SA Olive is hosting its 2025 SA Olive Awards ceremony at DiemersfonteinWine & Country Estate in Wellington. The event, which takes place on Tuesday, 9 September in the estate’s newly designed tasting room and restaurant, coincides with the news that Diemersfontein is investing in new olive groves which will increase its current Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) production 10-fold. SA Olive is working closely with the new owners of Diemersfontein, the De Beer family, and consulting on the soil research, tree planting and management of the new groves.
CEO of SA Olive, Wendy Petersen says that working with Diemersfontein in realizing the new owner’s vision is important for many reasons. “Going from two hectares to around 50 hectares of olive groves in the next three years is a huge commitment, and we are delighted to be assisting with the overall process towards increased production. Critically, Diemersfontein is also a shining example of how transformation within the industry can be achieved, through collaboration. Having established Thokozani 20 years ago as the empowerment arm of the business, the workers are shareholders with a shared vision for creating quality EVOO and wines.
“This is a key pillar in SA Olive’s work – to promote and help bring about transformation in the South African olive oil industry. We are thrilled to be hosting the 2025 SA Olive Awards at Diemersfontein and even more thrilled to see how an estate of Diemersfontein’s stature is embracing increased EVOO production with transformation embedded in its intent.”
Previously owned by the Sonnenberg family for three generations, the De Beer family plans to safeguard and build upon the excellent reputation of the estate while diversifying and committing to increased production of quality EVOO under the Diemersfontein brand. As Hennie de Beer, owner and CEO of Diemersfontein says: “Hosting the awards sends a strong message about Diemersfontein’s intention to become a major player in the olive industry over the next few years and we hope that our legacy will prevail for many generations.”
Denise Stubbs is the Managing Director of Thokozani, and she says that the Diemersfontein transformation journey has always been about creating real and positive change. “Not only is it crucial to focus on training and development to achieve sustainable economic empowerment for our employees but also, with increased EVOO and wine production, we can now intensify this and make an even greater difference to people’s lives.”
