Western and Eastern Cape farmers honoured at !Xhariep AWSA awards

A fruit farmer, an organic vegetable producer, and a collaborative citrus development were recognised at the 2026 Agricultural Writers SA (AWSA) !Xhariep regional awards in Cape Town on 9 October.

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The awards, sponsored by Nedbank, acknowledge achievements in established commercial agriculture, emerging farming enterprises, and inclusive agricultural development.

Grabouw fruit farmer Stephan Beukes of Dennegeur Farms was named Western Cape Farmer of the Year, and organic vegetable producer Angelo Marman of Abitz Farming received the province’s New Entrant to Commercial Farming award.

In the Eastern Cape, Ikamva Lethu Farms, a collaborative commercial citrus development in the Sundays River Valley, received the New Entrant to Commercial Farming award.

Resilience as a management discipline

Beukes is a third-generation farmer who became CEO of Dennegeur Farms in 2019. The business has since expanded through the acquisition of Vredenhof and Applethwaite and now manages 455,65ha of apple and pear orchards.

The operation’s resilience was tested by the devastating floods in 2023. Crop protection spraying was restored within 72 hours, while irrigation across the orchards resumed within two months.

Dennegeur Farms has also invested in storage, packing, energy resilience, and leadership development. Its environmental work includes groundcover management, recycling biomass, clearing alien vegetation, and rehabilitating land with indigenous species.

Accepting the award, Beukes credited the people who helped put his plans into practice.

“I thank my team, as well as my sister, for their support, believing in my vision and realising it on the farm,” Beukes said during his acceptance speech.

Farming with a wider purpose

Marman’s interest in farming began in his childhood, when he grew vegetables in his family’s backyard using compost made from donkey manure, and then sold the produce.

After completing a diploma in agriculture, he began farming with five tilapia in his backyard in Malmesbury. Income from the venture was reinvested in vegetable production on a municipal plot, which he also developed into a training centre for the community.

Marman later rented an 8ha farm near Chatsworth in the West Coast District Municipality and bought the property in 2025.

Abitz Farming now integrates organic vegetable production with pigs and poultry. Crop residue is converted into compost, legumes help fix nitrogen, and pigs consume crop waste and assist with land clearing.

The business employs about 13 people and hosts more than 60 Social Employment Fund participants for seven days each month.

“My goal is to create jobs for people. I didn’t expect [to win] this award or to be recognised in this way. Thank you to my team and family for your support,” Marman said.

A shared citrus enterprise

Ikamva Lethu, isiXhosa for ‘our future’, was established in 2015 with the aim of increasing community participation in commercial citrus farming without fragmenting existing farms into smaller, potentially unviable units.

Seventeen producers and the Sundays River Citrus Company pooled their resources to establish a new commercial citrus enterprise. Developing the greenfield project required environmental approvals, water rights, and investment in roads, irrigation, water storage, and orchard establishment.

General manager Delano Knoetze and technical manager Bahle Kweba accepted the award.

“Wow! We are so honoured to receive this award for this incredible project of ours. Thank you to the Sundays River Citrus Company and the entire team,” Knoetze said.

Kweba added that he was proud their collaborative efforts were being recognised.

“We did not expect this award. We travelled all the way from the Eastern Cape to be here in the Western Cape. Thank you.”

The regional winners will join those from other provinces at the AWSA’s 2026 national awards event, scheduled for 13 November in Muldersdrift, Gauteng.