More than 30 years later, Vivian Jakobs still remembers the conversation he had with his late father, Abraham, on a Saturday afternoon in the living room of their two-bedroom house.

The house’s rooms were tiny, too small for six people. The kitchen had a shelf or two and the toilet was a distance away outside in the yard. But for Vivian, his two sisters, parents and grandmother, this farmworker’s house in the Warm Bokkeveld was their home.

Abraham, a contract worker on farms, told his son about his own father who also moved from farm to farm looking for piecework. He became so skilled at his work that a farmer trusted him with a small, red Massey Ferguson 135 tractor to work the fields. Years later, when Abraham got a permanent job, a farmer also gave him a Massey Ferguson 135 to work with, but this was a 4×4.

“You’ve heard what your grandpa and I drove. What are your plans? What are you going to drive one day?” Vivian’s father asked him.

No, the young Vivian replied. He would rather watch how others drive – that way, he would learn from everyone.

When he thinks back to that conversation, Vivian knows it is his eagerness to learn from others that brought him to this point – to the title of Western Cape Agricultural of the Year for 2023.

African Farming spoke with Vivian several weeks after he returned from a European study tour for the winner of this prestigious competition. It was the first time he had flown, and he described the experience as “incredible” and “any man’s dream”.

As a child, Vivian never thought that one day he would fly beyond South Africa’s borders. At school in Ceres, he felt his classmates looked down on him because he was a farmworker’s child. “But I was determined to take everything my father and grandfather taught me further and build on it,” he says.

He also moved from farm to farm as a seasonal worker, eager to learn more, and slowly worked his way up.

For the past eight years, Vivian has been the production manager at Crispy Farms in the Witzenberg district near Ceres, part of the Dutoit Agri group. The group has also awarded him shares in the business.

When Vivian outlines his journey, it becomes clear why he was named Agricultural Worker of the Year.

Dreams for a better life

After school, Vivian first joined the military base in Eerste River, outside Cape Town, for two years, after which he worked at a security company.

“Those years were very difficult for me. It was hard for me as a farm child to adapt to the city and its traffic. I longed every day to return to the farm.”

After a few years, he returned to Warm Bokkeveld and became a seasonal worker. Later, he was appointed as a permanent worker on the table grape farm Swaarmoed. “In those years I earned R33 a day. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to put food on the table.”

After four months, Vivian told Jacques Visser, then the farm manager of Swaarmoed, that he wanted to work his way up. Jacques gave him the opportunity to work in the packing house with eight seasonal workers under his supervision.

“It was the first time I had people working under me. It was difficult for me because it was eight Xhosa women and we struggled to understand each other. They called me ‘Kwedini’, which means ‘young one.’

“But I learned quickly and we worked well together. I believe I did the job well because I was later promoted to packing house manager.”

Mentorship opens doors

Vivian says he wouldn’t be where he is today without Jacques. “I worked under Jacques for eight years, and his mentorship opened doors for me. His wife, Ilze, identified courses at the Koue Bokkeveld Training Centre that I could attend to expand my knowledge and skills. They always supported me.”

When Jacques got another job opportunity, Vivian decided to pursue a career outside agriculture. He worked in the construction industry and trained people in mechanics across the Western Cape in all sectors.

But his heart always yearned to return to agriculture. Three years later, Jacques, then a farm manager at Crispy Farms, contacted him and said he was looking for an assistant production manager. Vivian immediately applied, got the job, and could return to the farm. Within a few months, he was promoted to junior farm manager.

Two years later, he was appointed as production manager at Coshla, which has 68 hectares of apple and pear orchards and is one of Crispy Farms’ properties. He has about 76 full-time workers under his supervision and 200 to 220 people during the season.

He does “a bit of everything” – crop protection, wages, financial management and technical activities. The most enjoyable part for him is managing people and day-to-day tasks. “I get to be among people and trees every day.

“I am very fortunate. My wife, Frances, who was also once a seasonal worker, can now stay at home with our four children, Wilmarie (31), Michael (26), Francquin (19) and Juan (13).

“My parents have passed away but I believe they would be very proud of me. I wish my father could see that I no longer live in a two-bedroom house but now in a beautiful large farmhouse … I am deeply grateful.”

Legacy for children

During the first round of the Agricultural Worker of the Year competition, the judges asked Vivian what he thought his strongest qualities were.

“I mentioned three things: I am a very quiet and introverted person and don’t like talking much. Because of this, I can listen well – that’s a strong point. Secondly, I remember every day where I come from, and my feet are firmly on the ground. Thirdly, I know I have the intellect and knowledge to tackle anything with determination.

“These are all qualities that make a good manager.”

Vivian believes his ability to grasp things quickly and learn with his eyes, as well as the courses he attended, gave him the training to excel in his managerial role.

He says agriculture has changed significantly over the past 20 years, and the industry must accept it as a reality. “I’m not a man for politics, but transformation is very close to my heart. I feel it’s time to move beyond the past. There are wonderful prospects in the industry and so many beautiful things. It’s just a matter of joining hands.”

Vivian believes his ability to remain consistent in everything and never give up has taken him far.

“If it rains or snows or is too hot, I always try to see the bigger picture. The day I lay my head down, I want to leave a legacy for my children. I would like to one day own 51% of a company or a farm of my own. I believe I am exactly where I need to be, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has believed in me from the beginning.

“When I come home and my children are happy, and when I see my cartons of apples displayed on the store shelves, I know all my hard work is worth it.”