He used to spend his days picking apples in the blazing sun.
Fast-forward 20 years and former farm labourer Anton Alexander is the latest member of a Western Cape agriculture advisory forum, thanks to his success in a Western Cape agriculture competition.
The 42-year-old father of three earned a place alongside other agriculture boffins after winning the overall title at the Western Cape Prestige Agri Worker Awards ceremony at the weekend.
He will assist agriculture MEC Alan Winde in increasing employment opportunities in the agriculture sector.
The secret to his success? Curiosity.
"I was always curious to know more about the industry. That is one of the things that has made me stand out from the crowd," Alexander said yesterday from his office in Grabouw, where he works as a human resources assistant on a commercial deciduous fruit farm.
After starting as a contract worker he rose through the ranks, working as a tractor driver, a forklift driver, a team leader, and finally as an HR assistant. Along the way he benefited from a literacy and numeracy programme that inspired him to study business administration.
As competition winner, Alexander won an iPad, a R20,000 Shoprite gift voucher, R20,000 in cash from the provincial government, and a R60,000 overseas study tour.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
