Articles | O for Olive Farm, Olive Oil & Prince Albert

South African Extra Virgin Olive Oil Outperforms Most Imports — Here Is Why

A growing body of evidence suggests that South African extra virgin olive oil is not only fresher and more traceable than many imported alternatives — it may also be more likely to be genuine. With 26 percent of imported olive oils in South Africa failing quality tests for extra virgin classification, local producers are making a compelling case for buying homegrown.

April 2, 2026/by Kirsty van der Walt

Olive Oil

How to Tell Real Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Fake: A South African Buyer’s Guide

Up to 70% of extra virgin olive oil sold in supermarkets worldwide fails to meet the quality standards printed on its own label, according to research conducted by the University of California, Davis — a finding that raises serious questions about what South African consumers are actually pouring over their food.

The problem is not limited to bargain-bin bottles. Studies published by the UC Davis Olive Center, along with investigations by consumer watchdog organisations in Europe and Australia, have found that mislabelling, adulteration and quality degradation affect products at every price point. For South African buyers, the issue is compounded by the distance that imported oil must travel and the time it spends in warehouses and on shelves before reaching a kitchen. Understanding how to identify real extra virgin olive oil is no longer a matter of connoisseurship — it is a matter of getting what you are paying for.

March 31, 2026/by Kirsty van der Walt

Kudu Salami Pizza: The Wood-Fired Karoo Classic Drawing Visitors to Prince Albert

In a region celebrated for lamb and wide open skies, a wood-fired pizza topped with kudu salami is quietly becoming one of the most talked-about dishes in the Karoo. At Cafe O on Swartrivier Farm in Prince Albert, it brings together game meat from the veld and artisan food made by hand — a single plate that captures the flavour of the landscape it comes from.

The dish is not complicated. Hand-stretched dough, a wood-fired oven, tomato sauce, mozzarella and slices of cured kudu salami finished with a drizzle of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from the farm next door. Yet it is this simplicity that keeps drawing visitors back, and it has become a quietly persuasive reason to add Prince Albert to a Karoo itinerary.

March 31, 2026/by Kirsty van der Walt

Prince Albert

The Swartberg Pass Road Trip: A Complete Guide from Cape Town to Prince Albert

The Swartberg Pass, a UNESCO World Heritage Site carved through ancient quartzite mountains, has become one of the most celebrated road trip routes in the Western Cape — and the small Karoo town of Prince Albert, waiting on the other side, is the reason more travellers are making the journey every year.

The 27-kilometre gravel pass, built by master road engineer Thomas Bain between 1881 and 1888, connects the lush Klein Karoo to the arid Great Karoo through a landscape so geologically significant that it earned its place on the UNESCO list in 2011. For visitors driving from Cape Town, it is the dramatic final act of a road trip that combines coastal scenery, wine country charm and high-mountain spectacle in a single day.

March 31, 2026/by Kirsty van der Walt

Olive Oil

Why South African Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Rivalling the Best in the Mediterranean

South African extra virgin olive oil has moved from regional curiosity to international contender in less than two decades. Local producers are now winning gold medals at the world’s most prestigious olive oil competitions, earning quality scores that place them alongside the best estates in Italy, Spain and Greece. For consumers who have long defaulted to imported Mediterranean oil, the evidence is becoming difficult to ignore: some of the finest olive oil in the world is now being pressed in South Africa.

Gold Medals and 97-Point Ratings: South Africa on the World Stage

The shift in perception has been driven by results. South African olive oil producers have collected gold and silver medals at competitions including EVOOEUM in Spain, the Mario Solinas Quality Award (run by the International Olive Council), the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition and the London IOOC.

March 30, 2026/by Kirsty van der Walt

Prince Albert

What to Do in Prince Albert: The Karoo Town That Serves Up Food, Art and Mountain Views

Prince Albert has long been called the Jewel of the Karoo, and the title is not an exaggeration. This small town at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains has reinvented itself as one of South Africa’s most compelling food, art and nature destinations — a place where farm-to-table dining, world-class mountain passes and night skies free of light pollution converge in a single, unhurried weekend. Here is what to do when you get there.

