From rags to riches with fruit farming

Kitty du Plessis and her late husband, Marius, never dreamt of having their own farm, thinking there was no way they could ever afford one. Then in 1999, the owners of the Daytona farm in the Warm Bokkeveld of the Western Cape, where Marius was the farm manager for over 20 years, passed away soon after one another, and their heirs, who lived abroad, wanted out of the business.

Daytona’s stud was bought shortly thereafter, but the new owners weren’t interested in the fruit division, Aurora, leaving Marius, who had been in charge of everything but the horses, without a job. Potential buyers of Aurora were also put off when they realised the farm was situated behind the Nduli informal settlement.

In the end, the attorneys who managed the estate invited Marius and Kitty to bid for the Aurora farm. Having no idea what to offer, they discussed options with Ceres Fruit Growers, which helped them develop a business plan for the purchase.

They were over the moon when they heard that their offer had been accepted, but what followed were eight tough years.

“We had lots of experience