Seasonal Fruit Picker (Citrus Harvest)

Outdoor work with your hands on a deciduous fruit orchard near Mthatha; no experience needed for most posts. Expect to be trusted with real work from your first week.

This post is in Mthatha (Eastern Cape). Please only apply if you can travel there daily. Shifts rotate, so you'll need to be flexible about days and nights.

• Pick fruit or vegetables at the right ripeness and size, gently
• Fill crates or bins and carry them to the collection point
• Move irrigation pipes and check drippers for blockages
• Prune and thin fruit trees and vines to the farm's method
• Weed beds by hand or with a hoe
• Plant seedlings in rows at the spacing shown
• Wash hands and use the field toilets for food safety

• Careful with fruit, since bruised fruit is rejected
• Valid ID or work permit
• Willing to start at sunrise
• Available for the full harvest season

• Previous harvest or picking experience
• Living on or near the farm

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

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