The 2026 SA Olive Awards take place on the 15th of September 2026 at the Grande Roche in Paarl, where South Africa’s leading olive oil producers, industry stakeholders and olive oil enthusiasts come together to celebrate the country’s finest Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOOs).

With judging now complete, the scores have been recorded, and the results remain firmly under wraps. From 17th to 21st of August, all entered EVOOs were assessed by a panel of leading local and international olive oil experts, whose combined and extensive experience in olive oil tasting, production and technical analysis makes this a highly acclaimed EVOO competition.

Judging an EVOO competition goes far beyond simply identifying which oils taste good. The expert panel evaluates the sensory character of each entry, considering its positive attributes, balance, complexity and any characteristics that could affect its classification.

Wendy Petersen, CEO of SA Olive, says: “There is always a wonderful sense of anticipation around the SA Olive Awards. Our producers put enormous care into every stage of production, and our expert judging panel plays an important role in ensuring that the highest standards are upheld. We are proud to attract such experienced local and international judges, who provide a valuable global perspective and help us demonstrate that South African EVOOs can compete confidently on the world stage. We look forward to celebrating our producers and their achievements.”

The 2026 judging panel was led by internationally recognised olive oil experts Marcelo Scofano from Brazil and Dr Müge Nebioğlu from Türkiye, who were joined by a highly experienced South African judging team.

International Judge, Marcelo Scofano says: “Participating as a panel leader at the SA Olive Awards has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as an international taster. Not only because of the wonderful organisation, but also because of the exceptional quality of the South African EVOOs. The standard of the oils are impressive, and they can certainly compete with the best EVOOs in the world. It was a privilege to be part of the judging panel and to experience the quality South African producers are achieving.”

Meet the South African judging panel

Reni Hildenbrand

One of South Africa’s most experienced olive oil judges, Reni Hildenbrand, has been closely involved with the SA Olive Industry Association since 1992. A producer herself, Reni holds advanced tasting and panel leader qualifications from Italy’s O.N.A.O.O. institute. She has judged every SA Olive Awards and ABSA Top 10 competition since their inception, as well as numerous international competitions in Italy, Japan, Türkiye, Peru, New Zealand and Tunisia.
Gerrie Duvenage

Widely regarded as a pioneer of olive oil tasting in South Africa, Gerrie Duvenage helped facilitate the country’s first tasting courses in 2000 alongside renowned expert Dr Luciano Scarselli. He subsequently completed taster and panel leader training at ONAOO in Italy. Since 2005, Gerrie has served as panel leader for the official SA Olive Oil Tasting Panel and continues to play an important role in maintaining tasting standards and developing local expertise.
Benedetta Lami

Benedetta Lami has been a professional olive oil taster since 2007 and a member of the official SA Olive Panel since 2009. Trained in the I.O.O.C. method under Dr Luciano Scarselli, she has judged numerous local and international competitions, including the SA Olive Awards, ABSA Top 5 and Top 10, Aurora, Sol d’Oro and Carthage IOOC. She is also an Associate of the Register of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes and conducts EVOO tasting and appreciation courses in South Africa and Italy.
Gill Lanham

Gill Lanham began her EVOO tasting journey in 2019, undertaking formal training before joining the SA Olive tasting panel as a guest taster. She completed advanced training and became an official SA Olive Oil Panel taster in 2023. She has subsequently served on the judging panel for the SA Olive Awards.
Marelie Erasmus

Marelie Erasmus brings sensory expertise together with a strong understanding of compliance, labelling, chemical standards and export requirements. As a member of the CTC tasting panel, she contributes an important technical and commercial perspective to the evaluation process, helping connect product quality with the requirements of local and international markets.
Mare Groenewald

Mare Groenewald has been part of the SA Olive tasting community since joining the CTC panel in 2017. She has continued to develop her expertise through ongoing training and panel development, with experience spanning sensory evaluation, technical specifications and olive farming. Mare has judged multiple SA Olive Awards and achieved the top result on the ONAOO assessment panel in 2020.
Theresa Louw

Theresa Louw brings a scientific and analytical perspective to olive oil evaluation through her role as manager and co-owner of Wynland Analytical Laboratory. Since 2003, she has worked extensively with wine, juice and olive oil analysis and is a regular taster for SA Olive’s CTC certification panel. Her experience includes judging the SA Olive Awards and ABSA Top 10 competitions.

Following the SA Olive Awards, all Gold-winning EVOOs will advance to the final round of judging for the prestigious Absa Top 10 Olive Oil Awards, when South Africa’s ten finest Extra Virgin Olive Oils will be selected.