The Guide To Extra Virgin Olive Oil In South Africa

Embrace the allure of – an embodiment of the land’s riches, carefully curated by Southern Oil. Witness the fusion of South African terroir and expertise, encapsulated in every drop of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

African Gold transcends conventional taste experiences. Crafted by local artisans, this liquid masterpiece reflects a commitment to excellence that surpasses mere manufacturing.

With each velvety sip, you sip progress. Southern Oil doesn’t just bottle olive oil; it bottles the dreams of local communities, the promise of prosperity. Elevate your senses, enrich lives, and savor the luxury that only African Gold delivers.

To learn more about African Gold, visit our website (link in bio).

Catch the latest issue of AgriProbe for an in-depth analysis of the South African olive industry "on the rise"!

AgriProbe is the quarterly magazine of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.

EVOOSA was happy to assist and be included in the article as a valuable source of information.

Download your free copy at issuu.com/wcdoapubs

A time to relax and enjoy the festivities at the SA Olive Awards - Glynis van Rooyen (back left in white), publisher of EVOOSA and a tasting panel member, celebrates with some of the tasting panel judges. The judges had the exacting task of tasting over 90 entries for the awards.

SA Olive Industry Association

is made from olives grown on the Wêreldsgeluk Estate near Porterville. Cultivation, harvest timing, and milling are directed at producing the finest quality EVOO with a focus on complex, harmonious flavours and maximising biophenols for their extraordinary health benefits. Farming practices are ethical, sustainable, and natural. A modern two-phase mill is used for cold extraction, and no artificial additives are used. The first trees were planted in March 2006, and today, we have 36 hectares, about 36,000 trees (8 cultivars) under cultivation in an intensive system.

To learn more about Andante, visit our website (link in bio).

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2024 SA Olive Awards!

Your dedication and excellence continue to elevate the standards of the industry and inspire us all.

We are so fortunate to be able to enjoy the incredible health and flavour benefits of award-winning South African Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

For more information, visit www.saolive.co.za/sa-olive-awards/.

SA Olive Industry Association

Glynis van Rooyen, founder and editor of EVOOSA, has written an article in the spring issue of Stellenbosch Visio Magazine (), about some of the exceptional olive oil experiences to be enjoyed in and around Stellenbosch.

Meet this year's judges for the upcoming SA Olive Awards...

Only two weeks to go until the 2024 SA Olive Awards... 🏆

The 19th annual SA Olive Awards will take place on the 10th of September 2024 at Franschhoek Cellar in Franschhoek. This prestigious annual event celebrates the best Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOOs) in South Africa and includes a competition where expert judges blindly assess all South African EVOO producer entries based on quality and taste.

This flagship event is crucial to the local olive oil industry, as it recognizes and acknowledges producers who demonstrate commitment, effort, and excellence in creating South African Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOOs).

The judging of all EVOOs that have been entered into the competition will take place between the 19th and 24th of August 2024 at Klein Joostenberg, near Stellenbosch. All entries will be evaluated by a panel of well-known international and local judges, all of whom are olive industry experts. Six EVOO experts and an international judge will make up the panel this year.

Once all entries have been judged, the highest-scoring gold medal winners will be entered into an additional round of judging and the top EVOOs will be selected for the prestigious Absa Top 10 Awards, which take place in October 2024.

Wendy Petersen, the CEO of SA Olive, shared her excitement for the forthcoming 2024 SA Olive Awards: “Our producers have had a tough year, facing low yields, challenges of supply and loadshedding. Despite these hurdles, they have never compromised on quality and their commitment to consumers. We fully expect to see more high-quality EVOOs at this year’s awards – ones that could potentially win international accolades as well.”

Keep an eye out for more exciting SA Olive Awards announcements over the next few weeks.

Granted in 1692, is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms in South Africa. Today it features 5-star accommodation in restored 17thcentury cottages, a garden spa, farm-to-table restaurants, a winery, an olive press, a farm and online shop. Unique to the property is the formal twelve acre fruit and vegetable garden that was inspired by the Company Gardens of the Cape that once provisioned ships passing by the Cape of Good Hope on voyages to and from the East.

