Simply the Best – Meet Vivian Jakobs

By Gerrit Rautenbach

After obtaining his matric in 1994, Vivian Jakobs’s journey through the world of deciduous fruit began with him checking out the playing field.

In 2000 he joined Swaarmoed Boerdery in the Warm Bokkeveld. That’s where he crossed paths with Jacques Visser and that’s where his career started taking shape. Three months down the line he was promoted to packhouse manager. In 2010 Jacques moved to Crispy’s Farm Coshla, a BEE Farm of Dutoit Agri and less than a year later Vivian followed his mentor. He started as an assistant production manager but was promoted to production manager in 2015. “I’ve done a lot of courses along the way, but I learnt that most of what I know today came through by do-it-yourself. The best learning school ever!”

In 2023, Jacques nominated Vivian as a worthy entrant for the Department of Agriculture, Western Cape’s Farmworker of the Year competition. This competition works in stages. First of all, you have to prove your mettle in the middle management category in your region. This is Witzenberg in the case of Vivian. Which he won and which got him into the next level in his region, the Best Agricultural Worker for Witzenberg. Which Vivian won as well. This achievement got him into the next tier: Middle Management for the whole of Western Cape, all the various regions together. Yes, which he has won. This catapulted him into the top-level competition being the Best Agricultural Worker for the Western Cape.

And the winner is … Vivian Jakobs. Out of 1031 contestants, Vivian went from one level to the next and walked away with top honours. You can surely agree he is next level. Should you ask him about the future, he’ll tell you a story, starting with his great-grandfather and his old Massey-Ferguson 135, “die rondekoppie” it was called.

“My grandpa then upgraded to the next Massey before my dad got the four trek. One day my dad said to me, you must aim higher than this four trek. You can do better. So, I’m aiming higher still. Not only in tractors but in getting my piece of land. Fingers in the soil, that’s me. My dream, but if I can win this Agricultural Worker competition, I can do it.”

Should you ever be privileged to meet Vivian, you’ll understand why he outdid everyone in the Agricultural Worker for the Western Cape competition. He has what it takes. And he didn’t do it to win a competition, he did it to learn how to be better at what he is doing. To achieve the next level. And the next. That is what makes him next level.