Durban - First generation farmers Yoliswa and Xolani Gumede knew that strawberries would be a difficult crop, but were undeterred when told it was impossible to grow them in Ballito.
But the couple has proved the expert who told them that wrong, by successfully growing the crop on their 17 hectare farm and producing 1 000 to 2 000 punnets a day for local retailers, the hospitality industry and local farmers’ markets.
And as they were able to get a global certificate following their first audit, they can export anywhere in the world.
“You can’t go for that certification unless you are pretty jacked up. You have to meet the world standard,” said Xolani.
Theirs is the only strawberry farm on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.
“Growing strawberries is unprecedented in this region, but I must stay that the expert who told us we would never be able to grow them here had the decency to come back and say he was wrong,” he said.
The couple accept that growing such a delicate crop can be tricky at the best of times, but “we did not just wake up one morning and decide to do this”.
Eighteen months of full-time research and international travel went into their business at Cappeny Estates.
The couple both had high-powered jobs before buying the land in 2012. With a masters degree in project management, Xolani worked as a consultant and also taught project management, while his wife had a successful marketing company.
They were initially undecided what to do with the land. But after deciding to keep it agricultural, they researched whether they should farm strawberries or roses. After Trade & Investment KZN, the government investment promotion funded trips to Kenyan rose fields and overseas strawberry fields, they plumped for strawberries.
They broke ground on their land in 2013, have planted five different varieties of strawberries, and employ some 80 people a day to pick the strawberries and 100 in the peak season.
Now they are holding their first strawberry festival, inviting the public to visit next Saturday (September 26) for a day of strawberry picking in their open fields (they have other crops growing in tunnels).
“We want to grow agri-tourism and have already invited schools to visit us, but this strawberry festival is going to be a major milestone for us,” Xolani said.
A host of activities are planned for the festival, ranging from a strawberry eating contest to cooking with strawberries.
A strawberry-inspired beer will also be produced, as well as wine and strawberry pairing. They are also hoping to have some dried fruit available.
Sports enthusiasts will also be able to watch a live screening of the Springboks vs Samoa Rugby World Cup game.
The couple is hoping to make their Ballito Strawberry Festival an annual event, and eventually plan to hold it over two days.
Thami Mkhwanazi, the chief executive of Enterprise iLembe, has welcomed the event, saying it can only serve to further enhance tourism in the area.
The festivities start at 8am on September 26. Tickets are R80 to enter with an additional R50 for berry picking.
Tickets are available at Computicket.
* How to get there? Take the N2 to Ballito/Compensation off-ramp, continue to T-junction, turn left (R102), then first right (Esenembe Road), to D176 (dirt road) and follow signs to Cappeny Estates.
Independent On Saturday