Camissa Farm

Camissa Farm, which means “place of sweet water” in Khoi, is located in the Banhoek valley between Stellies and Franschhoek. It is high in the mountains, up in the clouds, with a stunning view into the valley itself and across the valley floor to the Simonsberg.Despite feeling as if we are far from anywhere, we are actually only eight minutes from Stellies. At Camissa, we farm on a small scale, and you may notice that our orchards are mixed. Olives, almonds, lemons, rosemary, garlic, rose-geranium, avos, walnuts, macadamia, and asparagus live happily together. This is t

Camissa Farm, which means “place of sweet water” in Khoi, is located in the Banhoek valley between Stellies and Franschhoek. It is high in the mountains, up in the clouds, with a stunning view into the valley itself and across the valley floor to the Simonsberg.

Despite feeling as if we are far from anywhere, we are actually only eight minutes from Stellies.

At Camissa, we farm on a small scale, and you may notice that our orchards are mixed. Olives, almonds, lemons, rosemary, garlic, rose-geranium, avos, walnuts, macadamia, and asparagus live happily together. This is to promote diversity and confuse the pests, thereby reducing our need to spray. We have a growing herd of grass-fed Dexter cows that mow the oats between the vineyard rows.

The plan is to leave a large portion of the farm to return to natural parkland, and there are exciting mountain bike and hiking trails around the farm that link into the Banhoek Conservancy network.

As well as a three-bedroom cottage overlooking 2 small dams, which we rent out, we have our “Bed in the Shed”, an upstairs/downstairs bedroom and living area with the best view on the farm. This is available for ones and twos who don’t mind an early start on weekdays! Weekends are peaceful, like everywhere else on the farm.

You will find all the usual suspects prowling around after dark: leopard, porcupine, buck, mongoose….I am particularly fond of the agama lizards, which are always to be found in couples during the day, sunbathing on the huge rocks that stud the hillsides. There is a nesting pair of jackal buzzards which circle constantly and keep the rodents largely under control, and at night, you will hear nightjars calling and clicking, stream frogs chirruping by the dam. If you are unlucky, you may be disturbed by a raucous toad party. When that happens, I try to feel grateful that the toads are the most raucous creatures in my neighbourhood.