Top female entrepreneur winning over the wine industry
Berene Damons, the department of agriculture’s 2017 Female Entrepreneur of the Year in the agro-processing category, started work at the Hamilton Russell Vineyards 17 years ago. Promoted almost immediately to...
From a tiny plot to a thriving commercial farm
Former extension officer, Sithembele Malgas, started farming in the Idutywa area of the former Transkei in 1990. Today, he produces cabbages, spinach and butternut in rotation on 3,5ha under irrigation...
Oyster mushroom farming: an affordable start-up
Yolandi Joubert’s oyster mushroom operation, launched just three years ago, is an important lesson in what passion and discipline can achieve in small-scale agriculture.
Donkey farming: opportunity or threat?
At the beginning of 2017, plans aimed at cashing in on the growing demand for donkey meat and hides were announced in North West. Glenneis Kriel reports on the viability...
ZZ2 opens doors to the subtropical fruit industry
With its high start-up costs and complex export rules, the subtropical fruit industry presents formidable barriers to new entrants. Alita van der Walt spoke to ZZ2’s Tommie and BJ van...
New motors from old: Boland entrepreneurs to the rescue!
Replacing a burnt-out electric motor can cost a great deal, whereas rewinding it can return it to tip-top condition at much lower cost. Rashad Williams and Fa-eez Appollis spoke to...
SA’s first commercial cashmere success story
Not only is indigenous iMbuzi goats’ hair used to produce cashmere at the Ivili Loboya production unit near Butterwoth, but local smallholders are also empowered.
Grain SA chairperson: a passionate but practical farmer
It takes a fine balancing act for Grain SA chairperson, Jaco Minnaar, to serve the interests of members while still leaving enough time to pursue his true passion – being...
Artificial insemination: ideal for communal farmers
Communal farmers can benefit from using more advanced farming practices, such as artificial insemination (AI), to improve herd genetics. Basimane Makgetla spoke to Gerhard Uys about how AI has worked...
Delving into the mysteries of Kaltbach’s subterranean cheeses
Switzerland has long been famed for what some describe as ‘stinky and holey’ cheeses. However, as Lloyd Phillips discovered, there is much more to Swiss cheeses. Some, for example, are...
Rabbit farming: how to enter this ’money-making’ market
*Farmer’s Weekly reported in November 2019 that Coniglio Rabbit Meat Farms was liquidated in October 2019.
Working to improve market access for black citrus farmers
In 2012, the South African fruit industry launched an initiative to develop a set of environmental and ethical standards in line with international norms. As part of this, a programme...
2020 & beyond: a vision for the SA beef industry
If South Africa’s beef industry wants to become a serious competitor on the world stage, it must replace exports of ‘cheap meat’ with higher-value cuts, says livestock genetics consultant, Dr...
From novice farmer to successful tunnel producer
Eleanore Swart produces tomatoes under cover near Botrivier in the Overberg. Having recently secured a long-term contract with a major fresh produce retailer, she plans to significantly expand production.
A premium upgrade for wine in the Swartland
Winemaker, Chris Mullineux, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how producers have turned the Swartland from a bulk producer into one of South Africa’s premium wine-producing regions.
How young black farmers can make headway in the agri industry
Young black farmers are tech-savvy and willing to learn, but is the government taking them seriously? Gerhard Uys spoke to Dimakatso Nono Sekhoto, AFASA Youth chairperson and MD of apple...
SA baby vegetables’ journey to international tables
Miniature or ‘baby’ vegetables grown on the Yukon Group’s farms around South Africa are increasingly finding their way to supermarket shelves in the UK, France, Sweden and the UAE. Sabrina...
The economics of producing aged, premium beef
Gary Jackson of Jackson’s Real Food Market, Chris Paulsen of the Bull and Bush butchery, restaurateurs Steve Maresch and Llewy Mateza of The Local Grill, and Roelie van Reenen of...
The state of SA’s fresh produce markets
South Africa’s municipal fresh produce markets connect those who grow our food with those who eat it, says Dr Justy Range, business development manager, Freshmark Systems. But there’s room for...
North Africa: South Africa’s next prime export market?
North Africa is a market with rising incomes, a growing number of sophisticated consumers, increasingly open economies, and ever-greater Internet access. Cornelis van der Waal, chief research officer at Wesgro,...
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