"Olives and figs are the first fruit trees in the Bible" says Jan Bothma, an olive-grower with a fundamentalist philosophy who planted the first olive trees in Prince Albert after he learned how olive groves were passed from father to son in Biblical times.
"You can't make much of a living out of sheep these days", he muses.
As we watch the olive-pickers at work in a grove in the harsh soils of the Little Karoo, I feel a sense of ancient history in the air.
"An olive tree doesn't need much water", explains the farmer known locally as Jan "Olyf".
The 15 hectares planted with manzanilla, mission and kalamata on his Swartriver farm are like an oasis in the desert, producing rich unfiltered olive oils, savoury pastes and salty, sun-dried Karoo olives.
There is something sacred about olives. I've stumbled across olive orchards on picturesque backroads from the Arcadian hills of the Greek Peloponnese to the Cape.
Olives struggle to life in the most spectacular landscapes, across Moordenaars river on a lonely dirt road to Prince Albert, in the groves that tumble down the slopes of Riebeek Kasteel at Kloovenburg, and at Vesuvio Estates on Sorrento farm in Agter Paarl, the cradle of the local olive industry.
Olives traditionally go well with a martini on the cocktail circuit.
Now olive-lovers can enjoy a new branch of the Cape's wine route - the olive branch.
Estate olive oils are a must for the trendy gourmet table, from the products of Eikendal, Glen Carlou, Hildenbrand, L'Avenir and Saxenburg wine farms to those made on the traditional basket-press at Swartriver and the state-of-the-art olive-presses at Costas and Vesuvio in Paarl and at Morgenster in Somerset West.
If you're looking for an extra virgin olive oil with a sense of place, local is lekker on the Cape's new olive route.
Olives are big business. With 70 commercial olive growers in South Africa, national plantings have doubled over the last five years - of 700 tons of olive oil consumed domestically ever year, it is estimated that local product now meets about 30% of demand.
Unfortunately, domestic growers are facing the challenge of cheaper, often inferior imports from growers in the European Union who enjoy substantial agricultural subsidies.
The good news is that South African olive oil is making its mark in Europe.
Based in Paarl, Vesuvio Estates, the largest olive oil producer in South Africa, have landed a lucrative export contract to Switzerland and won acclaim for their cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil at two exhibitions in Italy.
The Swiss gastronomes are choosing the Boland's best over the wealth of continental labels on their shelves.
The prestigious quality award was presented to Vesuvio at the SOL 2000 exhibition held in Verona, Italy.
One of only three oils outside of Italy to receive recognition, Vesuvio was the only New World entrant to be honoured at this international showcase for the olive industry.
Sweeping the olive Oscars, the L'orciolo d'Oro was also awarded to Vesuvio at the Second International Competition for Extra Virgin Olive Oil held in May 2000 in Pesaro, Italy.
- The Cape Olive Fair takes place at Groot Constantia from 10am to 6.30pm on March 31 and April 1, 2001.
Entry to the estate and exhibits will be free with a fee of R10 for parking on the estate, R15 for tastings and R10 for talks.
For festival info, tel: (021) 434-4425. Contact the SA Olive Growers' Association on tel: (021) 863-8571 or see www.olivessouthafrica.co.za