“Resilience” It is a word we have returned to often, written into the story of our vines, shaped by fire, wind, drought and storm. Farming in the Strandveld has never been gentle; this land demands endurance. This year brought extremes, persistent heat followed by very little almost no rain. Over Christmas tables and New Year gatherings, farm owners sat with their families, laughter masking an unspoken fear. In the back of every mind was the same quiet prayer: may the call not come.
But the new year arrived with flames. Reports filtered in from Pearly Beach, Stanford, and beyond. On Sunday the 4th, our call came a fire on a neighbouring farm. It was contained swiftly, watched closely, held at bay.
Then Thursday the 8th changed everything.
Temperatures climbed to 30°C, winds tore through the landscape at 70 km per hour, and what had been contained was no longer containable. The fires at Pearly Beach leapt the mountains like a sprinter released from the blocks, racing toward Wolvengat, Strandveld Vineyards and Elim. Moments mattered. Everyone was moved to safety, while a few stayed behind, steady and courageous, fighting for our cellar and our vines.
This morning, as the sun filtered through smoke and falling ash catching the top of the cellar roof there was a feeling of relief. There is some damage, vines touched, infrastructure scarred, but we remain.
And in the aftermath, a deeper truth revealed itself. The resilience we have spoken of for so long does not live only in the soil. It lives in our people of Strandveld.
Yesterday, farmers and neighbours moved as one. With fires burning across the region and emergency services stretched thin, help arrived from every direction. Colleagues stepped forward without hesitation, taking charge in moments where calm mattered most. To witness this was humbling and profoundly moving.
Strandveld’s resilience is not only grown here; it is shared. It is carried in community, in hands that help, in courage that answers when fear calls first.
Today, we are proud to call ourselves Strandvelders.
And we would like to thank every Strandvelder, fireman and every helping hand beyond our borders, who ensured that Strandveld Vineyards stands, once more.
Please bear with us as we begin the process of cleaning up and restoring what was affected.
