South Africa’s wine industry enters the 2026 harvest season with renewed confidence, as the first official crop estimate from private and producer-cellar growers points to another stable and promising year. For the second consecutive season, producers have been spared major weather disruptions such as flooding and frost, allowing vineyards to maintain the positive trajectory established in 2025.
The initial forecast suggests a slightly bigger harvest than the previous year. Notably, this improvement comes despite the ongoing shrinkage and ageing of the national vineyard surface area, now at 86 544 hectares. The trend reinforces a long-term structural shift: the removal of unproductive…
Cradle of Humankind: This UNESCO World Heritage Site is known for its rich fossil
beds and is considered one of the world’s most important archaeological sites.

Sw33Per
Israel: You have two cows. You expand their farmland every year.
RedMouth
Interview with a pirate:
There was a pirate who had agreed to do an interview with a local tv station. The reporter was very courteous and professional, giving a bit of background as to the pirate\’s business. She then began interviewing him.
\”So Mr. Longbeard, are there any risks to your business? I see you have a peg leg- how did that come about?\”
\”Well, y\’see I were sailing along the coast of South Africa, looking to plunder some locals when as I boarded the small boat from the ship, a great white shark came up and got my leg clean off. \’twas scary yes, but thus is the life of a pirate.\”
\”Wow, that is pretty scary- well, how about your hook? What happened to your hand with that?\”
\”Oh now that\’s quite the tale, y\’see I were fighting a rival pirate, and we had locked swords. We had been fighting for a few hours, and were both terribly fatigued. I had a bit of exhaustion and confusion, and when I went to block one of his sword blows, I met him with me hand instead of me sword. Took it right off, but it shocked him so much I managed to get him back pretty good and have him submit. So the hook hand was given as a replacement.\”
\”Wow. Simply fascinating. Now, what about your eye patch? How did that happen?\”
\”Well, one day, a seagull was flying overhead, and I looked up. It pooped right in me eye.\”
\”… Well wow. I must admit, I wouldn\’t think just seagull poop could damage the eye that badly.\”
\”Oh, I forgot to mention… it were me first day with the hook.\”