For farmers and holders
You do not have to take the first price
If one buyer drives out to your district and you have no way to reach a second, the price is whatever he says. Listing takes a minute and costs you nothing.
What happens, step by step
You post what you have
Species, breed, how many, condition, weight band, district, nearest town, tag status and veterinary status. All dropdowns. No account and no password.
You get a reference code
A code in the form CHY- and six characters. It is saved on your phone and it is what you quote when somebody calls you.
A person calls you on WhatsApp
An operator reviews it within one business day and calls you. Either with a buyer, where a fit is confirmed, or with what your listing needs before a buyer can act on it, which is usually a tag or a clearance.
You deal with the buyer directly
Price, weighing and payment are between you and him. Chinyama never touches the money and takes no part in the sale itself.
Why your listing is open
Your district, herd size, condition, breed and tag status are shown on the board. That is deliberate. In livestock, traceability is what gives an animal its value, and a buyer cannot act on something he cannot verify. Identity is an asset here, not a risk. What stays private is your name and your number, and they stay private until you have agreed to an introduction.
Questions farmers ask
Does it cost anything to list livestock on Chinyama?
No. Listing is free, and so is reading the board. Anything that follows a concluded sale is settled with the parties at the time, in the way this trade has always settled it.
Will my name and phone number appear on the site?
No. The listing shows district, herd size, condition, breed and tag status. Your name and number stay with Chinyama and are only passed on when an introduction is made.
Do I need my cattle tagged before I list them?
No, you can list untagged animals, and the listing will say so. But an untagged animal is close to unsellable into the formal chain, so tagging is usually the first thing an introduction leads to.
Who arranges the transport and the permits?
Grading and the abattoir sit with the buying side. For transport, say so when you list and a partner transporter is brought into the introduction. Permits and clearances are the responsibility of the parties to the sale. Chinyama publishes what the route requires but never issues, procures or vouches for a permit.
How long before somebody comes back to me?
An operator reviews every valid listing within one business day and comes back on WhatsApp, either with a match where one is confirmed, or with what the route needs before it can move. A review is not a guarantee of a match.
Before anything moves. Every district page carries the checklist for that route: movement permit, veterinary clearance, tag or brand status, quarantine where it applies, and an import permit for anything crossing a border. Read the permit pack.