For those of you who have tax consultants who know their stuff and for those of you who have needed to push your consultants' knowledge to the limit, I am sure you would know that purchasing 'game' allows you to write off 100% of the asset in the first year. A great tax break the 'powers-that-be' got wise to. Now you have to be a registered 'game' breeder to qualify for this tax advantage.

So, if you happen to visit Bottlierskop, take time to understand the value of the stock roaming the 2000 ha that makes up this game farm. " Our family have been breeding game in the Limpopo region for years. We purchased this farm - then only 500ha - in 1996 and over time we have acquired the other properties that now make up this 2000ha" explained Arnold Neethling. "From day one I have stressed to guests that we are a game farm and that our main function is to breed game. Once tourists understand the business of breeding game they settle in to the experience asking questions that include the intricacies of the business. The experience is no different to that of a game park, the animals run free and live in and off the natural environment".

"The tricky part of the expansions to the farm included fencing the properties. They include nine title deeds that were acquired over time. This meant the fencing process was done gradually. One had to first fence in the newly acquired land before taking down the existing fencing to incorporate the new land. At R20 000 to R25 000 per km, the exercise becomes an expensive one" explained Johan Wigget, financial manager of Bottlierskop.

Arnold described the lifestyle of game farming in the Garden Route, "Being situated in the middle of the Garden Route makes the game farming business that little bit more interesting. You can share the experience with those who appreciate being outdoors and amongst wild animals, without the strain of having to 'survive' off their tourist dollar". Doing this story I could vouch for that. One could definitely feel the relaxed atmosphere and see the symptoms of a sound business practice. He went on, "'Tourism also provides a balance to our loose assets", he went on to explain. "The restaurant building and accommodation we are busy with are sound investments. They hedge our loose asset investment of game".

We asked Neethling about the value and diversity of game on the farm and what game has not adapted to the farm. "We have a large diversity of animals on the farm. Whilst highlights for tourists would include our lion (in a separate enclosure and not for sale), white rhino and giraffe. Our black impala are definitely the projects showpiece. This extremely rare animal recently fetched R140 000 at a recent auction". The Neethling family has bred these black impala from a single animal purchased in Limpopo. "The only species we have stopped breeding with on the farm are Sable".

It seems that Bottlierskop has been a sound investment for the Neethling family. The project started from humble beginnings and has developed slowly to where it is today. Whilst the project is doing well for the investors and offers an interesting financial model, it is widely believed that it is Mossel Bay who are the real beneficiaries of the project. 2000 ha of land has being restored to its natural form and an extremely attractive tourism asset has been added to Mossel Bays list of things to do.