This Women’s Month, Lakeview Farm in Villiersdorp is celebrating more than apples and pears. Under the leadership of Amoré Viljoen (34), the 100% black-owned commercial farming operation has transformed from ageing orchards into a competitive, high-performance unit — earning top rankings in production and quality.
Leading a Farm with Purpose
Owned by the Lakeview Trust, with 71 beneficiaries, Lakeview Farm forms part of the EGVV (Elgin, Grabouw, Villiersdorp, Vyeboom) region. Through a management agreement with Two-a-Day, Amoré oversees all day-to-day operations — from orchard management to strategic planning — with a focus on sustainable income for the community.
“Lakeview is not a token BEE farm – it’s a fully functional commercial farming unit,” she says. “Our goal is to maximise productivity, improve orchard quality, and build long-term sustainability.”
Investing in Orchard Renewal and Precision Management
When Amoré took over in December 2020, more than half of the orchards were over 30 years old, with outdated trellising and declining yields. “You are fighting to get production from these old trees and dated systems,” she recalls.
Her turnaround plan included removing unviable blocks, applying innovative pruning methods, and replanting with high-value cultivars such as RDS (Joya), Rosemarie Select, and Forelle on modern high-density systems. Funding through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) helped accelerate this shift.
“Since 2020, we’ve planted new orchards using stronger rootstocks and tighter row spacing to increase yield per hectare,” she says. Precision irrigation scheduling and targeted fertiliser application have further improved productivity.
Currently, 64% of the 63-hectare farm is planted to apples and 36% to pears. Once the replanting programme is complete, 33 hectares will be in full production, with all fruit marketed globally through Tru-Cape.
Climate Challenges as Competitive Advantages
The farm’s north-facing slope brings heat stress and lower rainfall, but Amoré sees opportunity: “When our pest control and orchard practices are in place, the southeast weather in summer actually enhances the colour development of bi-colour varieties.”
Lower rainfall compared to neighbouring areas reduces disease pressure, making Lakeview ideal for cultivars like Golden Delicious and Packham’s Triumph. For Amoré, soil health remains the foundation: “Healthy soil equals healthy trees – and ultimately, healthy, market-ready fruit.”
From Technical Expertise to Leadership
Raised in Middelburg in the Eastern Cape, Amoré studied mixed agriculture at Grootfontein, specialising in Boer goats, before gaining technical experience in the citrus industry and later in pome fruit.
“When Two-a-Day approached me after five years in the pome industry, I saw it as a chance to grow — not just as a production manager but as someone making the full range of decisions – financial, strategic, and operational.”
Results that Speak for Themselves
In 2024, Lakeview’s BigBucks Gala orchard ranked number one across the Two-a-Day group for production performance, income per hectare, and pack-out percentage of class 1 fruit. “It shows what’s possible when you combine technical excellence with passion and determination,” Amoré says.
Looking ahead, she is excited about the role of new varieties and selections in strengthening South Africa’s competitive edge. “We don’t stay behind, and I think producers abroad can learn a lot from us.”