Zunel van Eeden

South Africa has entered the 2026/27 production season with El Niño established in the tropical Pacific, with the latest seasonal outlooks favouring below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures over much of the country.

For many South African grain producers, the 2026/27 summer season is already on paper. Hectares have been allocated, cultivars selected, input budgets compiled, and planting windows identified. The current El Niño event doesn’t automatically invalidate those decisions. It does, however, change the value of testing the assumptions behind them.

Willem van der Westhuizen, business development manager at Orizon Agriculture, speaks to Zunel van Eeden about what regenerative agriculture entails, and how farmers can potentially earn an income from it.

At Schenkfontein in the Western Cape’s Swartland, the Hanekom approach to winemaking reflects a deeply held belief in family values.

The addition of micronutrients like boron are critical in the cultivation of table grapes, as Zunel van Eeden discovered in conversation with agronomist Pieter Botha.

In South Africa’s diverse and often unforgiving landscapes, one cattle breed continues to prove its worth: the Nguni. Known for its adaptability, resilience, and cultural heritage, the breed has stood the test of time.