Our Story

A family, a valley,
and a love of the olive

Zoetigheyd began with a family, a valley, and a love of the olive. Maurizio and Teresa Decinti brought their Italian heritage — and their family's olive-growing roots in Tuscany — to the Breede River Valley & Klein Karoo near Robertson, where the warm days, cool nights and rich soil reminded them of home.

Today they tend their groves by natural, biological methods, cold-extract their own extra virgin olive oil, and open their home to guests who want to slow down and taste the life of the farm. It is, in every sense, la dolcezza — the sweetness of a simpler, richer way of living.

The family's story spans two hemispheres — in Tuscany's Val d'Orcia, Maurizio and Teresa also welcome guests at Podere Colombaio, their farmhouse in the UNESCO-listed hills near Radicofani.

“Step into the quiet beauty of the Karoo, where ancient succulents and endless skies become your inspiration. Join me on our olive farm for intimate painting classes that celebrate the delicate forms, colours, and spirit of this remarkable landscape.” — Teresa

Golden-hour aerial of the Breede River winding through the valley The Zoetigheyd homestead at dusk among the groves

Podere Colombaio · Tuscany

Our Tuscan retreat,
in the heart of the Val d’Orcia

The Zoetigheyd story began in Italy — and it continues there still. In the hills near Radicofani, Siena, Maurizio and Teresa also welcome guests at Podere Colombaio, a lovingly restored Tuscan farmhouse immersed in the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape.

Two comfortable apartments, a panoramic pool and a garden made for long lunches sit within easy reach of Pienza, Montepulciano, Montalcino and the great cities of art — with olive oil, honey and Teresa’s painting retreats woven into life on the podere, just as they are here in the Karoo.

Visit Podere Colombaio