| Elgin | |
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Elgin
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| District municipality | Overberg |
| Local municipality | Theewaterskloof |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 7180 |
Elgin, situated in the Overberg region of South Africa, is an apple-growing area near Grabouw and is about 70 km southeast of Cape Town. A group of apple farms called Glen Elgin - owned by the Molteno family - gave the place its name. Originally named Koffiekraal, it was a place to unhitch oxen from the wagons between Bot River and Palmiet River on the Cape Town to Caledon road.
The Elgin Valley is internationally known as the place in South Africa “where the apples come from”.[1] The area is one of the more intensively farmed districts of South Africa and produces 60% of the national apple crop.
Today, the town of Grabouw, in the heart of the Elgin Valley, is the commercial centre for what is the largest single export fruit producing area in Southern Africa. Grabouw was created on the farm Grietjiesgat acquired on 22 November 1856 by Willem Langschmidt, who named the place after Grabau, the village of his birth in Germany. His wife opened a small trading store and he was the bookkeeper. Later he sold parts of his farm and so began the farming community of Grabouw as it was later spelled. Langschmidt was the father of 23 children, including 3 sets of twins.
The railway station of Elgin was built on land given by the Molteno brothers, owners of the farm Glen Elgin. The Molteno name is among the foremost pioneers in the Elgin Valley, as is that of the Rawbone Viljoen family.
Oak Valley Estate was established in the Elgin Valley in 1898 by Sir Antonie Viljoen, a medical doctor who graduated from Edinburgh University in Scotland. Sir Antonie was also a Senator in the Cape Parliament and was knighted in 1916 for his efforts to bring together the Boer and the British in the bitter aftermath of the Second Boer War (1899–1902). Sir Antonie, who signed up as a medical officer with the Boer army during the war, was placed under house arrest on the Oak Valley property for the remainder of the campaign after his capture by the British. His internment on Oak Valley was only granted on condition that he paid for the services of two British soldiers to guard him for the duration of the war!
Antonie Viljoen was a farmer extraordinaire, and amongst his many farming achievements were the establishment of the first commercial deciduous fruit orchards in the Elgin valley. These orchards were the precursor to the development of the apple industry in Elgin, which remains the economic backbone of the valley to this day. Viljoen’s vision was similarly reflected in a decision to plant a substantial area of vineyard for wine grape production. This was followed in 1908 by the commissioning of the first wine cellar in the Elgin valley. Regretfully the cellar was taken out of production in the early 1940s. Up until that time, the Elgin valley was regarded as a low potential agricultural area, but Sir Antonie's vision was to change this perception forever.
In 1966, on Applethwaite farm, Edmond Lombardi created and introduced to the market a 100% apple-juice beverage, free of additives and preservatives, known as Appletiser. Appletiser[2] is now owned by SAB Miller and is sold across Europe, Asia, and North America.
Today the Elgin valley is renowned for its apples and pears, its greenhouse cut flowers, its rose growing, and, increasingly, for the production of high quality cool climate wines.
Over 40 percent of South Africa’s apple production is exported,[3] and the Elgin Valley produces about 60 percent of the total annual apple crop of about 720,000 metric tonnes. Industry and government export estimates can vary slightly. The United Kingdom is the top destination for South African apples, with Netherlands and Malaysia vying for second place. Granny Smith and Golden Delicious were the top apple varieties exported in 2007/08. South Africa is said to be the only southern hemisphere county that produces a top quality Golden Delicious apple, a major advantage against competing exporting countries.