The colour of this Nguni animal is inkomo eyezindlu, or ‘the beast which is houses’ in Zulu. From The Abundant Herds: A Celebration of the Nguni Cattle of the Zulu People, written by Marguerite Poland and David Hammond-Tooke and illustrated by Leigh Voigt, republished by Fernwood Press in 2015.

‘Meet Ntuthuko Shezi, the man on a mission to unlock the value of cows by turning cattle into a global asset of value comparable to mineral resources like diamonds and gold. . . .

His latest business venture Livestock Wealth was born out of the need to design wealth creation investment opportunities for Africans in an unpretentious way that the intended beneficiaries could understand.

Livestock Wealth is a digital, trademarked “crowd-farming” platform officially launched in October this year that allows wannabe farmers–who don’t know the first thing about farming, let alone owning land, to establish a farm–to invest in cows remotely.

“Historically, cattle have been a source of pride and a store of wealth for the majority of Africa’s population.

Livestock Wealth aims to bring bovine wealth into the present, restore the pride of cattle ownership and provide people with the opportunity to invest in a commodity that they have a natural affinity for . . . .

‘Investors can purchase one cow for around R10 500, with an option to pay it off over three to 36 months as well as a monthly ‘rental’ fee of R295 that goes towards the upkeep of the cattle and veterinary service fees.

‘Ultimately, Livestock Wealth will manage your portfolio of cows, as it were, like an investment portfolio.

‘Livestock Wealth aims to bring bovine wealth into the present, restore the pride of cattle ownership and provide people with the opportunity to invest in a commodity that they have a natural affinity for.

‘He says investors would receive an annual dividend payout raised from the sale of the cow’s offspring to abattoirs and that your cow would be replaced, at no cost, when it reaches the age of eight. . . .’

Read the whole article at Destiny Man (South Africa): Livestock wealth: Investing the African way, 3 Dec 2015.