Prince Of Birds

Samuel Mbiza and his business partner ruffled feathers when they bought a racing pigeon for R5 million. He tells us why this bird’s so unique.

- Ayanda Sitole

HE HOLDS one of his beloved birds gently in his hands, stroking the soft feathers as the creature coos contently.

For Samuel Mbiza, pigeons are more than just pets or a hobby– they’re a passion. And they’re also big business, as he and his partner proved recently when they broke the world record by paying R5 million for a Belgian bird called Golden Prince.

Samuel (38) is one of South Africa’s foremost breeders of racing pigeons, a profession that to him is a calling: He received a prophetic message in his dreams one night that this was what he was supposed to do with his life.

He answered it and here he is: Successful, content and determined to spread the love of pigeon breeding.

Samuel and partner Mark Kitchenbrand (47) bought Golden Prince on auction in Belgium earlier this month, bidding against a Chinese buyer for the prized bird.