Global mohair supply flourishes in South Africa's desert

Linked by dirt tracks and dotted with remote farms, the sparsely populated Karoo region sits at the heart of the global mohair trade, supplying more than half of the world's output of the fibre prized for its sheen and softness. A Cape Dutch-style gable in one corner of the farm bears the inscription "Wheatlands 1912." "This is the newest house on the property," said Lloyd Short, who grew up on the 7,700-hectare (19,000-acre) family farm. But Wheatlands owes its reputation not to architecture or rural charm...