The small South African wine-making village which was voted one of the best towns to live in South Africa

The quiet town of Bonnievale is over 100 years old and is known for its cheese and wine production.

It is home to the well-known Weltevrede Wine Estate and to Lactalis South Africa, the largest cheese manufacturing facility in Africa.

In 2023, Bonnievale was voted as a Western Cape finalist in the popular kykNET Kwêla Town of the Year competition.

Bonnievale lies in the Breede River Valley in the Western Cape, surrounded by the Langeberg and Riviersonderend Mountains.

It is situated about 64 kilometres from Worcester, and falls under the Langeberg Local Municipality.

In 1900, a Scotsman named Christopher Forrest Rigg settled in the region with his family.

Rigg’s family immigrated to South Africa in 1861 when he was an infant, settling in Barberton.

He became a skilled dynamite blaster in the Transvaal gold mines, which proved a critical skill in his later settlement in Bonnievale.

Rigg purchased the uninhabited land in 1900 when he recognised the valley’s agricultural potential, and it was originally known as Vale Station, a nearby railway siding.

He blasted a 35-kilometre-long irrigation canal system to divert water from the Breede River to his new settlement.

At the time, this was a significant hydraulic project, especially given the extremely challenging terrain.

The result of this project was massive – turning the mineral-rich soil into fertile land that Rigg subdivided into viable five-acre irrigation plots.

This laid the groundwork for much of the town’s development, allowing Rigg to sell plots to settlers.

In 1911, Rigg’s seven-year-old daughter, Mary Myrtle Rigg, contracted meningitis, and before she passed away, she requested that her father build a small church in her memory.

Rigg did exactly that, building a beautiful Norman-style church that still stands today and is thought to be the only religious structure commissioned by a dying child.

The church is characterised by its marble floors imported from Italy and stained glass windows imported from England.

The area also received a boost in 1914 when World War I broke out, as the war led to the collapse of the feather trade.

Ruined farmers from nearby towns like Oudtshoorn relocated to Rigg’s newly irrigated land in search of new beginnings, resulting in significant growth for the area.

In 1917, the town was officially named Bonnievale by Rigg, which is derived from the Scottish phrase for “Beautiful Valley”.

Bonnievale ultimately achieved independent municipal status in 1953. Its population was 10,893 individuals in 2022.

Cheese, wine, and tourism

Today, Bonnievale’s economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture – specifically cheese and wine production – and Rigg’s 126-year-old irrigation system remains a key water supply for the town.

It is home to the largest cheese manufacturing facility on the African continent – the multinational dairy conglomerate Lactalis South Africa.

The factory produces around 30,000 tonnes of cheese each year, and just celebrated its 100-year birthday.

Its story began in 1926, when the Boesmans River Co-Operative Cheese Factory was founded by a few local dairy farmers who wanted to add value to the milk they produced rather than just sell it as a raw product.

Originally known for its Gouda cheese, the operation expanded in the 1970s to produce Cheddar cheese and established a whey powder plant.

In 1998, the Italian dairy group Parmalat acquired the operations (then known as Cape Dairy Co-operative and Towerkop Dairy Co-operative).

Parmalat invested significantly and expanded its operations until 2011, when the French dairy group Lactalis acquired a majority stake in Parmalat.

Lactalis ultimately took full control of Parmalat in 2019, and that same year, the operation became the largest cheese manufacturing plant in Africa.

The operation’s name was changed to Lactalis South Africa in 2020.

It manufactures products associated with several well-known dairy brands, including Parmalat, Bonnita, Président, Galbani, Melrose, Pride, Aylesbury, and the iconic Steri Stumpie.

The factory is also the largest employer in Bonnievale, employing around 800 people and contributing significantly to the town’s development.

Another commercial icon of Bonnievale is the Weltevrede Wine Estate, established in 1912 by Klaas Jonker. It is one of many wine farms in the area.

The soil that initially attracted Rigg to the area proved to be exceptional for wine production – specifically Chardonnay.

It is unusually rich in limestone, making the soil revered in global wine production as it mirrors the composition of the world’s greatest Chardonnay regions.

The Weltevrede Wine Estate has produced critically acclaimed wines that have been served internationally.

The farm itself is also a popular tourist attraction – an industry that has boomed in Bonnievale.

Many country towns across the Western Cape have experienced a surge in property demand, as South Africans seek quieter lifestyles outside of major metros.

Seeff Country and Karoo sales manager Jaco Badenhorst said in 2025 that the company had observed a significant surge in property transactions in sought-after country towns, one of which was Bonnievale.

Another lesser-known industry in the Bonnievale area is aquatic weed control.

A small facility known as De Rust breeds and sells certified sterile Chinese grass carp, which are an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical weed control.

The fish is highly invasive and illegal to keep without special permits, which is why De Rust sells certified sterile individuals.

Typical clients include golf and lifestyle estates, farms, pond owners, and municipalities that want to clean up waterways from certain invasive plant species.

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Photos of Bonnievale

Lactalis factory

Weltevrede Wine Estate

De Rust, Grass carp

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