Drive the Swartberg Pass: A National Monument on Gravel

No visit to Prince Albert is complete without driving the Swartberg Pass. Built by master road engineer Thomas Bain between 1881 and 1888, this gravel pass climbs to over 1 500 metres through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in southern Africa. It was declared a National Monument and forms part of the Cape Floral Region UNESCO World Heritage Site buffer zone.

March 30, 2026/by Kirsty van der Walt

Farm Life, Prince Albert

Prince Albert’s Best-Kept Secret: A Day at South Africa’s Original Karoo Olive Farm

Tucked beneath the Swartberg Mountains, just four kilometres from the centre of Prince Albert, lies Swartrivier Farm — a working olive estate that has quietly earned its place as one of the Great Karoo’s most compelling visitor experiences. Long before olive tourism became a talking point in the Western Cape, this farm was pressing fruit and welcoming guests. It remains, by all accounts, the original Karoo olive farm.

Where It All Began: Swartrivier and the Karoo Olive Story

The story of olives in Prince Albert is older than most visitors expect. While the Western Cape’s winelands dominate the agricultural tourism map, the semi-arid Karoo has been producing olives for generations. Swartrivier Farm, home to O for Olive, sits at the heart of this tradition.

March 30, 2026/by Kirsty van der Walt

The Homegrown Chef

Recipes

Olive risotto fish medallions

If you’re looking for an easy supper option, try this delicious olive risotto fish medallions recipe. It’s super-healthy and flavourful!

Spice it up with hot chilli – if you prefer something milder, use hot Hungarian or Spanish paprika. O for Olive’s pitted black olives, extra virgin olive oil and green olive tapenade make the perfect ingredients…

Olive risotto fish medallions

The Homegrown Chef

Olive risotto and olive oil fish medallions coated in green olive tapenade

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

1 cup Arborio rice
400g tin tomatoes or fresh
12 black olives pitted
1 brown onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 tsp hot chilli powder or hot Hungarian/Spanish paprika
750ml vegetable stock extra if needed

Olive oil fish medallions

4 fish medallions frozen
Salt and pepper to season
Green olive tapenade to coat fish
Extra virgin olive oil a good drizzle
1 juice of fresh lemon

Instructions

Pre-soak rice for 20 minutes then rinse before cooking.
Blend onion, garlic and tomatoes until almost smooth.
Warm frying pan adding a tablespoon of olive oil.
Add cup rice and gently fry in the oil for 3-4 minutes on a medium heat.
Slowly add stock a portion at a time, stirring with a spatula.
Replenish liquid frequently, don't allow it to stick to the pan.
Once stock as reduced by about half, add the blended tomato mix.
Cook rice for 20-30 minutes in total, until all liquid is absorbed.
If necessary add a little more stock, if needed so risotto looks creamy.
Before roving from stove, add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Fish dish

Preheat oven to 200 ℃, and place fish medallions in a small ovenproof dish.
Season lightly and drizzle with olive oil.
Coat with green olive tapenade.
Cook for 20 minutes.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top before serving.

Notes

If you prefer less heat in the dish - milder but just as flavourful - substitute the hot chilli powder for hot Hungarian or Spanish paprika.

Keyword black olives, extra virgin olive oil, green olive tapenade, healthy meal

August 4, 2022/by Julia Hinton

Recipes

Olive stuffed lamb loin

This olive stuffed lamb loin dish is tender and juicy, and filled with Mediterranean flavours. Perfect for a family lunch or warming winter meal. Blending spices, fresh herbs and delicious black olives, try the recipe…

We grow our own herbs and bought meat from Oaklands Butchery in Joburg’s Northern Suburbs. Olives come from Swartrivier Farm in Prince Albert, in the Western Cape. Aim for fresh, local ingredients… and your meal will pop with flavour!

