Eulogy for Ove Kjaer Nielsen

Most local beef farmers who were plying their trade in the beef space in the late 70’s and into the 80’s and 90’s would surely remember Ove Nielsen and know what positive impact he had in their lives over the years. Under his stewardship, BMC was transformed from being a lone old abattoir in Lobatse with no exports apart from sales of whole carcasses to RSA - to it being the largest and most modern beef industry on the African continent.

This achievement also led to BMC and its South African and European subsidiaries which he had set up, to become the sole exporters and importers of all beef to the European Union from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Swaziland, after the first two received their independence in 1980 and 1990 respectively. This created a unique organization in the international meat trade, linking the export abattoirs of Southern Africa directly with every section of the beef trade throughout the European Union. This ended up establishing Southern African beef as a premium brand in Europe, with BMC punching well above its weight in international beef circles.