Our past and present
Our story began in 1965 when Johan Carl Jacobus Stephan planted the first potatoes at our Compagniesdrift farm. Today, we remain a family-run business, with the fourth generation of the Stephan family having joined the team in 2020.
We are extremely proud of our achievements – having grown from producing 25 tons of potatoes in 1965 to more than 25 000 tons in 2021. Our team has also grown in size. We employ 130 permanent team members, many of whom have been with us for over 15 years and truly have become part of the Stephan & Seun family.
Our farms are located along South Africa’s West Coast, within the Sandveld region. The region is known for its sandy soils that extends from Hopefield in the south to Vredendal in the north. Our potatoes are available all year round, which is made possible by the strategic locations of our farms.
Our past and present
Our story began in 1965 when Johan Carl Jacobus Stephan planted the first potatoes at our Compagniesdrift farm. Today, we remain a family-run business, with the fourth generation of the Stephan family having joined the team in 2020.
We are extremely proud of our achievements – having grown from producing 25 tons of potatoes in 1965 to more than 25 000 tons in 2021. Our team has also grown in size. We employ 130 permanent team members, many of whom have been with us for over 15 years and truly have become part of the Stephan & Seun family.
Our farms are located along South Africa’s West Coast, within the Sandveld region. The region is known for its sandy soils that extends from Hopefield in the south to Vredendal in the north. Our potatoes are available all year round, which is made possible by the strategic locations of our farms.
Our future
We have been able to improve our quality and yield by continuously adopting advanced practices and technologies. Amongst others, irrigation automation, soil moisture detection and data-driven irrigation scheduling help us to better manage our water resources and improve water-use efficiency. Remote sensing measurements such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), allow us to monitor plant growth and provide insight into problematic zones in our fields. Data collected on diseases and pests such as the potato tuber moth are stored, shared and visualized through web applications.
Our potato varieties are scientifically selected for optimal performance in our specific climate and soil conditions. Ideal varieties substantially improve the efficiency of production by requiring less water or being more resistant to disease.
There is no shortage of innovation in agricultural technology and new and novel approaches evolve almost daily. Therefore, adopting the appropriate technologies will largely determine success in the future.
Striving towards a sustainable future
We acknowledge the global climate crisis and are committed to doing our part to achieve a sustainable future. This will only be possible through partnerships with the right companies to guide our decision-making. A vision shared by our suppliers and business partners will also be essential to achieve this sustainable future.
Our partners
Our commitment to producing healthy and delicious potatoes is only possible through the involvement of like-minded partners in business. We’ve embraced this principle since the very beginning and built lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.
