The Van der Merwe family have been running Boplaas, a farm in the Western Cape, for over 280 years – making it the oldest family-run business in South Africa.
Payroll Prices noted that, despite the steep economic curve in the first months of business, around 82% of new firms survive past their 12-month anniversary.
However, by their tenth year, only around 35% of new businesses are still active, with the main reasons for closure being low sales, retirement and the sale of the business.
Even so, a select few businesses have bucked this trend and survived for hundreds or even over a thousand years.
To that end, Payroll Prices conducted manual research to identify the oldest family business still operating in each country worldwide.
They manually reviewed news reports on old businesses in each nation’s native language. It considers only companies that are currently operating and whose founding family still retains, or has regained, majority ownership.
Payroll Prices revealed that the oldest existing family business company in the world is Hōshi Ryokan, a hotel and spa in Japan, founded in 718 AD.
The oldest existing business in the United States is Avedis Zildjian, a drum equipment company established in Constantinople in 1623 and relocated to the United States in 1929.
Europe’s oldest family-owned business is Italy’s Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli, founded in 1000 AD. It is the oldest foundry specialising in the art of making bells.
The United Kingdom’s oldest business is RJ Balson & Son, a butcher shop that opened in 1515 during the reign of King Henry VIII.
South Africa’s oldest family business is Boplaas 1743 Estate, a farm company based near the town of Ceres, in the Western Cape. This is also the oldest family-run business in Africa.
Boplaas now holds diverse agricultural interests across the country and grows apples and pears, stone fruit, citrus, and cannabis.
Boplaas – South Africa’s oldest business
The original farm was established by Izaak van der Merwe in 1743 and remains home to 10th- and 11th-generation Van der Merwes.
The farm Boplaas – originally referred to as Modderasvallei – was granted to Izaak Wilhelmus van der Merwe in 1743 as a livestock grazing farm.
The ownership of the farm has remained within the Van der Merwe family ever since, with descendants transitioning from livestock farming to wheat cultivation and, more recently, to the production of apples and pears.
They were also the first in South Africa to establish a cutting-edge cannabis production facility for the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.
The farm holds a significant family, cultural and national history. The homestead and main dwelling were built in 1780 in the Cape vernacular style, along with the other historic buildings on the farm.
All of these received national monument status in 1973. This was later updated to provincial heritage site status. Today, Boplaas boasts the only remaining traditional farmyard in South Africa.
The farmhouse itself hosts a rich and diverse collection of antique household items, décor elements and furniture used over the centuries.
The furniture, mostly handcrafted, incorporates 21 different wood species, including yellow, cedar, and stinkwood.
Starting in 1982, Fanie van der Merwe took over as the farm’s managing director, a position he held for nearly 40 years.
Despite being a 9th-generation Boplaas, he had to work his way up. “For me, entering the business at the bottom of the ladder and in a very hands-on capacity proved quite impactful,” he told Tharawat Magazine.
“I believe that’s the right way to join a business – experiencing the day-to-day at all levels and engaging in the work on a personal level.”
During his time heading the business, he made several notable changes, particularly to make the farm more sustainable.
For example, in 1997, Fanie transitioned from micro-irrigation to self-compensating drip irrigation. As a result, water usage for the same 150 ha decreased from 9,000 cubic litres to only 6,000.
A family affair
Although Van der Merwe never put pressure on his children to take over the business, Schalk, the youngest, showed interest from a young age. Today, Schalk is the farm’s tenth-generation custodian.
Initially, his brothers pursued other interests. Carl, the oldest, wanted to sell cars. He studied marketing, worked his way up through second-hand car dealerships, and eventually landed a position at a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
However, when a loan clerk resigned at Boplaas, Fanie found his way back to the family business.
“I posted an advertisement, and amongst the hoards of applications, I found one from a Carl van der Merwe,” he said. “I said to Hannelie, my wife, ‘This is our son.’ We called him to make sure.”
Despite the fact that he was making more money at the dealership, Carl insisted that he wanted a position at Boplaas and that he wanted to work his way up just like everyone else.
Similarly, Fanie’s other son, Daniel, also worked as a commercial pilot but returned to farming via a junior production post when the family bought an additional farm in Ceres.
The brothers, along with the second youngest, Frans, all worked their way up in the business, which only continues to grow.
Daily Investor
