Agriculture in the Western Cape was traditionally practised in a very protected environment. Because of the process of international trade liberalisation, regional internationalisation and the deregulation of South African agriculture, the protection is dwindling rapidly. Through the rapid change in the demand structure for agricultural products, mainly because of population growth and urbanisation, new opportunities come into existence. These new opportunities can be utilised through a different managerial approach by farmers, inter alia by developing niche markets and adding value to their products. Not all products can however be marketed using this approach, and a total new strategy for marketing is needed in which the Western Cape Department of Agriculture can play an important role in conjunction with its role of facilitating the entrepreneurial development of farmers.