Move over, apples and naartjies: it’s blueberry season!
Blueberry season typically runs from September to mid-February in South Africa. As such, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to stock up on the freshest, juiciest berries, which, if you’re on a health kick, are loaded with antioxidants and are low in calories.
As luck would have it, there are farms in Mzansi where you can pick blueberries to your heart’s content.
FIND BLISS AT THESE BLUEBERRY FARMS
Here are a few blueberry farms you can visit in South Africa:
1. BLUEBERRY BAR, WESTERN CAPE
Blueberry Bar consists of three main farms: Sonop, Simonsberg and Greendale. The trio is situated at Klapmuts Simondium Road, located on the foothills of the Simonsberg mountain in Paarl.
Picking season just opened on Saturday, 4 October 2025, which means you’ll be able to pick the choicest blueberries off the bush right now. It costs R85 per bucket for adults and R75 per bucket for children under 12.
You can also buy some tasty, blueberry-infused treats from their onsite kiosk, including jams, smoothies, sorbets and rusks.
2. BLUEBERRY HEIGHTS, LIMPOPO
Located in Magoebaskloof, Blueberry Heights is all about growing and harvesting blueberries at the highest organic standards. These fruits were first cultivated on the farm in 1995, and they’re still going strong.
Picking season typically takes place from December to February. It costs R60 per picking punnet for adults and R40 per picking punnet for children (these punnets can also be taken home).
If you’re feeling peckish after picking, drop by the Blueberry Farm Café. Here, you can enjoy sumptuous starters, mouth-watering mains and decadent desserts – blueberry pie, anyone?
3. BON-AF BERRY FARM, FREE STATE
Bon-Af Berry Farm is situated in Parys in the northern part of the Free State. This means picking season here typically runs from November to January, or sometimes as far as April.
If you’re looking to pluck blueberries – as well as blackberries, elderberries and blackcurrants, among others – straight from the source, it will cost you R50 to enter the orchard for 40 minutes. You will be provided with a container at the entrance.
While in the orchard, you can pick – and nosh on! – as many berries as you want. Then, you can have them weighed (it costs R160 per kilogram). Once you’re done, you can put your feet up in Bon-Af’s tea garden and indulge in some scones and homemade berry ice cream.
HAVE YOURSELF A ‘BERRY’ SWEET TIME
Picking at blueberry farms is a wholesome, fun activity that you can enjoy solo or with your friends and family.
Plus, it’ll give you the chance to connect with nature, help you think up different recipes, get ready for summer and, of course, feast on the best blueberries that South Africa has to offer.
Happy picking, folks!
