South Africa’s BigBucks Gala gains PVR protection in Europe

After eight years of processing, on 20 July 2026, the European Union’s Community Plant Variety Office declared BigBucks Gala as a qualifying variety for EU Plant Variety Rights (PVR). The decision marks a significant achievement for a South African-developed apple cultivar, opening the door for stronger protections in the region.

BigBucks Gala received PVR protection in South Africa in 2011, after which the variety expanded rapidly. By 2025, over 2.5 million trees of the cultivar had been planted in the country, making it the fastest-growing apple variety in South African history.

“BigBucks Gala is a remarkable South African apple story,” said Tru Cape founder Anthony Rawbone-Viljoen. “To now have European Plant Variety Rights awarded after such an extensive evaluation process is a tremendous achievement.”

Image courtesy of Tru Cape.

BigBucks Gala: distinctive and stable 

To qualify for PVR, a variety must possess characteristics that distinguish it from other varieties. BigBucks Gala has several, says developer company Tru Cape, including its dark red blossom, its red stem, and its fruitlets, which develop a red color within the first month after blossom. 

There are other key features to consider when granting PVR protection.

“Stability is a particularly important characteristic when you are building a variety at scale,” says Rawbone-Viljoen. “The fact that BigBucks Gala has remained inherently stable, with no reported reversions, has been a major positive.”

The road to European protection began in 2016, and the process proved considerably more complex than initially anticipated. But after more than eight years of trials, the Community Plant Variety Office confirmed BigBucks Gala as the qualifying variety.

Image courtesy of Tru Cape.

For the South African apple industry, the decision provides international recognition for a variety that originated spontaneously in a South African commercial orchard and has since achieved remarkable adoption among local growers.

“It has certainly been a long and costly journey, but this outcome makes the wait worthwhile,” the Tru Cape executive said. “There is enormous satisfaction in seeing a variety that was discovered in an Elgin orchard being recognized in Europe after such a rigorous testing process.”

*All images courtesy of Tru Cape.

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