Clayton Swart

A small batch of rooibos seeds from the Cederberg is set to embark on an extraordinary journey later this year, travelling thousands of kilometres from South Africa, via the United States, to the International Space Station (ISS) and back to local soil.

Researchers at Langgewens Research Farm in the Swartland, Western Cape, used the second day of the 13th Jack Human Conservation Agriculture Week to showcase practical strategies aimed at improving profitability and resilience in grain production systems.

Having more than doubled its table grape production over the past five years, the black-owned Siyazama Klipland Boerdery in the Hex River Valley is looking to its next phase of growth, but farm manager and shareholder Alec Abrahams believes securing a title deed remains one of the most important hurdles to overcome.

As water resources dwindle on his family farm near Mooketsi in Limpopo, Dr Doug Reed has shifted away from crops and towards adaptable, low-input Nguni cattle. Clayton Swart visited the Modjadji Nguni Stud to learn why fertility, longevity, and adaptability underpin Reed's breeding philosophy.

A demanding medical career led Dr Oswald Jannasch to seek cattle that could thrive with minimal intervention. The owner of the Matla Nguni Stud, and established cattle breeding farm near Polokwane in Limpopo, believes the indigenous breed is ideally suited to extensive beef production.

When foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) affected cattle at ZZ2 farms, its Nguni animals appeared to fare better than several other breeds. Clayton Swart hears how the experience reinforced ZZ2's confidence in the breed's genetics and sparked a research collaboration aimed at understanding why.

Local trials, data-intensive farming and a deeper understanding of soil conditions can help producers make more informed management decisions that can improve profitability.

Lochner Eksteen spoke to Clayton Swart on why he believes the Nguni breed's diversity, adaptability and efficiency continue to set it apart.

Hortgro's 2025 Key Deciduous Fruit Statistics show record apple and pear export volumes, while a largely stable planted area masks significant shifts in crop mix and orchard replacement. Rising input costs and logistics remain key constraints for producers.

Farmers have gathered at Nampo Cape 2026 in Bredasdorp to explore cutting-edge technologies, new crop genetics, and joint industry strategies targeting biosecurity, traceability, and foot-and-mouth disease.