This week on Inside Africa, CNN International travels to Lesotho to meet the men turning their sheep shearing careers into sport. The stakes are high as the programme follows some of the sport’s best blade shearers to the South African National Championship.

In the Eastern Cape – where South Africa surrounds the tiny nation of Lesotho – the art of sheep shearing has been practiced and passed down for generations. The skills of these sheep shearers are highly sought after, with migrant sheep shearers leaving their villages for months at a time to make their living working in South Africa’s huge commercial sheep farms. One such worker is Elliot Ntsombo who tells CNN how following in his father’s footsteps inspired him to take up sheep shearing, “I got interested in being a shepherd and my father told me I should shear and look after the sheep. He really was the one who inspired me.”

For Ntsombo, what started out as a job to support his family has become a passion with sheep shearing taking him around the world. Ntsombo has won six world titles in the sport, and explains why he believes he won the accolades, “I was very excited doing this job, working with other shearers, and representing Lesotho. I love shearing with all my heart. I didn’t make any mistakes when I was shearing. This is what put me on top.”

Most shearers start out in blade shearing, but this hand-driven skill is being threatened by the increased efficiency of machine shearing. Ntsombo’s manager, Graham Frost, explains why machine shearing is seen as more effective, “One of the reasons why it’s becoming more important to do machine shearing is you can do it with far less labour or units that actually have to do the job or work.”

While the economics of hand shearing may someday die out, the traditional skill is alive and well in highly competitive sheep shearing events. Inside Africa follows competitors to the South African National Championship, a qualifying event for the World Championships – held this year in France. Mayaneke Shweni is the favourite to win this year’s competition and talks about his desire to win, “My only dream is to be on the team that goes to France. The goal is the World Championships. I must qualify in South Africa and then I will prepare to defend my world title in France.”

The programme also meets Fickson Maqhosha, a rising star in the Lesotho sheep shearing community. He is Shweni’s main competition at this year’s championship, and tells CNN why the events remain important, “These competitions are important because they show you how to improve and gives a place for younger guys to come to grow and improve their shearing.”

The stakes are high as the two men compete against the best of the best to see who will make it to the World Championships. Whoever comes out on top, the passion and skill on display illustrate that sheep shearing in Southern Africa is more than a job, it is a way of life.

Source: CNN International