With spring in full bloom and warmer days pulling families outdoors, a different kind of getaway is gaining ground across South Africa.
From berry picking and artisanal cheesemaking to meeting farm animals, families are trading traditional - and often costly - beach holidays for agritourism.
The sector is rapidly expanding into a projected R5 billion industry by 2030, offering an affordable blend of recreation, hands-on education, and outdoor escape.
More than just a day out, these seasonal farm visits are helping connect urban families back to the land while injecting vital economic support directly into rural communities.
With popular destinations becoming increasingly expensive, agritourism can also provide families with memorable experiences without the cost of a conventional beach holiday.
Agritourism involves visiting farms, vineyards, ranches and other agricultural destinations to experience rural life and learn about food production, farming and the environment.
For farmers, it can provide an additional source of income while allowing them to connect directly with consumers.
The sector is also showing strong growth. South Africa’s agritourism market was valued at about $180.6 million (approximately R3.1 billion) in 2024 and is forecast to reach $295.5 million (about R5 billion) by 2030, representing annual growth of 8.6%.
More than a farm visit
Professor Martinette Kruger from the Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) research unit at North-West University says agritourism has the potential to broaden both South Africa’s tourism offering and the places visitors explore.
“South Africa is well known for wildlife, nature, coastal and other iconic attractions, but our agricultural landscapes, products, farming traditions and rural communities offer another important layer of the South African story,” she says.
This could encourage visitors to explore rural areas beyond established tourism hubs. Different crops, landscapes, farming practices, seasons and food traditions can become attractions in their own right.
Seasonality, for example, can become part of the experience, with visitors travelling specifically for harvesting, flowering, fruit-picking or other stages of the agricultural cycle.
Kruger says agricultural products can also become anchors for farm visits, tastings, accommodation, festivals and food experiences, while agricultural routes could connect farms and rural attractions that are otherwise geographically dispersed.
“Agritourism allows South Africa not simply to create more attractions, but to tell more of the country’s story through its places, products and people,” she says.
Supporting rural economies
The benefits extend beyond attracting tourists.
For farmers, agritourism can diversify income through farm tours, accommodation, tastings, farm-gate sales, catering and value-added products.
It also provides an opportunity for producers to tell the story behind what they grow and make.
For surrounding communities, the knock-on effect can include demand for accommodation, transport, food, guiding, crafts and other local services.
But Kruger says these benefits need to be deliberately built into the tourism model through local procurement, employment, skills development and partnerships with surrounding businesses.
“Successful agritourism should not simply bring more visitors to rural areas; it should help retain economic value, knowledge and heritage within those communities,” she says.
A natural fit for family travel
For families, perhaps the biggest appeal is that agritourism turns learning into something children can experience rather than simply be told about.
A visit to a farm can allow children to see crops growing, pick fruit, meet animals and understand how food moves from farm to table.
“Instead of simply telling a child where food comes from, a farm visit allows them to see crops growing, pick fruit, encounter animals, meet the people involved in production and perhaps taste or purchase the final product,” Kruger says.
The experiences can also appeal to different generations. Children can enjoy animals, outdoor activities and picking experiences, while parents and grandparents can explore local food, farm shops and the surrounding landscape.
The educational element does not have to feel like a lesson. Children can learn about soil, water, seasons, harvesting and food production simply by taking part.
Kruger describes this combination of education and entertainment as particularly valuable, with sensory experiences, social interaction and opportunities to try something new helping to create memorable visits.
Five family-friendly farm experiences to try
Across South Africa, farms are offering increasingly diverse experiences for families.
At San Gabriel Homestead, children can meet animals including goats, sheep, ducks, chickens and miniature donkeys, while activities such as collecting eggs, milking a goat and walking sheep offer a hands-on introduction to farm life.
At The Cradle Berry Farm in Muldersdrift, strawberry picking provides the centrepiece of a family day outdoors. Children can also enjoy play areas, tractor rides and farm animals, while families can bring a picnic or purchase food on site. The berry-picking season typically runs from September to December.
On the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, Mac Banana combines agriculture with a wide range of family activities. Visitors can meet farm animals, explore a butterfly dome and enjoy pony rides, adventure golf and play areas, while older children can take on more adventurous activities.
For families visiting Oudtshoorn, Cango Ostrich Farm offers an educational encounter with one of the world’s most distinctive birds. Children can feed ostriches, see baby animals and learn about ostrich farming through guided tours.
Meanwhile, Marrakesh Cheese Farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands offers families an introduction to artisanal cheesemaking, with tastings and an opportunity to learn how different cheeses are produced.
Making memories, one farm at a time
The appeal of agritourism may ultimately be its simplicity. Families do not necessarily need an elaborate itinerary to have a meaningful day out. A basket of freshly picked berries, a child meeting a farm animal for the first time or learning how cheese is made can become the memory that lasts long after the trip.
For South Africa’s farmers and rural communities, those experiences could also become an increasingly important part of the country’s tourism story.
As Kruger puts it: “A berry bought in a supermarket is simply a product; picking that berry on a farm introduces the visitor to the plant, the season, the landscape and the people and work involved in producing it.”
Agritourism, then, is not simply about visiting a farm. It is about connecting families, food, farming and place, while discovering a different side of South Africa along the way.
zamandosi.cele@nationalmg..co.za