Tru-Cape and Hortgro gift the oldest recorded apple tree to historic farm Babylonstoren In 1662, on the 17th of April, the first apple was picked at the Cape. It was the Witte Wijnappel. In 1692, Babylonstoren Farm was granted to…
Text: Elise-Marie Steenkamp and Pictures: Alisa Farr The first full container of South African stone fruit bound for the People’s Republic of China was dispatched last week from the Freshness First Packhouse in Franschhoek, marking a milestone for the country’s deciduous…
Pro-Hort persele stel nuwe kultivars op proef Deur Anna Mouton Die Suid-Afrikaanse vrugtebedryf stagneer omdat daar nie genoeg nuwe kultivars geplant word nie. Dit is die mening van Neville van Buuren, bestuurder van appel- en peerproduksie by Oak Valley Estate,…
Hortfin the blended-finance scheme created to facilitate and enable transformation in the fruit, table grape and wine industries’ value chain, has announced a new partnership with First National Bank (FNB) at an event at Klein Joostenberg, Muldersvlei, yesterday. Hortfin, comprehensive…
Hortfin, the first ring-fenced loan facility of the fruit and wine industry value chain, has appointed Michael Brinkhuis as its new Chief Executive Officer. Brinkhuis, who qualified as a horticulturist and holds a Masters degree in Agriculture from the University…
Text and Pictures: Elise-Marie Steenkamp A pioneering blended finance partnership between the UK Government, South African development financiers, industry bodies and implementing agencies is demonstrating how collaboration can unlock commercial opportunities for farmers in Mpumalanga, helping to build alternative economic…
Mariette Kotze, Hortfin’s interim manager, spoke to Smile904FM on The Honest Truth about the Hortfin project. Listen to Mariette here: Watch a short video about Hortfin here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjIi_oCi6xM Pictured above the Hortfin Board: Willem Bestbier, Rico Basson, Beverly Farmer, Sunil Kooverjee,…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hortfin: A Financial Game-Changer Transforming the Deciduous Fruit Industry [Paarl, 10 February 2025] – Hortfin, the pioneering blended-finance scheme established to drive economic development in South Africa’s deciduous fruit industry, celebrated seven years of “meaningful impact” at…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp The formidable duo, Buks Nel and Henk Griessel, are this year’s recipients of the coveted Hortgro 1662 Industry Award for their invaluable contribution to the South African deciduous fruit industry. The 1662 Industry Award was initiated by…
STELLENBOSCH. Joyene Isaacs, former HOD of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, became the second person last night to receive the coveted Hortgro 1662 Industry Award. Horticulturist Koos Lötter was the first recipient of the award in 2019. The 1662…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Paarl, South Africa — 22 May 2026 HORTGRO Appoints Jacques du Preez as New Chief Executive Officer Industry veteran steps up as founding leader, Anton Rabe, retires after decades of distinguished service HORTGRO, the leading statutory body…
The prestigious Hortgro Awards in honour of deciduous fruit industry champions was held at STIAS, Stellenbosch last night. This is the first time that Hortgro held its award function in the new format with a focus on the Pome and…