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.
On 1st November 1973 the Botswana government, with the assistance of the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA), appointed Mr. Ove Kjaer Nielsen to fill the vacant post of Chief Executive Officer of the Botswana Meat Commission. This appointment set the future in stone and the inextricable bond between Mr. Nielsen and BMC/Botswana was cemented. He remained in that position until his post was localised by the late Titus Madisa (the then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture) as the first Executive Chairman of the BMC in 1980.
The appointment not only broke the British and South African dominance of BMC’s management but also brought to the organization European marketing and manufacturing expertise, which was vital to cope with the changing pattern of trade in Europe.
The assumption of Ove as CEO of BMC was the first time BMC began to devote as much thought, argument and time to international beef marketing, as it had always given to acquiring cattle and operating an efficient export abattoir. BMC moved further up the beef value chain and got closer to the Consumer by setting up storage and marketing facilities in RSA and Europe.
Ove remained in Botswana as Managing Director of BMC until November 1979 when he was transferred to London as Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of all BMC subsidiaries in Europe, which he had set up. His association with BMC and Botswana which started with his November 1973 appointment as CEO of BMC and continued on as CEO of all BMC subsidiaries for 24 years from 1980-2004, and finally as a non-executive Director on the Board of the BMC subsidiaries until 31st December 2009, was a very fruitful one for not only the Botswana beef producer, but also for the entire Southern African beef exporting countries.
The status of BMC from what it was then up till when he left it in 2009 to what it is now saddened him greatly and we used to have long conversations about it.
He served BMC under four Presidents starting with Sir Seretse Khama in 1973 and ending with Lt. General Seretse Khama Ian Khama in 2009, served under countless Ministers of Agriculture and four local Executive Chairman of the BMC, altogether giving over thirty-six (36) years of selfless and dedicated service to Botswana. He was awarded a Presidential Medal of Honor for this by President Quett Masire for his service to Botswana and Batswana.
Ove was born in Herning, Denmark on 20th April 1930, making him 94.5 years old at the time of his death. He was always young at heart and his favourite expression was that ‘age is just a number, and I don’t feel old’. A testament to this was that he was still driving himself to the very end, his only nod to old age was selling his double storey house to move into a single-storey apartment as he could no longer manage the stairs at 85 years old. His was a life well lived.
Ove was a personal friend as well as my mentor. He was the greatest friend you could ever imagine, supportive, protective and loving.
I first met him in 1990, when as a Senior Veterinary Officer in the Department of Veterinary Services, I was tasked with organising a beef marketing conference for farmers to which he had been invited to present a paper as head of the BMC European Subsidiaries. I got to know him well when I became Director of the Department from 1995 to 2002, by virtue of which I became a BMC Board member, and we sat in the same Board. Our friendship grew and deepened when I assumed the Executive Chairmanship and later CEO of BMC from 2003 till 2010. He mentored and schooled me in the intricacies of the international beef trade.
Ove was physically big, larger than life and radiated charisma. He liked fine dining, had a gigantic appetite and was a connoisseur of fine wines. He was a selfless man who went through his life helping others. He was chivalrous and a true gentleman. He was a lovely man, and we thank him for sharing his life with us.
He lived his life to the fullest and I am sure he went with no regrets as he lived life on his own terms. Even though his principal place of adobe was the UK for a very long time before and after he retired, he made sure and managed his passport such that he did not spend more than 180 days in the UK in a year, or in any other country for that matter. That way, he did not pay UK taxes, and he was the only person I knew who did not pay income tax to anyone.
That was Ove, my friend and mentor.
My sincere condolences to his children, his long-time partner Lone Anderson as well as other family and friends.
Fare thee well and rest in peace old friend.
*Motshudi Raborokgwe DVM is a former Botswana Meat Commission chief executive officer
