The past month marked an exciting change for Mooigezicht Estates, as the Company purchased Ou Buffelskraal Farm and we took over the management of the farm on 1 July. Ou Buffelskraal (also formerly known as Clovelly) was purchased from Anthony Hill.
Ou Buffelskraal is situated 5km from the other Mooigezicht Estates production units and is an exceptional farm for several reasons. The farm is historically significant as it is the oldest farm and homestead in the Hex River Valley, dating back to the mid-18th century. The farmhouse is a beautifully restored Cape Dutch building of considerable historic and cultural significance. The Ou Buffelskraal homestead with well-preserved outbuildings is situated at the foot of Matroosberg Peak, one of the highest peaks in the Western Cape. The farm is blessed with abundant surface water and deep, fertile soils on well-drained slopes.
Ou Buffelskraal is 54 Ha in size and is fully planted with table grapes. The farm has an interesting range of varieties, which includes three South African bred varieties that were evaluated on Ou Buffelskraal by the previous owner Anthony Hill. These include Joybells, Queen Ruby and Carmine Crunch, all red seedless varieties. Mooigezicht Estates will thus be adding these to their offering from 2022. The farm has a reputation for quality excellence and has good infrastructure and is therefore a good acquisition for Mooigezicht Estates. During the past season, Ou Buffelskraal received the award from the UK retailer Marks & Spencers for the best international supplier of table grapes, a truly remarkable accolade.
The purchase of Ou Buffelskraal adds the twelfth production unit to Mooigezicht Estates and extends the company’s area under table grape production to just over 400 Ha. “Purchasing Ou Buffelskraal has been an objective that we have been pursuing for several years. We feel extremely blessed that we have been able to achieve this and add this exceptional and historic farm to the Mooigezicht Estates Group,” says MD Francois Rossouw. “We are humbled in taking ownership of this historic property and are aware of our responsibility to conserve its remarkable legacy.”