Berry Picker (Tunnel Farm) – Entry Level

Crops do not wait, and a deciduous fruit orchard near Khayelitsha needs extra hands this season. It suits someone who likes knowing exactly what a good day's work looks like.

This post is Khayelitsha-based, with most of your time spent at a deciduous fruit orchard. Overtime comes up in peak season and is paid.

• Prune and thin fruit trees and vines to the farm's method
• Keep your picking card or tag count for daily pay
• Follow the re-entry times after spraying, as the signs show
• Move irrigation pipes and check drippers for blockages
• Tie up tomato and pepper plants in tunnels
• Weed beds by hand or with a hoe
• Fill crates or bins and carry them to the collection point

• Physically fit for bending, lifting and climbing ladders
• Willing to start at sunrise
• Careful with fruit, since bruised fruit is rejected
• Available for the full harvest season
• Able to work outdoors in heat, cold and rain

• Previous harvest or picking experience
• Living on or near the farm
• Pruning experience on vines or fruit trees

• Seasonal accommodation on some farms
• Chance of a permanent post after good seasons
• Farm transport from nearby towns

• If you have picked before, say which crop and how many seasons. Farms rehire experienced pickers first.
• Farms hire before the season starts, so apply four to six weeks early. Late arrivals often find the teams already full.