Ostrich Business Chamber

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) is an association that serves to represent the industry of producers and processors of ostriches and ostrich products.

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) is a non-profit organisation aimed at organising and providing the ostrich industry with a support structure. It promotes the interests of ostrich producers and processors and supports the development and success of the ostrich industry. The association has the responsibility to protect the economic viability of the ostrich industry and ensure that it maintains its sustainability.

By coordinating with industry producers, processors, distributors and partners, the SAOBC liaises between all these facets of the ostrich industry and with the government to and undisrupted flow of research, market information, legislation and policies regarding the farming of ostriches and production and processing of ostrich products.

The SAOBC works to align the South African ostrich industry and its roleplayers with international standards. This is to ensure that the South African ostrich industry functions to uphold those standards through sustainable farming practices, processing, meeting the export requirements, protecting biodiversity in practicing biosecurity and the humane treatment of ostriches as required by the industry’s code of conduct. South African Ostrich Business Chamber invests in research to ensure the quality, volume and production of ostrich products continually improves.

Through the association, producers are able to access research and information on ostrich farming methods and the marketability and processing of ostrich products.

Products and Services of the SAOBC

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) was established to advance the ostrich industry in South Africa, through promotion, marketing, research, production, sustainability and ethical practices.

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) promotes ostriches and ostrich products that include ostrich meat, ostrich leather, ostrich feathers, commercial farming, ostrich arts and crafts and ostrich tourism. Since the onset of ostrich farming in 1863, South Africa has been a leader in the ostrich industry with a major share of the global market. This is partly due to South Africa’s climatic conditions and the local experience and expertise in the field.

Ostriches are bred to have a mass of about 90kg in natural surroundings according to free range principles on privately owned farms. This results in the production of quality meat, leather and feathers. The SAOBC keeps a record of registered ostrich abattoirs in South Africa where ostrich meat is portioned into different cut requirements before it is vacuum packed, labelled and placed in cold storage until dispatched.

Quality management systems ensure the safety of the ostrich meat produced through testing and monitoring during the production process.

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber maintains a similar quality management system in the production of ostrich leather, which is highly sought after for its style, texture, exclusivity, individuality and value. Produced primarily from ostrich body and leg skin, the properties and consistent supply of South African ostrich leather has awarded it with its impeccable reputation with international fashion designers for garments, accessories and custom leather furniture.

It can be tanned and processed according to its end product. Ostrich feathers are as sought after for fashionable boas and capes to name a few. Ostrich feathers are harvested from juvenile ostriches and are soft, warm and virtually symmetrical.

The manufacturing of beautiful, interesting and practical arts and craft items and ostrich tourism also forms a lucrative and integral part of the ostrich industry in South Africa. 

Members of Ostrich Business Chamber

The National Ostrich Processors of Association (NOPSA) is a membership-based organisation which functions under the South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) and membership is open to ostrich producers, processors and partners in the ostrich industry. 

South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) membership is made up of a variety of roleplayers and partners in the ostrich industry such as Klein Karoo International, Camexo, ostriwell, Chestnut Hills Abattoir, Mosstrich, Ranchos Las Plumas, South Cape Ostrich Tanning and Roelcor.

As a member of SAOBC, members need to ensure that there is adequate maintenance, clean conditions and quality control at ostrich farms. Ostriches are to be bred according to free range principles and treated in a humane manner.

They’re health is to be a priority and insects and potential disease are to be removed and monitored. The SAOBC and its members are to avoid selling ostrich products including ostrich meat, leather and feathers that are diseased and of poor quality. 

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber and its members are encouraged to support each other and actively participate in the association’s affairs to symbiotic relationships that will benefit the whole industry in the long run.

Ostrich producers, processors and members of the ostrich industry are to maintain efficiency in sustainable and ethical ostrich farming management and practices and engage in business practices and product marketing in a way that is economically healthy for the association and the industry.

SAOBC Membership Benefits

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) and its sub-association, the National Ostrich Processors Association of South Africa (NOPSA), provide concrete benefits to its members.

These benefits serve to aid South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) members in producing the highest quality products and ensuring that ostrich producers and processors participate in profitable and environmentally friendly farming practices. Members of the SAOBC have access to the research the association invests in to grow the ostrich industry.

Members receive regular s on the process of ongoing research as well as access to the association to commission research on particular problems that face the ostrich industry, to yield information for members that aid in diseases control, beneficial and sustainable farming practices,  and efficient processing and packaging methods to maximise members, producers and processors’ profits.

Members of NOPSA, and in turn SAOBC, are invited to participate in seminars, get-togethers and study groups to meet and share solutions, ask questions and support each other with information.

The South African Ostrich Business Chamber is able to provide its members with a standard that matches both the local and international market with regard to ostrich farming, processing and packaging in ostrich abattoirs and overall final ostrich products d. Therefore continuously producing high quality products on a continuous basis which benefits the whole ostrich industry. 

SAOBC allows members to participate in projects that raise awareness of the ethical practices in ostrich leather production and encourage young designers with an interest in ostrich leather to practice sustainable promotion of the raw material. The SAOBC also provides structure to the ostrich industry for lobbying and communication about legislation and policies.