Orchard Worker (Pruning and Thinning)

Outdoor work with your hands on a citrus farm near Kathu; no experience needed for most posts. If you turn up on time and finish what you start, you'll fit in quickly.

This post is in Kathu (Northern Cape). Please only apply if you can travel there daily. The first two weeks are spent shadowing someone experienced.

• Fill crates or bins and carry them to the collection point
• Move irrigation pipes and check drippers for blockages
• Clean and store picking bags, ladders and secateurs
• Keep your picking card or tag count for daily pay
• Wash hands and use the field toilets for food safety
• Plant seedlings in rows at the spacing shown
• Follow the re-entry times after spraying, as the signs show

• Careful with fruit, since bruised fruit is rejected
• Willing to start at sunrise
• Follows farm hygiene and safety rules
• Valid ID or work permit

• Pruning experience on vines or fruit trees
• Tractor or quad bike experience

• Seasonal accommodation on some farms
• Piece-rate bonus on top of daily wage
• Chance of a permanent post after good seasons
• Farm transport from nearby towns

• Have your bank details ready. Most farms pay into a bank account and will not start you without it.
• Farms hire before the season starts, so apply four to six weeks early. Late arrivals often find the teams already full.