The Dakota Pioneer® Story


From generation to generation, our typical South African family has been producing biltong in a family team for our personal consumption, starting as young as six years of age, during the South African hunting seasons.

It is a family tradition to make air-dried biltong during the four winter months in South Africa, as the summer months are not suitable for this unless one is equipped with the necessary cool rooms and fans. The idea is to make enough Biltong to last through the summer, hence the traditional family winter holidays of 'Biltong making ventures'.

We only use USDA or State Inspected meats for our products. Our ingredients include apple cider vinegar, spices such as ground and whole coriander, a secret family spice blend, and salt. We do not, and will never, use MSG or any other preservatives in our products simply because we regard it as unhealthy, as it will alter the recipes and will affect the quality and taste of our products. The pioneers, from whom we inherited our recipes, had to preserve their meats in a natural way because they did not have any other means! We still use the same original natural methods.


Our Biltong products are currently sold online as well as in grocery stores around South Dakota.