South African Journal of Animal Science

Aims & Scope

The South African Journal of Animal Science (SAJAS), formerly known as the South African Journal of Animal Production, has been a cornerstone of animal science research in South Africa since its inception in January 1971.

As an open-access, peer-reviewed journal, SAJAS plays a vital role in advancing science by disseminating high-quality research focused on animal production and related fields.

It supports national priorities such as food security, rural livelihoods, and sustainable agriculture by addressing critical issues in livestock nutrition, genetics, health, and production systems.

SAJAS fosters local research capacity, strengthens academic and practitioner networks, and promotes the visibility of African scholarship in global scientific discourse.

The journal places particular emphasis on research relevant to Southern African contexts, bridging the gap between science and practice, and offering insights that inform both policy and on-the-ground agricultural interventions.

Its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals - especially SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action) - underscores its broader contribution to sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems.

SAJAS holds particular regional importance as a platform for African animal science research, supporting local innovation while contributing to global knowledge exchange.

Through a rigorous peer-review process and editorial workflows, the journal maintains high academic standards and ensures the integrity of published work.

Its open-access model enhances transparency, visibility, and accessibility, making research freely available to scholars, practitioners, and policymakers across the continent and beyond.

Metrics & Ranking

Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Web of Science

Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

Licensing & Copyright

This journal operates under an Open Access model. Articles are freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication. The content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to share and adapt the work with proper attribution.

Copyright remains with the author(s), and no permission is required for non-commercial use, provided the original source is cited.

Policy Links

This section provides access to essential policy documents, guidelines, and resources related to the journal’s publication and submission processes.

• Aims scope
• Homepage
• Oa statement
• Author instructions
• License terms
• Review url
• Board url
• Copyright url
• Plagiarism url
• Preservation url
• Apc url
• License

Plagiarism Policy

This journal follows a plagiarism policy. All submitted manuscripts are screened using reliable plagiarism detection software to ensure originality and academic integrity. Authors are responsible for proper citation and acknowledgment of all sources, and any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, will not be tolerated.

For more details, please refer to our official: Plagiarism Policy.

APC Details

The journal’s Article Processing Charge (APC) policies support open access publishing in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, ensuring accessibility and quality in research dissemination.

This journal requires an Article Processing Charge (APC) to support open access publishing, covering peer review, editing, and distribution. The current APC is 10,000.00 ZAR. Learn more.

Explore journals without APCs for alternative publishing options.

Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• The effect of an essential oil combination derived from selected herbs growing wild in Turkey on broiler performance

  Citation: 88

  Authors: A, M, M

• Effects of diets containing hemp seeds or hemp cake on fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of sheep milk

  Citation: 88

  Authors: D

• Effect of a herbal essential oil mixture on growth and internal organ weight of broilers from young and old breeder flocks

  Citation: 82

  Authors: M, M, A, Y, K

• The effect of a mixture of herbal essential oils or á-tocopheryl acetate on performance parameters and oxidation of body lipid in broilers

  Citation: 79

  Authors: NA, E, P, I, G, AB

• Climate change and livestock production: A review with emphasis on Africa

  Citation: 77

  Authors: JM, T

• Global poultry production: Current impact and future outlook on the South African poultry industry

  Citation: 76

  Authors: T.T.

• Spirulina as a functional ingredient in broiler chicken diets

  Citation: 61

  Authors: E, E, A, A, E, P, I

• Effects of dietary probiotic and prebiotic supplementation on growth performance and serum IgG concentration of broilers

  Citation: 52

  Authors: M, M, N, OH, N, H, S

• Methane, nitrous oxide emissions and mitigation strategies for livestock in developing countries: A review

  Citation: 48

  Authors: F, Zh., R

• Fatty acid profile and health lipid indices in the raw milk of Simmental and Holstein-Friesian cows from an organic farm

  Citation: 44

  Authors: R, J, P, P