Most expensive items sold on Auction in Southern Africa

The auction floor is often filled with a range of buyers who know what they want and are often willing to get it at all costs. 

While there are several items across the world that have sold for astronomical prices at auction, not many people know about the most expensive items sold at auction in Southern Africa. 

From paintings to livestock, here are a few items buyers have splurged on while on the auction floor.

Bonsmara bull - R4.4 million 

The farming industry is tough, but it can be a lucrative endeavour if you own the right livestock. In 2023, a Bonsmara Bull was sold for a whopping R4.4 million by Up George Bonsmaras during an auction in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. This record price was said to be due to the pedigree of the bull, which was promoted as being a truly African breed bred under African conditions for beef cattle producers in the region. 

Irma Stern’s Children reading the koran - R22.3 million

Irma Stern was a prolific South African artist who gained international and national attention for her work during her lifetime. Her painting titled “Children Reading The Koran” was painted during her trip to Zanzibar and sold in 2023 for R22.3 million during a Strauss & Co auction in Cape Town, South Africa. The price is said to have broken the African record for a painting sold, but it’s not the first time the artist’s work sold for such an extraordinary price. Another of her paintings, “Arab Priest,” sold for £3 million in London in 2011. 

1968 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 - R2.79 million 

A rare Ferrari took the highest bid during a Creative Rides Classic Car Auction in 2022, going home with its new owner for the incredible price of R2.79 million. This top price beat the previous winning record of R1.69 million for a 1983 Alpha GTV6 3.0-litre back in December 2021.

A bottle of Grand Constance 1821 - R967 000

A new record was set in the wine industry when an unopened bottle of Grand Constance 1821 was sold at a Straus & Co Auction in 2021 for a staggering R967 000. The historical bottle of wine was said to be destined for Emporer Napoleon Bonaparte before he died in 1821. There are an estimated 12 bottles of this rare wine in existence today, which was produced nearly 200 years ago on one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms - Groot Constantia.