The South African apple industry marks its 364th anniversary recently by planting only the fourth known Witte Wijnappel tree (white wine apple) in South Africa at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town.

This planting also forms part of the school’s centenary celebrations. The Witte Wijn apple cultivar holds special historical significance, as it is the very variety Jan van Riebeeck planted in Cape Town more than three centuries ago.  

On 17 April 1662, Van Riebeeck recorded picking the first two Dutch apples at the Cape from a five-foot Witte Wijnappel tree.

Jeanne Fourie, with the young Witte Wijnappel she planted at the event. Photo: Tru-Cape

“Today, South Africa is home to approximately 45 million apple trees and produces 1.3 million tonnes of apples annually, making us the largest apple exporter in the Southern Hemisphere. 

More than 240,000 jobs are created in the industry. The apple industry makes an extraordinary contribution to our country’s economy,” said Jeanne Fourie, Tru-Cape New variety specialist.

Origins

The journey to reintroduce the historic Witte Wijnappel cultivar to South Africa has been years in the making. Tru-Cape’s quality assurance manager, Henk Griessel, and colleague Buks Nel, undertook extensive research into the origins of South Africa’s apple industry. 

Their work led them to the archives of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) and centuries-old illustrated texts, ultimately tracing the cultivar to two surviving trees in a private garden between the Rhine and Maas rivers in the Netherlands.

South Africa exports apples to more than 100 countries worldwide. Photo: Tru-Cape

Despite South Africa’s plant import regulations, plant material was eventually brought into the country and successfully established. Before the latest planting, only three Witte Wijnappel trees existed locally – at Tru-Cape’s heritage orchard in Grabouw, at Babylonstoren, and in the Cape Gardens.

“The South African apple industry stands as a remarkable example of resilience, innovation and global competitiveness. From a single tree to a world-leading export industry, is a story, we can all be proud of,” said Roelf Pienaar, Managing Director of Tru-Cape.

Fourie also added “It reminds us how time, faith and patience can transform something small into something truly significant.”

OFMAgri/Isabel vanTonder dg

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