs and an oval respiratory
middle area.


REAR QUARTERS AND HIND LEGS
The rear quarter must be wide and the hind legs must be widely placed and run straight down. The cross must show a gradual slope to the rear,
like those on a Gemsbok. The rear quarters must be muscular and well covered in meat.

The Achilles must be strong, muscular and the Achilles tendon must be clearly visible. Achilles should not turn inwards or outwards and it should
be easy for the goat to stand on its hind legs.

The tail of the Savanna goat must stand up straight, covered in hair and should move with ease. The naked areas should show black pigmented skin.

COLOUR, PIGMENTATION AND HAIR
The Savanna is completely white. Limited quantities of black or red hair are acceptable but should be phased out. Pigmentation on male and
females should be dark-gray to black. Light colored spots should not be present in Elite bucks or does. Anything pink is an error.

The Savanna is a totally white goat with black skin, horns, nose-tip, udder, sex organs and claws. This colour corresponds to the so-called royal
Nguni cattle.

The hair coverage comprises of short white hemp-like hair. Fine down-like hair appears during cold winter months to protect the goat against cold.

SEX ORGANS
Normal, well developed sex organs are expected. The buck should have two well developed testicles in a small sack. The scrotum on bucks should
be about 26cm in circumference and should a gap be present, 2cm will be the maximum acceptable measurement.

Turned testes are not allowed and testes must be of similar size.

Does: Well developed and solid udder as per attachment A will be taken as guide and will be valid and binding until such time that research either
confirms or indicates something different.

TEATS
Bucks: One teat on either side of the testicle sack is ideal and two on a side are provisionally acceptable until 26 January 2011.

Does: Two functional teats are ideal. Dual teats are not allowed but a single teat with two holes are acceptable but should be phased out. Teats
showing a small ‘blind/non functional’ teat are acceptable. Maximum number of teats per side is three of which two should be functional or one
functional and two small/blind. ALL SHOULD BE SEPARATE FROM ONE ANOTHER

FERTILITY AND GROWTH ABILITY
The breed is well known for its fertility, good mothering abilities and before- and after teat rate of growth.

22% twins could occur and females should take well care of them. Females, especially stud females should be able to give unassisted birth
anywhere and should be able to care and tend to the kids.

Too large kids at birth will be discriminated against.

DUDS / FAULTS
•        Faulty mouths
•        Faulty legs and talus
•        Faulty sex organs and udders
•         Any deviation to the normal build that prejudices the functional integrity of the Savanna
•        Incomplete or light pigment


SUMMARY
South Africa, with its ever changing weather conditions and extensive grazing areas that stretches from the Kalahari sand regions to thick bushveld
areas, is the birth place of the largest variety of wild buck and indigenous breeds in the world. This includes the kudu, eland, gemsbok,
swartwitpens, springbok and many more wild buck types. In the case of farming animals, a selection of cattle breeds like the Afrikaner and the
Nguni had their origins here. The Savanna should also be seen as a proud indigenous product of this sunny but unforgiving country and its extreme
conditions. Natural selection created the Savanna.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Author: Dr. Quintin Cambell
Special mention: Founder/Breeder of the Savannah Breed: Mr. Lubbe Cilliers
Translated from the original Afrikaans version by Johann Hills. (To ensure none of the facts from the original document were missed, the
translation was done in conjunction with Mr. Lubbe Cilliers)


APPENDIX A