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South Africa olives belong to the family of Oleaceae. The botanical name for olives is Olea European L. There are over 30 species of olives. Olives grow naturally within the Mediterranean regions with a mixture of both edible and wild varieties. The growth of olives can be dated back to ancient Greece. 

The growth of olives in South Africa was initiated by a Dutch settler Jan van Riebeeck in 1659. The South African olives were propagated through the mix of south African wild indigenous species and Italian cultivators in 1903. Olives have been grown in the Paarl Valley in the Western Cape Province in South Africa for decades. Other provinces where they are grown include Hermanus, MacGregor, and Riebeek-

Kasteel among other regions.

The plant requires a rainfall range of 650-900mm. Different cultivators thrive in various regions though they generally fail in harsh weather climatic conditions. They also need well-drained and aerated soils for a good yield.

 South Africa olives are edible as fruits (table olives). South Africa is also a source of oil. The total production of olive oil in South Africa in 2015 was 5,000 tonnes, and the industry is still expanding. The olive plant has an extensive shallow root system with a more significant percentage of the roots occurring closer to the surface at a depth of 60cm. The plant’s lance-shaped leaves are alternate on the shoot. For the plant to flower, it requires chilling temperatures. In South Africa, the budding begins in summer (October) and develop through the winter season. The flowers form clusters of 10 to 12. 

The fruits mature within 4-6 months after blossoming with different cultivators taking different periods. As the fruit develops to maturity and ripening, it changes colour from green to yellow as it matures, then red to black when fully ripe. Delay in the harvesting of apples results in delayed reproduction the following season. In olive tree reproduction, dense produce accompanies a light harvest. The phenomenon is known as an alternate bearing.  

The conventional cultivators grown in South Africa include 

• Mission (for olive oil and black table oil)
• Frantoio (produced for quality oil and cross-pollination), 
• Baroni (for green queen olive table oil), 
• Manzanilla (green table oil) and 
• kalamata (for black table oil). 

The harvesting of olives is very costly, taking up 40% of the total cost. Table olives are manually harvested. The fruit is collected in foam-lined bags and baskets. The fruit is carefully picked to avoid damaging. The harvesting takes place from February to July. The collection of oil olives is done by placing of harvesting nets underneath and stripping the fruit off onto the nets.

The fruits are harvested as per their intended purpose. Fruit intended for green oil to be used for processing are harvested yellowish-green. Olives for black olive oil is harvested when fully black just before they are overly ripe.

The harvested fruit is sorted cleaned, and crushed in a centrifuge to extract the oil. The processed oil is packaged according to type and quality in containers for trade. The packaging sizes range from 250ml – 1000litres. Olive oil is stored in a cool, dry environment away from direct sunlight. The fresh fruit is packaged according to size, type and quality in vacuum bags of different weights 250g to 1000g and stored temperatures of 20°C.

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