Vetplantfees Saturday Night Dinner

This is a “must attend” event during the Calitzdorp Succulent Festival. You will have the chance to meet and mix with succulent experts from all over South Africa, enjoy a wonderful dinner prepared and served by the ladies of the Calitzdorp NG Church.

Dinner will be prepared and served by the ladies of the NG Church in Calitzdorp. This dinner is annually regarded as one of the finest served all year in Calitzdorp. Complete Menus are noted by the ticket type. Meat Course or Vegetarian Course. Cost per person R350.

The featured speaker at this year's dinner will be Jaap Viljoen, one of South Africa's leading experts on Aloes.

After completion of Military training, completed a BSc, BSc Hons and a MSc degree at the Potchefstroom University.

He started his formal career as Geologist, Engineering geologist, Soil scientist and ended as Environmental scientist in the mining industry.

He and his family relocated from Johannesburg to Swellendam in 2004 and put up Rooiklip nursery, growing aloes, cycads, succulents and clivias, mostly wholesale. Sole grower and suppliers of Sunbird aloes in the Western cape.

He retired from the nursery 2019 and started as Field and Nature guide with an interest in Namaqualand and the Richtersveld and continues to spread educational wonders about succulent plants.

His talk will be:

Aloes, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

In planning a talk and presentation on aloes, I was flooded with aloe information in a chaotic manner. As the chaos slowly cleared, I realized that I had the privilege to living through various Aloe cycles or eras, of which some have been very passionate for me and instilled a love for aloes for a period more than 65 years.

This presentation tries to give a short overview of these Aloe cycles and what can be expected what the future holds for Aloe lovers, collectors and observers.