Video: This abalone farm is starting to thrive

Inside a partly community-owned perlemoen farm that’s now producing 60 tonnes of the pricey gastropods every year

By Ashraf Hendricks and Liezl Human

25 January 2023

Abalone, commonly known as “perlemoen”, is a critically endangered species. Since the early 2000s, thousands of tonnes of abalone have been poached from South Africa’s coast. It is a highly valued delicacy in China, which primarily imports abalone from South Africa. The Doring Bay Abalone Farm started in 2013 and is partly community-owned. The farm started with just eight employees. Now it employs over 50 community members, and produces 60 tonnes of abalone each year.

See: Perlemoen farm gives hope to West Coast community