Dust off the good bread. South Africa has done it again!
Western Cape, South Africa (23 April 2026) – De Rustica Olive Estate has just taken first prize at the inaugural NOVA Awards 2026 in Spain!
This is the top spot at a brand new international competition, in its very first year, judged in Córdoba by some of the biggest names in the global olive oil industry.
The NOVA Awards were set up to recognise excellence in modern olive cultivars, honouring the newer varieties being developed to meet changing climates and push quality standards even further. The competition built around the future of olive oil and South Africa just walked away with the top prize!
The winning oil is De Rustica’s Estate Collection Favolosa EVOO. The jury praised the winning extra virgin olive oil for notes of green olive, green banana, green almond, basil, chamomile and pine needles, with a smooth entry, well-balanced bitterness and a complex, lingering finish. Basically, a very, very good olive oil.
We should be proud! To put it in perspective, Spain produces over a billion litres of olive oil a year. South Africa produces 1.6 million. Yet here we are in first place.
“South African extra virgin olive oils continue to prove themselves among the best in the world. Awards like this highlight not only the innovation of producers like De Rustica, but also the consistent quality, care and craftsmanship that define our local industry. Research, development and innovation are important for the South African Olive industries sustainability and position in the global arena. It is encouraging to see South Africa recognised at this level in an international competition focused on the future of olive oil.” says Wendy Petersen, CEO of SA Olive.
Just last year, South Africa claimed some of its biggest international olive oil wins to date, De Rustica earned a spread of those accolades, including Top 2 in the world at Evooleum and a Mario Solinas Silver.
Like we said…where’s the bread? Bring the balsamic. It’s a party.
“De Rustica is delighted to win the overall first prize at the 2026 NOVA Awards for our Favolosa cultivar EVOO. This recognition affirms our commitment to innovation and our ongoing pursuit of exceptional quality.” says Rob Still of De Rustica.
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