EAST LONDON, 6 Mar 2015 (AFP) - Ford, joint first-round pacesetter with Irishman Kevin Phelan, picked up an eagle and six birdies at the 6,108-metre (6,679-yard) East London Golf Club.
But he also bogeyed one hole on each nine in more favourable conditions than Thursday with the wind that can wreak havoc in the Indian Ocean town course absent.
Ranked 765 in the world, 36-year-old Ford was philosophical about his two dropped shots in the co-sanctioned European Tour-Sunshine Tour championship.
"You can never get all of it out of a round.
"I missed a short putt at 17 and paid the penalty for a poor tee shot at nine.
"They were mistakes, but you are always going to make a couple of those in a round.
"I would have taken 11-under at the beginning of the day," he stressed.
Coupled with a first-round 67, Ford is on 133 in a tournament never won by a non-South African since its 2008 debut.
Spaniard Eduardo de la Roya added a 66 to his opening 68 for a 134 total and sole occupancy of second place.
De la Roya had identical four birdie-one bogey halves as he tries to improve on modest recent form with just one top-50 finish from five starts.
"I played very good golf today, especially when putting. I am very happy with my first two rounds," the Spaniard said.
South Africans Erik van Rooyen (66) and Jaco van Zyl (66) and Frenchman Gregory Havret (67) share third, three shots behind Ford.
German Maximilian Keiffer is a shot further back after the lowest second-round score -- a nine-under 63 embroidered with an eagle and eight birdies.
Phelan could manage only a level-par 72 and lies six strokes off the pace on 139 with two rounds left.
Europe 2016 Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke avoided the embarrassment of missing the cut for a second successive weekend by carding a 68 for a 140 total.
But Englishman Andy Sullivan, winner of the Joburg Open last Sunday, will have the weekend off.
He slumped to a 77 that included two double bogeys after starting with a 72 in his bid for a third European Tour triumph in as many months.
Leading Africa Open second-round scores Friday at the par-72, 6,108-metre (6,679-yard) East London Golf Club (RSA unless noted):
133 - Matt Ford (ENG) 67-66
134 - Eduardo de la Riva (ESP) 68-66
136 - Gregory Havret (FRA) 69-67, Erik van Rooyen 70-66, Jaco van Zyl 70-66
137 - Trevor Fisher jnr 69-68, David Howell (ENG) 68-69, Maximilian Kieffer GER) 74-63, John Parry (ENG) 68-69, Neil Schietekat 68-69, Mark Tullo (CHI) 70-67
138 - Byeong Hun An (KOR) 73-65, Dean Burmester 72-66
139 - Jorge Campillo (ESP) 71-68, Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 72-67, Craig Lee (SCO) 75-64, Jean Hugo 72-67, Louis de Jager 71-68, Tom Lewis (ENG) 69-70, Chris Lloyd (ENG) 69-70, Paul Maddy (ENG) 72-67, Kevin Phelan (IRL) 67-72, Lyle Rowe 72-67