Breed registries
The breed definition of each registration association is slightly different from one another, and a new, uniform breed definition had been in the progress for a long time, but that idea collapsed after 2010 due to disagreements between the associations.
You can read breed definitions on each association's own website. The largest and best-known breed associations are briefly described below.
Kennel Union of Southern Africa (KUSA) est.1891
The Kennel Union of Southern Africa (formerly the Kennel Union of South Africa) was founded in 1891 when the Port Elizabeth Kennel Club of South Africa (founded 1883) and the Cape Town Kennel Club of South Africa (founded 1889) merged. It is one of the oldest kennel organizations in the world.
KUSA primarily acts as a registry and an umbrella organization for almost 200 breed organizations that belong to it, with a total of more than 6,000 members.
KUSA is a member of the FCI and has mutual agreements with non-FCI organizations such as the Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club. It also has agreements with other FCI national members such as the Australian National Kennel Council. KUSA represents the South African dog world at the National Sports Commission and is recognized by the South African Stud Book Society. KUSA registers and supports two South African breeds known as africanis and boerboel.
After 2014, KUSA no longer registers Boerboels in South Africa.
SA Boerboel Breeders Association (SABT/SABBA) est.1983
S.A.B.T. / SABBA - a non-commercial public organization, SABT is the first boerboel association in South Africa, which united all boerboel enthusiasts in South Africa and helped start the first boerboel registry and worked on the further development of the breed. One of SABT's main goals is to preserve the breed as a unique native South African breed.
In 1980, Jannie Bauer together with Lucas and Anneke van der Merwe (from Kroonstad) organized their first big tour around South Africa to collect and select original boerboel dogs that fit the breed definition.
After thousands of kilometers had been covered, a strong pruning began with ups and downs. In the end, 72 of the 250 selected dogs qualified, which became the breed's stock dogs. These 72 Boerboels, according to common opinion, fit the original breed definition of a farm dog, formerly known as a boele, in appearance and purpose. These 72 dogs became South Africa's first officially registered Boerboels. The association has the largest Boerboel Register in the world.
This registration association no longer exists.
Historical Boerboel Association of South Africa (HSBA) est.1993
HSBA is founded by Lucas van der Merwe, a legendary Boerboel man, one of the founding members of SABT, who started the famous "Boerboel Tour" across South Africa with other keen Boerboel enthusiasts who registered the first Boerboel stud dogs in South Africa as their own breed.
In 1980, he organized a tour of South Africa in search of surviving representatives of the breed, from where the first breedings of this great breed started.
Lucas van der Merwe died in 2010. Lucas van der Merwe is Lifetime Honorary President of SABT and HSBA.
The purpose of establishing the Historical Association was that some quirks in the SABT's Boerboel breed definition had not been properly addressed and confirmed and accordingly this did not match the characteristics of the original farm dogs from a historical perspective. This led to the fact that it was almost impossible to find spotted and other colored dogs in South Africa, which had always been on Boer farms. A lot of effort was made to find old dogs of this color in the remote villages, with the aim of restoring the almost lost external features and characteristics important to the breed. Many former SABT members joined the HSBA after its formation.
This registration association no longer exists.
Elite Boerboel Breed Association of Southern Africa (EBBASA) est. 2001
EBBASA is a breed association founded in 2001, whose purpose is to promote the breeding of purebred Boerboels and to represent the Boerboel as a breed.
The association is not open to puppy mills and boerboel breeder "experts" who are not ready to follow the ethical rules of breeders. EBBASA accepts documents and registration papers from all other associations, if it appears from the papers that the dogs in question are descendants of purebred Boerboels.
Founders:
Mr. Piet Sprinkhuizen - Avontuur Boerboele
Mr. & Mrs. Johan & Linda Swart - Linjo Boerboele
Elri Swanepoel - Eljara Boerboele
Koos Malan - Jabrina Boerboele
Rhona Chambers - Kromdraain Kennels
Lidia Ferreira - Lidiana Kennels
The (late) Dawie Venter - Van Marcos
This registration association no longer exists.
Boerboel International (BI) est. 2008
Boerboel International is an internationally representative association of Boerboel breeders, members and owners.
Boerboel International e.g. offers appraisals and temperament tests around the world, DNA profiling and access to their large boerboel database.
Founders:
Vincent Marvell - Marvell Boerboels
Johan Blumerus - Tovic Boerboels
Chris Boshoff - Nyamvubu Boerboels
Kobus Rust - Maestro Boerboels
Jaap Marais - Dophou Boerboels
Sonja Morgan - Siglensal Boerboels
Hester Grobler - Jura Boerboels
Boerboel Australia Inc. (BAI) est.2009
https://boerboelaustralia.com.au/
South African Boerboel Breeders' Society (SABBS) est.2012 (Former SABT / SABBA)
https://www.sabbs.co.za/
Boerboel Breed Association (BBA) est.2014
When EBBASA ceased operations, it became BBA.
This registration association no longer exists.
South African Plaasboel Breed Association (SAPBA) est. 31.10.2014
Founders:
Dries Lloyd - Wijnlanden Boerboels
James Brennan - Coomore Boerboels
Diane Seaman - Zum Alten Hof SA Mastiffs
This registration association no longer exists.
Suomen Boerboelit Ry est.2015
Breed association registered on 13 March 2015 in Finland.
The purpose of the association's activities is to promote the breeding and use of purebred Boerboels and to make the breed known. In order to fulfill its purpose, the association organizes exhibitions, tests and competitions, as well as engages in information, training and publishing activities, as well as gives advice related to breeding. The association maintains contact with other foreign associations and authorities engaged in kennel activities.
www.boerboel.fi
The purpose of the association's activities is to promote the breeding and use of purebred Boerboels and to make the breed known. In order to fulfill its purpose, the association organizes exhibitions, tests and competitions, as well as engages in information, training and publishing activities, as well as gives advice related to breeding. The association maintains contact with other foreign associations and authorities engaged in kennel activities.
www.boerboel.fi
American Kennel Club (AKC)
AKC has recognized the breed in 2015.
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/boerboel/
The World Boerboel Breeders Association (WBBA) est.2017
https://worldboerboel.com/
Boerboel GB (BBGB) est.2017
https://boerboelgb.com/
https://nabbr.org/