2024 has been a truly remarkable year for the Lucentlands Team. We have achieved significant milestones, gained invaluable insights, and experienced unforgettable adventures with new clients, colleagues, and friends.
Recognition for excellence
This year, we were honoured to receive three prestigious awards. Dewald’s photographic talent was recognised with both the BKB Agricultural Photographer of the Year and Photo of the Year awards. Additionally, Louise and Dewald together earned the FNB Media Communicator of the Year Award in the Digital Category for the Lucentlands Podcast. We are deeply grateful for this recognition and encouragement.
Our video production services have flourished, with our incredibly talented video editor and secret weapon
Eben Groenewald
providing the editing magic. In 2024 we officially expanded the Lucentlands Team to include the dynamic
Raelene Van der Merwe
, a talented photographer who has been making a significant impact on our social media presence, both for Lucentlands and our clients. Watch this space!
Launching the Lucentlands Stock Site
A long-held dream became reality this year with the creation of our online stock image site. Recognising the need for high-quality, locally produced stock images of the Southern African agricultural sector, we launched the Lucentlands Image Stock Site in mid-2024. As our photographic library expands, so too will the offerings on this platform.
Growing the Lucentlands Podcast
Since its start in 2022, the Lucentlands Podcast has truly been our passion project. Receiving award recognition in November 2024 was an incredibly rewarding milestone. We have ambitious plans to further grow the podcast in 2025 and beyond.
Some of the year’s most memorable events include:
We are immensely grateful to all our clients for their support and trust. We do not have a business without you, so thank you to each of you. ?
Below is a summary of some memorable projects from 2024:
-
EXSA Pty Ltd
Exports: In January 2024 we produced a series of videos for EXSA, highlighting the Namibian and South African table grape production along the Orange River. It was an incredible experience to travel to those regions and film productions. This collaboration continues with exciting new projects in the Western Cape.
-
Grapa Varieties
: Our work with this international table grape breeding company began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has evolved into producing innovative videos that showcase all their global production regions. In 2024, we pulled out the stops and produced one showcasing ALL their international production regions. It’s always a pleasure to work with Grapa, and our thoughts remain with them during this challenging time for their country.
-
Horticultural Development Council
, Zimbabwe: In May, Dewald travelled to Zimbabwe twice to assist the HDC with achieving market access to China for Zimbabwean avocados. This was an incredible experience and followed on from Lucentlands assisting HDC with the same process for citrus during COVID-19.
- South African Table Grape Industry (
SATI
): Since our first production in 2019, we’ve partnered with SATI on various projects. In 2024, we continued producing videos and photography that celebrate the vibrancy of the South African table grape industry.
-
Agrico
: During 2024, we travelled to various parts of South Africa to photograph and film Agrico’s remarkable contributions to the agricultural sector. It is always exciting to see our familiar photographs featured in the branding on Agrico’s transport trucks when we pass them on the road.
-
Citrus Research International
(CRI): 2024 saw us continuing to create instructional videos for CRI. Additionally, in 2024, we also created a series of podcasts and associated social media content for CRI. The undisputed highlight of the year was attending the CRI symposium in the Drakensberg Mountains in August. At the symposium, we recorded several podcasts with international guest speakers. It was an unforgettable experience to meet these people who are international leaders in their fields and to learn about what they do.
-
Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa
(CGA): In mid-2024, we provided a livestream service for CGACC, the industry’s cultivar company, during which we learned about the health benefits and growth potential of the Pink Orange category.? Right now, in late December, we are adding the final touches to two exciting video productions filmed in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga and produced on behalf of Citrus Growers’ Association about their black economic empowerment activities.
-
Western Cape Dept Agriculture
: This Government Department is doing great things for the Agricultural Sector in the province. We have covered and produced several videos for them on World Food Day during the past few years, including World Food Day in October, held in Uniondale this year. During July, we accepted a contract with them to produce 5 five-minute video productions filmed throughout the province in 7 days! Thanks to a solid team that stood their ground come hell or high water, we succeeded in this mission during the week of the torrential floods that hit the province!
-
NatCarbon Africa
: This remarkable company works in the regenerative agricultural space and is replanting thousands of hectares in the Great Karoo with indigenous Spekboom (Portulacaria afra), one 15mm plant at a time. This massive project is being implemented by a remarkable team of people, and it has been an inspiring and unforgettable experience to see this process in action.
- Harvesting a Valley of Resilience: As if we weren't busy enough this year, we also managed to produce a 40-minute documentary during the year! This was produced by Lucentlands jointly for South Africa’s DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the
University of the Western Cape
,
CIRAD
- the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development and Vrije University, Amsterdam. This production explores how the population of the Breede River Valley is facing the challenges of food security and climate change. As this is where we live, this has provided us with a sobering outside perspective of our community. Completing this ambitious project has also provided valuable insights into documentary production. It has truly been a pleasure working with the DSI-NRF
Centre of Excellence
in Food Security and CIRAD researchers. This production is called Harvesting a Valley of Resilience: Challenges and Solutions from the Western Cape and will premiere in January 2025.
We are excited about what 2025 will bring and remain grateful to our clients and friends of Lucentlads for their ongoing support and encouragement! Here’s wishing you all a spectacular 2025!
