Although not yet listed as an endangered species, Roan antelope numbers have drastically reduced across Africa in recent years.

Just 60% of these animals are estimated to live in protected areas, and without urgent action the species may face extinction.

In a modern mix bringing together traditional farming skills and satellite technology, conservationists are now able to offer the Roan a lifeline.

Kalahari Wild, a 12 000 hectare farm in Grootfontein in the Northern Cape, has taken steps to help conserve these majestic ungulates. The farm runs the Scarce Game Breeding Programme and recently introduced the Roan antelope to this plan. A dedicated team on the ground is responsible for ensuring the animals’ well-being at all times.

The farm is situated in a remote and arid part of the country. Fifty staff are employed to manage it and to track the Roan daily on horseback, recording relevant data, taking photographs and carrying out regular health checks.

The staff also assist herding migrate the animals across the farm to get maximum value out of the limited rainfall and allow for the soil recovery after grazing.

Managing the farm remotely

The farm is managed remotely by the Van Der Merwe family who reside 1 200km away. The Van Der Merwes’ rely on data shared via a central database which is used to analyse trends and plot the programme’s progress.

Although the right processes have been put in place to enable this to happen daily, the farm has traditionally experienced a challenge with the telecommunications infrastructure needed to send data and access the data centre.

According to Jacques van der Merwe, co-owner of Kalahari Wild, “Mobile coverage in the area is not great. There are no masts and, as the population is so sparse, it doesn’t make economic sense for providers to erect masts. Although we’ve typically relied on the fixed lines in the area, these tend to be problematic as cables are stolen frequently and it’s expensive to replace.”

To overcome this challenge, Kalahari Wild approached Vodacom Business to develop a solution. In response, the company offered its Broadband Connect Satellite. Which can be installed anywhere and works independently of fixed line connections.

After being set up by Vodacom’s Business Installation team, the Broadband Connect Satellite service now makes it possible for van der Merwe to remotely monitor the Roan antelope from his home in the Western Cape. “I can check on the Roan data at any time, talk to the team on the ground, access the latest pictures and compare the tracking information,” says van der Merwe.

Technology for future farming

In the future, van der Merwe aims to build a number of tourist retreats on the farm, allowing guests to stay and track the Roan and other wildlife. “We’ll need extra bandwidth for this, which is no problem with additional equipment, and we’re also planning to put in more sophisticated surveillance system to help control and monitor the animals that will helpfully, benefit the whole industry.”

“Farming has changed so much in South Africa in recent years. For many, the old farming methods are just no longer viable – it’s more tempting to sell the land to mining firms than to continue. I don’t think like that. You have to be entrepreneurial. There are many ways in which technology can help the agri-business, making it more sustainable and attractive to investors.”