From the Eastern Cape to Your Door: How Savannah Treats Are Made
by
Gerhardus Hanekom
on
Mar 20, 2026
Brand StoryOrigins
By Paul & Max · March 20, 2026 · 7 min read
Most dog treat brands won't tell you where their ingredients come from. We built Savannah around the idea that you deserve to know — and so does your dog.
Every bag of Savannah treats starts the same way: on our own farms in South Africa's Eastern Cape, where more than 35,000 ostriches roam free under an open sky. No cages. No feedlots. No mystery ingredients. Just one animal, raised well, on land we own and operate ourselves.
We want to take you on that journey — from our farm to your dog's paws — because we think the story matters as much as the treat itself.
Where it begins
The Eastern Cape: South Africa's best-kept farming secret
The Eastern Cape is a region unlike anywhere else on earth. It's semi-arid, vast, and sun-baked — which, it turns out, is exactly the environment that ostriches were built for. These birds have lived here in the wild for millions of years. Our farms don't force anything unnatural. We simply give our 35,000+ ostriches the space and conditions to thrive exactly as nature intended.
We own and operate our farms and our own processing plant right here in South Africa. That means we control every step — how our birds are raised, how they're fed, how they're processed, and what ends up in your dog's bag. There's no middleman to pass the buck to. If something isn't right, it's on us to fix it. That accountability is something we're genuinely proud of.
100%Free-range ostriches
35,000+Ostriches on our farms
1Ingredient. Always.
Why ostrich?
The protein most dogs have never tried — and their bodies love
Ostrich is what's called a "novel protein." That means most dogs haven't been exposed to it — which makes it a powerful option for dogs with food sensitivities, allergies, or itchy skin that won't quit. When a dog's immune system hasn't seen a protein before, it's far less likely to react to it.
But beyond the allergy angle, ostrich is genuinely exceptional nutrition. It's one of the leanest meats in the world — lower in fat than chicken, higher in iron than beef, rich in B12, zinc, and selenium. It's not a compromise. It's an upgrade.
Worth knowing
Ostrich is classified as red meat despite coming from a bird — which means it carries the iron and nutrient density of beef without the heavy fat load. For active dogs or older dogs that need lean protein, this matters.
How it's made
From farm to bag: a journey with nothing to hide
We're single-ingredient for a reason. The moment you start adding preservatives, binders, or "natural flavourings," you lose the ability to tell the full story. We never want to be in that position. Here's exactly what happens between the farm and your door:
The Savannah supply chain
1
Our farms, Eastern Cape
Over 35,000 ostriches live and graze freely on our own land in the Eastern Cape. We own the farms — so we set the standards, and there are no shortcuts.
2
Our processing plant, South Africa
We process everything in-house at our own facility in South Africa. We use the whole animal — bones, tendons, and meat — so nothing is wasted.
3
Slow-dried, never cooked with additives
Our treats are slow air-dried or dehydrated at low temperatures to preserve nutrients. Nothing added. Nothing removed.
4
Quality checked & shipped to your door
Every batch is inspected before it ships — then packed with care and sent directly to you from our warehouse in South Dakota. No retail middleman, no compromises.
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"I've tasted every single one of these. Personally. Multiple times. The hip bones and chips are my favourite — Paul has to hide them or I'd eat the whole bag of chips before you even get a look-in."
Max — Chief Taste Tester, Savannah Pet Food
The difference it makes
Why "ethically sourced" isn't just a label for us
The pet treat industry has a transparency problem. Walk down any pet store aisle and you'll see words like "natural," "wholesome," and "real ingredients" on almost every bag — but trace those claims back and you'll often find vague sourcing, undisclosed processing methods, and supply chains nobody wants to examine too closely.
We started Savannah because we wanted something we could be proud of from end to end. That meant owning our farms, running our own processing plant, and knowing exactly what happens at every step. Most brands can't say that. We can — and we think that's worth a lot.
Over 35,000 ostriches. Our land. Our plant. One ingredient. That's the Savannah difference — and it's a story we're genuinely proud to tell, because every part of it holds up.
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Our 180-Day Tail Wag Guarantee
If your dog doesn't love it — for any reason — we'll make it right. No questions, no hassle. Because if Max would eat it, your dog should too.
Ready to try?
Let your dog meet the Eastern Cape
Single-ingredient ostrich treats. Free shipping over $50. Backed by our 180-Day Tail Wag Guarantee.
At Savannah Pet Food, we stand behind the quality of our products with unwavering confidence. We understand the trust you place in us to provide the best nutrition for your furry companions, and we are committed to ensuring your satisfaction.
