OLDEST FAMILY BUSINESS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Committed to sustainable agriculture

Boplaas 1743 Estate is the parent company of a wholly owned group of export fruit producing farms and agriculture-related enterprises located in the Western Cape region of South Africa.

280 YEARS OF BOPLAAS 1743

50 000+ TREES PLANTED

C02 EMISSION SAVED 1,667 t

MORE THAN 1000 EMPLOYEES

Our
Heritage

Boplaas Farm, which stands as a pioneer in this agribusiness, was established in 1743 in the Koue Bokkeveld near Ceres, approximately 200 km north-east of Cape Town. This farm has remained under the ownership of the Van der Merwe family since its inception. Renowned for producing world-class export apples and pears, it holds the distinction of being South Africa’s oldest family-owned business. With a heritage spanning ten generations of Van der Merwe farmers and entrepreneurs, Boplaas Farm embodies enduring success and upholds a legacy of knowledge and commitment on its picturesque, fertile terrain.

This legacy and experience of almost three centuries provide important context to the fruit procurement industry and consumers alike, as it demonstrates that Boplaas 1743 Estate as a group:

  • is managed according to the same principles and values of stewardship and sustainability applied across the generations that have made Boplaas 1743 Estate the successful enterprise it is today; and
  • that the family values of honesty, respect, integrity, gratitude and perseverance that have been practised on the farm Boplaas since its beginning, are also applied within the other business entities in the group.

OUR PRODUCE AND FARMS

What we offer

EXPORT

FRUIT

MEDICINAL

CANNABIS

Marlenique

Packhouse

FLOATING SOLAR

PLANT

FLOATING SOLAR PLANT

Export-quality Fruit

  • Pome fruit: Export-quality apples and pears, cultivated and produced on three farms in the Koue Bokkeveld – Boplaas, Dankbaar and Bergvliet.
  • Stone fruit: Export-quality peaches, cultivated and produced on Dankbaar.
  • Citrus fruit: Export-quality oranges, tangerines and lemons cultivated and produced on the farms Marlenique and Du Cap near Paarl in the fertile Boland region of the Western Cape.

Medicinal Cannabis

The first in South Africa to establish a cutting-edge cannabis production facility for the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. We produce and market the highest quality craft cannabis, not only in aid of research but to champion non-harmful alternatives for pain management, mental health and chronic diseases.

Other agri-related business entity and service

The following is also part of our portfolio

Marlenique Packhouse

Marlenique Packhouse, a state-of-the-art citrus and stone fruit packing and cooling facility on Marlenique farm, Paarl, also providing contract packing services to the surrounding citrus and stone fruit industry. 

Floating Photovoltaic Plant

This system has pioneered the implementation of floating alternative energy sources, and is the first commercially operational system in Africa and the largest of its kind at 60 kWp.

Our
Markets

We currently export to more than 80 countries in the following regions:

  • Europe
  • The Far East
  • The Middle East
  • South-East Asia
  • North America
  • Africa
  • Australia

Boplaas 1743 Estate – Pioneering South African fruit producers, pursuing responsible agriculture since 1743.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Translations

* Freely translated, the name Boplaas in the Afrikaans language refers to a farm with a high location, in this case the farm’s position against the slopes of Tafelberg (“Table Mountain”), an iconic mountain in the Koue Bokkeveld which lies against the backdrop of the Skurweberge mountain range.   

* The Koue Bokkeveld is a region in the Western Cape Province of South Africa known for fruit cultivation, particularly apples and pears. “Koue”, in Afrikaans, can be translated as cold, and “bokkeveld” as the grassland where buck or antelope once roamed.