The little village of Grabouw lies in the Elgin Valley, sandwiched between the Groenland and Kogelberg mountains and is the commercial centre for apples ± 65% of South Africa\'s export apples are produced here. Only an hour\'s drive from Cape Town brings one over the Hottentots-Holland mountains into the fertile Elgin Valley, a magical stretch of forest, orchards, vineyards and greenery renowned not only for its fruit but also for its wine.

Known by the locals as Elgin-Grabouw because the railway station, called Elgin, was better known than the town, Grabouw, the town is named after the Grabow village in Germany. It borders on the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve formed to protect the surrounding area, which is home to over 1600 plant species. Nature-lovers and hikers are attracted to this part of the world because of the number of hiking and mountain bike trails and the annual Elgin Festival is very popular, drawing visitors to sample its flowers, fruit, wines and local products.