The Great War was drawing to a close and many problems confronted the government of the Union of South Africa. The country, though saddened by appalling casualties, would soon be welcoming home thousands of young men who would be returning to family, friends and …  what else?

In commerce and industry, in areas like Natal, were limited. However, there was undeveloped Crown and farm land and so a scheme of land settlement was devised for the returning soldiers for farming.  The area around Malonjeni, just outside Dundee was such an area. Others at de Jagers Drift and Jobskop were also identified.

These schemes were also widespread across Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, involving the subdivision of large farms into small farms to help veterans become property-owning farmers. Intended to be a positive step in assisting the returning soldiers, the schemes presented many challenges – difficult conditions, inadequate resources, and that many of the men had no farming experience. Many of the men, often invalids from the war, struggled with the nature of farm work and economic hardships associated with drought, market fluctuations, and debt. As time progressed, it was also found that the size of the farms, were too small, and it was extremely difficult to farm efficiently and make a living.

By the middle of 1918 land holdings were being identified and hinders of applicants were pouring in. There was a much higher demand for land than could be supplied, and so criteria were established.

Preference would be given to married men; applicants could not already own other land; men with insufficient capital to farm would not be accepted. From a short list names were drawn by ballot.

These farms were named for many of the battles or villages in France where the men had fought. These farms adjacent to the Buffalo river and totalling 3035 hectares were part of the scheme in the Dundee area.

Men left the farms and neighbours bought up the land and consolidated the smaller farms to create economically viable farms, which are still active today.

Farms in the Wasbank valley, below Dundee,  were bought up by the South African government after the Second World War as part of another soldier settlement scheme, to sell land at a low price to retuning soldiers to ensure they had a means of earning a living.

All these men were encouraged to grow ground nuts (peanuts) to supply the Kilty’s sweet factory, which had been started among the farm fields, for the manufacture of peanut brittle. Other sweets were also manufactured and the extra run off on a Friday afternoon was put out in the fields on Friday afternoons for the bees in the many bee hives around the factory. This honey was collected and used in the production of the peanut brittle.

The Kilty’s sweet factory – the factory in the fields- opened its doors in 1946. In 1956 they relocated into specially built premises in Dundee. From here the range of products grew with Life Savers – the one with the hole in the centre – and Beechies , South Africa’s much loved chewing gum. The factory started closure in 1983 and relocated to Chloorkop in the Johannesburg area. By 1986 the buildings at the entrance to Dundee stood empty.

Beechnut and Life Savers had merged in the early 1960’s and in 1964 bought Kilty’s, which operated factories in Johannesburg , Wasbank and Dundee.