To learn more about , visit our website (link in bio).

is located just 3 km out of Darling towards Yzerfontein, nestled amidst vineyards, grazing cattle, and olive groves. Their 70Ha of olives are grown on dry-land on the Alexanderfontein Estate. The olives are processed within 24 hours of being handpicked, resulting in a superior quality product.

Experience a traditional approach to olives on a working farm where cattle are still herded by horse and a flock of sheep might cross your path. Darling Olives is a great place to start your education about how olives are grown, pressed, and cured.

To learn more about Darling Olives, visit our website (link in bio).

, situated in the heart of the Klein Karoo, is an olive farm of global acclaim. The honour of being named the “best olive oil in the world” was conferred upon their Estate Collection Single Cultivar Coratina EVOO by connoisseurs and experts in the field. Visitors intrigued by the intricate world of olives, olive oil production, and the journey from tree to bottle are invited to our informative olive tour. Their Karoo half-lambin-a-box is for sale from their tasting room and their restaurant offers culinary creations with enchanting panoramas of their olive groves. Stay over and indulge at their Asher Stable Stay Guesthouse.

To learn more about De Rustica, visit our website (link in bio).

The Company was established in 2005 with a vision to produce top-quality, 100% South African Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the highest international standard. The 330-hectare family-owned-and-run olive estate on the banks of the Breede River near Swellendam in the Western Cape is one of the most extensive olive groves in Southern Africa. From our trees to your table, Greenleaf’s olives are carefully grown, nurtured and processed to offer you the best quality EVOO.

To learn more about the Greenleaf Olive Company visit our website (link in bio).

Home-grown and hand-made olive and fruit products (and wine) make destination of deliciousness. Farming practices are ethical, biological and natural as far as possible and the produce is offered to customers with warm family hospitality and friendly, welltrained staff. The first olive trees were planted in 1998 and today four oil and three table olive cultivars are grown on 4 950 trees. Our Favolosa won Gold in the SA Olive Awards and was voted one of the ABSA Top 10 in 2022. Formal and informal olive oil tastings are available.

To learn more about Hetvlokcasteel, visit our website (linkinbio).

Established in 1833, is an amalgamation of four adjacent farms, three of which were owned by the celebrated author Wilbur Smith who wrote many of his first novels here. In 2000 Adv Altus Joubert SC bought the farms, planted 10,000 olive trees and with the help of Prof. Ben Farrell, doyen of SA landscape architecture, transformed the farms into a place of tranquility and beauty. Conditions are perfect for growing olives. Besides table olives, the farm produces olive preserves, chutneys, olive spices and soap products made from award winning olive oil.

If you'd like to learn more about Kransfontein, visit our website (link in bio).

forms part of Two Rivers, a historic farmland dating back to the 1850’s, situated in the Dwars River Valley gateway into Franschhoek.

JM de Buck and Sylva Mannens, Belgium-based entrepreneurs, fell in love with South Africa and in 2015 they bought part of Two Rivers and Lamara was born. Their vision is to develop the land to its full potential and restore it to its historical glory.

Today Lamara achieves ecological, sustainable and social mindfulness farming through the variety of seasonal crops grown; olives, lemons, lavender and rosemary.

To learn more about Lamara, visit our website (link in bio).

Scenes from the olive festival! Our Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil was a hit.

Thanks, Michelle Smith from .paisible for the photos.

To view our guide online, visit our website (link in bio).

All Extra Virgin Olive Oils are pure, natural oils made from olives grown and processed according to the highest quality and technology standards, consistently guaranteeing a free fatty acid and peroxide value of well below internationally required standards of 0.8% and 20 Meq/Kg.

The Mardouw EVOO Skincare range celebrates the health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for skin, hair and nail care.

To learn more about Mardouw, visit our website (link in bio).

founder, Giulio Bertrand, is considered as the ‘Father of Olive Oil’ in South Africa as he paved the way for the local olive oil industry as we know it today. In 1994, he imported 17 superior Italian olive varieties, started a wonderful partnership with the Olive Oil Institute in Perugia and planted 42 hectares of olive trees on the farm’s rocky soils. The estate’s first Extra Virgin Olive Oils were released into the market in 1998. Morgenster is renowned for producing balanced, harmonious Extra Virgin Olive Oils with a rich fruity complexity.

To learn more about Morgenster, visit our website (link in bio).