Olive stuffed lamb loin

The Homegrown Chef

Flavourful, juicy and tender 'low-and slow' lamb dish, ideal for a family meal

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 55

Resting time 15

Course Main Course, Sunday lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients

1 750g lamb loin deboned
15-20 pitted black olives drained
4-5 garlic cloves
2 tsp green olive tapenade
1 tsp hot English mustard
1 peppadew deseeded and chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
1 bunch thyme
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon zested and juiced
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 anchovy fillet

Instructions

Blend together into a smooth paste the green olive tapenade, lemon zest and juice of one lemon, anchovy fillet, peppadew, half a bunch of thyme, rosemary, hot English mustard, olive oil, garlic cloves, and ½ tsp paprika.
Trim the lamb loin of excess fat, if any, and cut in the middle but not completely through – enough to allow the meat to fold easily.
Place skin-side down on a board, and smear the inside heavily with the blended paste.
Add olives in groups of 5 or 6, to form a filling.
Fold lamb loin up, and tie off with cotton string (about five ties, depending on size).
Place in an ovenproof dish, and add the remaining thyme, rosemary and coat outside with ½ tsp paprika plus a few grinds of salt and pepper, as desired.
Preheat oven to 200 ℃, and cook at this heat for 10 minutes. Then drop the temperature to 170 ℃, add a cup of red wine, and cook for a further 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The lamb should be a nice golden brown. If it browns too quickly, cover with tin foil.
Leave to rest for about 15 minutes, remove string and carve into thick slices.

Serve with:

Baby roast potatoes and veg like cauliflower, broccoli or beans.

Keyword family meal, pitted black olives, winter food, winter recipe

July 14, 2022/by Julia Hinton

The Homegrown Chef

Recipes

Peppadew olive pork fillet

This hearty peppadew and olive pork fillet dish makes the perfect winter meal! Full of flavour and packed with the goodness of herbs, spices, extra virgin olive oil and Karoo olives, here’s the recipe…

A memorable, easy-to-make meal for family and friends. Why not try it for your next Sunday lunch or a cosy evening meal?

Peppadew and olive pork fillet

The Homegrown Chef

Hearty winter dish with delicious Mediterranean flavours

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 15

Course Main Course, Sunday lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

2 pork fillets
4-5 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Coarse salt
Black pepper
1 tsp paprika
80 g O for Olive Pitted Black Olives

Marinating Mix

4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
2 peppadews chopped without seeds
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig rosemary leaves only
O for Olive Extra Virgin Olive Oil leaves only
2 tsp paprika
Black pepper a few generous twists

Instructions

Prepare your marinating mix in a small sauce bowl.
Trim excess sinew from pork fillets, and select a suitable oven-proof dish.
Scatter a bunch of fresh thyme and 4-5 bay leaves on the bottom of the dish.
Add salt, black pepper and a drizzle of O for Olive Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Place pork fillets in the dish, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of coarse salt.
Coat fillets with marinade, and leave to stand for 4 hours, or overnight (in fridge).
Preheat oven to 200 ℃, and cook for about 10 minutes, then turn down to 175 ℃ for 25-30 minutes.
When you notice liquid in the dish, the pork should be nice and tender.
Let the dish rest for 15 minutes before carving into around 1.5cm thick medallions.
Side dish 1: Serve with baby roast potatoes, boiled then crushed and seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika and thyme. Add olive oil before placing in the oven for approximately 40 minutes until golden brown.
Side dish 2: Chop about a saucepan full of green cabbage. Add 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped, salt, black pepper, paprika and a dash of olive oil. You may need to add a ¼ cup of water. Cook on medium heat on the stove for about 18 minutes.

Notes

Don't overcook the fillet as this will make it tougher. If needed, a 1/8th of a cup of water can be added.

A good size pork fillet is around 600 g. This recipe calls for two fillets.

Keyword black olives, pork fillet, winter recipe

July 6, 2022/by Julia Hinton