Absa awards SA’s top 10 olive oils

Jeandré du Preez
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Ten extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) were recently awarded as the best in the country of the 2017 harvest at the Absa Top 10 Olive Oil Awards ceremony, held at Val de Vie Estate outside Paarl in the Western Cape.

Absa awards SA’s top 10 olive oils
The winners of the ABSA top 10 olive oil awards. Back, from left: Julian De Freitas (Serrado), Dial Steyn (Kransfontein Estate), Danie Goosen (Wildekrans Wine Estate), Joop Steenkamp (De Rustica Estate), and Pieter Vorster (Mount Ceder Olives). Front, from left: Clive Heymans (Marbrin Farm), Nick Wilkinson (Rio Largo Estate), Jan Hendrik Basson (Porterville Olives), Nico Loubser (Morgenster Estate), and Chris van Niekerk (Mardouw Olive Estate)
Photo: Andrew Gorman
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The estates that produced the top 10 olive oils, divided into three categories, were:

Delicate EVOO: Mount Ceder Olives and Rio Largo Estate                                    Medium EVOO: Serrado and Wildekrans Wine Estate
Intense EVOO: Morgenster Estate, Porterville Olives, De Rustica Estate, Mardouw Olive Estate, Marbrin Farm and Kransfontein Estate.

These winners were selected from the 19 SA Olive Gold Seal Award winners. This year was also the first year in which 10 olive oils were awarded. In previous years, only five received awards.

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According to John Tshabalala, managing executive at Absa Western Union, the decision to increase the number of awards offered reflected the bank’s confidence in the exceptional quality of South African olive oil.

“The exposure gained from the competition benefits the wider industry, generating prosperity right down to the workers and their communities. The consumption of olive oil in South Africa has also grown from 2 million litres in 2000 to 7 million litres in 2015,” said Tsabalala.

According to Nick Wilkinson, chairperson of SA Olive, this competition was a “celebration of South Africa’s top-quality olive oils.”

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Jeandré van der Walt
Jeandré Du Preez is the newest addition to the Farmer’s Weekly team. Originating from a Riversdal farming family, she has farming in her blood. After school she furthered her studies at Stellenbosch and has been working as an agricultural journalist for the past two years. She says she feels privileged to write about an industry paramount to the survival of all South Africans and is inspired by the innovative solutions with which the farming community bridges the many challenges they face. She enjoys being able to combine work with travel and appreciates the modesty and friendliness with which South Africa’s farmers share their accomplishments. She enjoys being able to combine work with travel and appreciates the modesty and friendliness with which South Africa’s farmers share their accomplishments. If she is not writing or visiting farms, you’ll find her relaxing with a good mystery novel or exploring her other passions: travelling and cooking.

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