Team Botha proudly bottles their first harvest
Seven years on, the first rewards of overcoming their terror and all kinds of challenges finally came in off the olive lands.
THAT was the honest confession Empangeni accountancy firm owner Renier Botha offered when asked what motivated him to start up a small olive farm in the Cape, a thousand kilometres plus away from home.
But before he came to his senses, he had invested far too much into the operation to turn back, and he and wife Rialene were forced to soldier on.
More than 2 500 olive trees were planted, a huge reservoir constructed to ensure stable water supply and pestilences fought with vigour to protect the ‘baby’ trees until they reached ‘adulthood’.
Facing the daunting task of directing everything for the most part from Zululand, it was a case of prayer and ‘faith like olives’ – and faith in local farmhand Jan Penny.
Their persistence has finally paid off.
Seven years on, the first rewards of overcoming their terror and all kinds of challenges finally came in off the lands as Team Botha proudly bottled their first harvest. Appropriately called ‘Ou Lywe’ – which they vehemently deny was inspired by their age – the home grown organic extra virgin olive oil is now set to roll out big time.
The entrepreneurial journey all started way back in 2006 with the crime wave sweeping the country – and the Bothas becoming victims of it.
‘It very negatively influenced our outlook on everything. We needed to find a place of tranquility where we could heal and needed to find it quickly,’ says Renier.
Wild ride
‘Without further ado we loaded up our bakkie with no clear direction of where we wanted to go and set off.
‘Passing through Stilbbaai, we came down this hill on an overcast, rainy morning with a senior citizen, ‘Oom Dakkie’ leaning on his gate.
‘The place was called Vermaaklikheid (Afrikaans for ‘funniness’ or amusement’).
‘Instinctively I knew we found the place. ‘Hier sal ons weer gesond word’.
The Bothas bought a low key guest house set-up with a partner, as well as a small piece of farmland with a small dwelling for themselves.
After two years living in Vermaaklikheid (with Renier commuting to Empangeni to run his accountancy business), they sold the guest houses.
‘I also tried to sell the piece of land there, but struggling to find a buyer, Rialene and I decided we had to do something with the land’.
‘Historically, Vermaaklikheid was renowned for its illegal ‘witblits’ brewing and with the police constantly on the prowl, the farmers constructed many innovative hiding places for their kettles.
‘Our house on the farm had a ceiling hiding place for the stocks of ‘fire water’, so growing Hanepoot grapes was an option to consider.
‘The other option was olive trees – and that was when the moment of madness kicked in…’
