There is a particular kind of excitement that comes with the first signs of spring. The days stretch a little longer, the mornings lose their bite and, across South Africa’s farming regions, orchards and berry fields begin preparing for another season of abundance.
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For travellers, this is also the beginning of one of the simplest ways to experience the countryside: picking fruit straight from the plant or tree.
From strawberries in the Stellenbosch Winelands to cherries in the Eastern Free State and berries beneath the Langeberg Mountains, fruit-picking turns a day in the country into something more hands-on. You are not simply stopping at a farm stall to buy the produce. You are walking between rows, choosing the ripest fruit yourself and, in some cases, taking home exactly what you have picked.
The seasons vary from farm to farm, so spring is not a single starting gun. Instead, the harvest moves gradually through the country, with strawberries appearing first and cherries and berries following towards late spring and early summer. Here are some of the places worth putting on the calendar.
Polkadraai Farm, Stellenbosch
If you are looking for an easy introduction to fruit picking, Polkadraai Farm is one of the most accessible options from Cape Town. The farm is roughly 30 minutes from the city and sits along the Stellenbosch wine-country landscape, making it particularly suited to a leisurely day trip.
The star of the show is the strawberry. Polkadraai grows a number of varieties, including Honor, Splendor, Commitment, Albion, Festival, Candonga and Viva Patricia, with the farm selecting varieties for their flavour and quality. The strawberry season generally runs from September to January.
The farm has also turned picking into a broader family outing, with tractor rides, mini golf, pony rides, a playground and other activities available alongside the fields. For 2026, the farm says its strawberry operation and related activities will reopen in mid-September.
A little history
Polkadraai’s story is closely tied to the region’s agricultural landscape, but what makes the farm particularly interesting today is the way it has combined commercial strawberry growing with a visitor experience. Its approach to cultivation also reflects the realities of farming in the Western Cape, where water conservation is essential. The farm uses drip irrigation, plastic mulch and rainwater collection to reduce water use.
Best time to visit
September to January, with the 2026 picking season expected to reopen in mid-September.
Tip
Go early, especially on a warm weekend, and make a morning of it rather than arriving only for the strawberries. Pick your fruit first, then settle in for some of the other farm activities. And bring a container only if the farm allows it for the current season; otherwise, use the picking containers supplied on arrival.
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Klondyke Cherry Farm, Koue Bokkeveld
Come November, the focus shifts from berries to cherries. About 30km beyond Ceres in the Koue Bokkeveld, Klondyke Cherry Farm offers one of South Africa’s more established pick-your-own cherry experiences. The working fruit farm sits at about 1,260m above sea level, giving it cooler summers and the cold winters cherries require.
The farm grows cherries alongside apples and pears, but it is the cherry harvest that draws visitors. During the picking season, guests receive a container and head into the orchards to fill it with cherries before having their fruit weighed at the farmstall. The farm also has picnic areas beneath the trees and designated braai areas.
A little history
Klondyke’s cherry story dates back to the late 1960s. The farm was bought in 1967 and cherry trees were brought from Ficksburg and planted the following year. In 1973, the farm opened its pick-your-own cherry season to the public. Visitors originally picked their fruit and weighed it in the manager’s garage. That makes the experience more than a seasonal novelty. Pick-your-own has been part of Klondyke’s identity for more than 50 years.
Best time to visit
The 2026 cherry season is expected from the last week of November until the end of December, weather dependent. The farm is open daily during the season.
Tip
Don’t rush in, fill your container and leave. The setting is part of the experience. Pack a picnic, allow time to wander through the orchards and take a jacket or windbreaker because the farm can be windy even during summer.
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Ionia Cherry Farm, Eastern Free State
If cherries are your reason for travelling, the Eastern Free State deserves a place on the itinerary. Ionia Cherry Farm lies in the cherry-growing country around Fouriesburg and offers a more structured orchard experience, with guided cherry-picking tours taking visitors through the farm by red wagon and tractor.
The tour includes an introduction to the farm and its cherry cultivars, time walking through the orchards, opportunities to pick and taste the fruit, and a 250g punnet to take home. Ionia currently grows 19 red and two yellow cherry cultivars.
A little history
Cherry farming has deep roots in this part of the country. Ficksburg was established in 1867, and the town’s association with cherries eventually became so strong that its annual Cherry Festival, launched in 1967, is recognised as South Africa’s longest-running festival.
Ionia forms part of that wider cherry-growing landscape, with the farm describing itself as being at the heart of the region’s cherry country. Its cherry-picking tours have become a seasonal attraction in their own right.
Best time to visit
The cherry-picking tours run from the end of October through November, with November being the key harvest period. For 2026, the Ionia Cherry Crop Celebration is scheduled for 12 to 14 November.
Tip
Book ahead. The cherry tours require advance booking, and the farm recommends arriving 15 minutes before the tour. Wear sun protection and comfortable shoes, and take a camera. This is as much an orchard experience as it is a fruit-picking trip.
Wildebraam Berry Estate, Swellendam
In the Hermitage Valley outside Swellendam, the fruit changes again. Wildebraam Berry Estate is surrounded by the Langeberg Mountains and specialises in youngberries and blackberries, with its short picking season becoming a highlight of the area’s early-summer calendar.
The estate was established by Natalie and Martyn Turck in 1996 and has grown from the ground up into a working berry farm with accommodation, a tasting room and a range of farm-made products. During the picking season, visitors can collect their own berries, then head back to the cellar where the fruit is weighed. The farm also offers liqueur tastings and sells products made from its harvest, including jams, preserves and liqueurs.
Best time to visit
Berry picking runs for a short window, generally from mid-November until the end of December. The farm describes the harvest as lasting only about six weeks, making timing important.
Tip
Arrive early. Wildebraam specifically recommends visiting in the morning, when the berries are firmer and temperatures are cooler. Wear sunscreen and a hat, then leave time for a tasting in the cellar afterwards. If you want to turn the outing into a weekend, the estate also has self-catering accommodation overlooking the valley.
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Follow the fruit, not the calendar
The beauty of a fruit-picking trip is that there is no single weekend when everything happens at once. South Africa’s harvest moves with the seasons, from the first strawberries of spring to cherries and berries as the weather warms. It is also a reminder that some of the country’s best travel experiences are not necessarily the ones that require a packed itinerary. Sometimes it is a morning spent walking through an orchard, a basket slowly filling in your hands, or the taste of a strawberry picked only minutes before.
If you are planning a spring or early-summer road trip, follow the harvest. Pick a region, check the farm’s current season dates before leaving and give yourself enough time to enjoy the countryside beyond the fruit. Because when you have picked it yourself, somehow, the fruit tastes a little sweeter.
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