Magic immediately took his new bone and ran to his bed to dig in! As you can see, he obviously loves it. You can tell that it’s fresh. Plus, compared to so many other options on the market, there’s plenty of nutritional benefits. The odor wasn’t extremely strong or offensive, either. And lastly, a benefit for me: the Ostrich shaft bone was very affordable.
This runner is a new treat for Reggie. He loves the tendons and jerky but now has another winner. Looks like it’ll take him a while to chew through which is great for time left alone!
My girl Rosie is a massive fan of these treats! I buy the bundle pack, because they don't last long with her. These high value treats are great for training! She very sensitive to a lot of different proteins, so the ostrich treats don't upset her stomach or skin. The ingredients give me peace of mind knowing that they are healthy for her and clean. I'm on my 3rd bundle which I will be doing subscription for now on, since these are #1 must have in our household. Two paws up!
4 month old, 10 lb Tasha loves this Ostrich Runner so much. In between chewing it she plays with it, buries it in her blanket and it keeps her busy for a long time so I can get a puppy break. It keeps her quiet should I need to study or talk on the phone. We’re both very happy.
I have 4 dogs I watch during the day. Two are mine. One is our roommates dog and one is my sons dog. This is the roommates dog. My biggest bone chewer. Owl. He loves all the bones. He’s been chewing them for well over a week now.
This is a great product, somewhere between a bone and a chew. Both my large dogs took their time chewing these and now their teeth sparkle. I can see where chunks of tartar have been scraped off their back teeth and I think the next chew session should take care of it! My 55 pound sighthound ate his in about an hour. The Ridgeback took about 25 minutes.
I send home a bag of these with every one of my puppies that goes to their new home and I get nothing but compliments! They love the long bones they go home with too! This house stays stocked with Savannah products!
We received our very first order yesterday Oct 2nd. From the moment we opened the box our bloodhound went crazy! We gave him the long bone and he gnawed on that non stop for over 2 hrs. He carried it around in between chew sessions! He loved it so much he went to sleep with it!! Def a great choice and we will def continue buying from you guys!!
my one year old puppy maggie loves the cane bone. She's a very aggressive chewer, so the tendon bone did not last long, but this cane bone is a winner.
I ordered the 19” ostrich leg bone for our blue heeler. He destroys toys in minutes sometimes, and we have to be careful about rawhide because it can cause blockages. But this bone is perfect! He immediately carried it off to chew on, and spent an hour happily gnawing on it. I took it away after a while, and this morning he was giving me his herding stare until I realized he wanted his bone. He’s chewing on it right now. It didn’t stain the carpet like dyed bones do. It doesn’t shatter or break. And evidently it tastes delicious (I didn’t taste it). I’m very pleased with my purchase and plan to get a couple of smaller ones for Christmas presents for the smaller dogs in our family.
Thank you customer service for recommending the long flat tendons! My boy was so excited, he carried the package all the way home and tried to open it immediately!
That’s definitely a subscription worthy chew!
My GS really got excited when he saw the bone, kept him occupied for a couple hours. He got to the end of the bone and a piece cracked off the bone, we discarded it. Still enjoys chewing on it !
Daisy has had lots of different chews. This is the first one she has not wanted to give up at bedtime. Notice the side eye look she was giving me, not trusting me to not take it.
My dog has been gnawing on this for a little over a week and loves it. I've not seen any pieces come off that I think would pose a danger to her. I let her have it for about 30 minutes at a time. Great product!
My dogs love thes bones. Of all the bones, antlers, and other chew my dogs have ever been given, these are by far their favorite. They are strong enough to withstand powerful jaws while also breaking down within a reasonable time so thatwe aren't eventually left with half of an old bone that no one wants. It takes them 4-6 weeks, but they finish them off and love every minute of it.
6 month old ultra bernadoodle that has proven to chew through every bone classified as being for tough chewers. Been going for days on the ostrich knuckle. I literally have to take it away from him to give him chewing breaks. Will buy these on repeat 🙌🏻
We order the large and medium ostrich bones. Upon arrival our Luigi a 7 year old Airedale devoured the bone. In less than 2 hours the knee was gone and all that was left was the shaft of the shin. This is a reorder. Clearly Luigi love the Savannah ostrich bones.
Wrigley is very thankful and happy that I found your store. He absolutely LOVES his ostrich bone and it definitely keeps him occupied. I will definitely be purchasing more in the future and looking into your other products as well!!
The long ostrich tendon was new for my pup, and she loved it! She’s a pretty strong chewer and the tendon lasted about 15 minutes, which is great! We’ll be purchasing more of these.
This is Jax. He’s a rescue now living his best life.
He loves to chew but destroys quickly any toy or bone….until I found this ostrich bone. He absolutely LOVES it. He’d chew for hours if I let him. I sometimes have to pick up to get him to take a break. LOL
Will definitely be buying again…and again.
Thanks for a great product!
