A fibre empire built on semi-desert plains
Across the vast, sun-drenched expanses of South Africa's Karoo, flocks of angora goats wander freely over land that stretches endlessly toward the horizon. Their luminous coats glisten under the harsh sunlight of a region that has quietly established itself as the undisputed global capital of mohair production. This semi-arid landscape, defined by dusty gravel roads and isolated farming operations, now accounts for more than half of the world's supply of a fibre celebrated internationally for its remarkable sheen and silky texture.
At Wheatlands, a sprawling 7,700-hectare family property marked by a stately Cape Dutch gable bearing the date 1912, seventh-generation farmer Lloyd Short has built his livelihood around these distinctive animals with their pendulous ears, arching horns and lustrous golden fleeces. The homestead, Short notes, is actually the newest dwelling on the land — yet it is the goats, not the architecture, that have earned Wheatlands its standing in the industry.
The curly fibre harvested from these animals commands prices of up to R900 per kilogram and is principally destined for the knitting sector, frequently blended with conventional wool. Even the renowned Italian textile house Vitale Barberis Canonico, celebrated for its premium suiting fabrics, sources South African mohair for its yarn production. Short explains that fibre quality is intimately tied to the animal's age, with the initial two shearings yielding the most prized material. Each goat produces between one and 1.5 kilograms on average, and while output rises marginally as animals mature, the fibre's commercial value diminishes over time. Short and his brother each maintain herds of approximately 2,000 goats, supplying exclusively to a major French fashion brand — an arrangement that allows complete traceability and brand protection.
Rebuilding trust after an industry crisis
The mohair sector faced a severe reputational blow in 2018 when animal rights group PETA published footage showing a goat fatally injured after an artery was inadvertently severed during shearing. While producers insist such occurrences are exceptionally uncommon, the fallout was devastating. Major international retailers including Sweden's H&M, America's Gap, as well as Zara and Topshop, swiftly cut ties with mohair suppliers. Industry confidence only started recovering following the establishment of independently verified animal welfare certification.
Marco Coetzee, director of the sector's representative body Mohair South Africa, says rigorous protocols are now firmly in place to safeguard the industry's reputation.
"Farmers go through annual audits. They are visited once a year by their brokers and then they are also audited by a third party."
According to official industry data, South Africa was responsible for 56% of worldwide mohair output in 2024, with the sector sustaining roughly 30,000 jobs — hundreds of them located directly in the Karoo. It is a remarkable achievement for a breed that originated in Turkey, though precisely how the angoras first arrived on South African soil during the nineteenth century remains a matter of historical debate. Sean Hobson, whose family has reared angora goats since 1865, maintains that the Karoo's natural conditions are ideally suited to the animals.
"It's an incredibly healthy area, there are wonderful wild species and sweet plants. Almost everything is tasty."
Hobson notes that more humid regions prove problematic for the goats owing to parasites and ticks that flourish in wetter climates. Between their twice-yearly shearings, the animals undergo parasite treatment followed by the application of a conditioning solution that encourages the fibre's distinctive curl formation.
In a warehouse close to the port city of Gqeberha, the unmistakable scent of a shearing shed pervades the air as hundreds of bales stand ready for export. Pierre van der Vyver, chief executive of the brokerage House of Fibre, attributes the fibre's worldwide demand to its exceptional physical characteristics.
"The world buys mohair primarily because of the shine. It's very strong, it doesn't break and it doesn't shrink."
House of Fibre, together with local rival OVK, commands over 70% of global supply, while neighbouring Lesotho contributes a further 16%. Nearly all purchasers acquire the raw fibre in bales, with processing largely handled by two domestic firms, Samil and Stucken. Van der Vyver remains assured that South Africa will retain its dominant market position despite growing international competition, pointing out that Chinese producers face significant technical barriers given the specialised and time-intensive nature of mohair processing compared to conventional wool.
South Africa's dominance in global mohair production, supplying 56% of the world's output, directly sustains roughly 30,000 jobs in some of the country's most economically vulnerable rural areas. The Karoo's ability to recover from the 2018 PETA crisis through certified welfare standards demonstrates the sector's resilience and adaptability. As international demand for premium natural fibres continues, the industry's established infrastructure and processing expertise position it to remain a vital contributor to export revenue and rural livelihoods for the foreseeable future.
