Biltong that tastes of the real Karoo

Toverveld Biltong was started by Madie van Zyl some 14 years ago as a way of earning additional income. Annelie Coleman visited her on her family farm, De Dam, near Colesberg to learn more about her enterprise, and discovered why demand for Toverveld's biltong and other meat products has grown ... and grown.

FAST FACTS

Biltong is a truly Southern African product whose origins go back centuries. A healthy and sustaining source of protein, it is high in iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

Madie van Zyl uses only the best cuts for making biltong. According to her, the best beef biltong is medium-dry, edged with a thin section of yellow fat, and not overly spiced.

Van Zyl regards quality and consistency as all-important, and she therefore remains involved in the entire production process, even mixing the spices herself.

Starting a business, especially later in life, often springs from having had a long-standing interest in a subject or an activity. Madie van Zyl, who launched Toverveld Biltong in 2008, is no exception.

"I grew up on a farm and learnt from my mother Magda Kruger and grandmother Maria Steenkamp how to dress and process cattle, game and sheep carcasses. I relish this kind of work. During my high school years, I used to work in a butcher shop during school holidays to earn pocket money, and I enjoyed it very much," she recalls.

First of all, however, came studies and marriage. Van Zyl qualified as a physiotherapist and in 1997 married Danie, a Northern Cape cattle and sheep farmer.

Unfortunately, the couple's farm, De Dam, is 50km from the nearest town of Colesberg, so Van Zyl was unable to practise physiotherapy after her marriage.

The couple went on to have a family, and years later, when three of her four children were at boarding school, Van Zyl found herself with more time on her hands and became determined to earn an income. Given her interest and background in meat processing, biltong production seemed an obvious choice.

With encouragement from her family and financial support in the form of a loan from her parents, Van Zyl launched her business, beginning in a garage on the farm and using the bare minimum of equipment.