Cattle of the Ages

Ankole cattle in South Africa Photographed by Daniel Naude Text by Cyril Ramaphosa In this majestic book, Cyril Ramaphosa reveals his passion and love for cattle as he introduces us to the magnificent Ankole cattle, originating in Uganda, and now, through his intervention, flourishing in South Africa. He reflects on the legacy bequeathed him by his father, Samuel Ramaphosa, who had to leave behind his cattle herd in Venda to find work as a migrant worker in Johannesburg. Life in the city was tough and demanding, weakening Samuel’s links with his ancestral origins and causing the loss of his herd. The love of cattle runs deep in South Africans and Cyril is doing more than restoring his father’s loss, he is resuscitating a new pride for South Africans with these remarkable cattle. The Ankole have become the flavour de jour. A few years ago the Nguni reigned supreme, now the attention and focus is on these regal animals with their soaring horns. Cattle of Kings is the Abundant Herds of the Ankole. This hardcover book is designed by Gabrielle Guy and is destined to become a collector’s piece. Photographer Daniel Naude first met and fell in love with Ankole cattle while photographing cattle around the world. His prints, of the Ankole in particular, have been bought by the likes of Paul Allen of Microsoft, Mary Slack of the Oppenheimer family and even president Jacob Zuma. This photographic collection moves a little from the classic portraits of single animals Naude is known for and here are portraits of the herd, images encapsulating the movement of these cattle who carry their horns like crowns and the interactions between the beasts