Viticulturist and winemaker Andries Botha "AB" Rossouw was born in Stellenbosch. His father was the managing winemaker at Eersterivier cellar outside Stellenbosch. When both his parents fatally crashed on May 16, 1970, he, his brother and his sister went to live with their grandparents.

His grandfather owned the farm Die Eike in Goudini, which he divided into two to give his son and daughter (AB's mother) each a share. The part his mother inherited was called Swartrivier. As AB's father did not farm, his uncle also farmed on Swartrivier. AB matriculated at Oakdale Agricultural School in Riversdale in 1976 and, after his two years’ national service in the Air Force, obtained a diploma in viticulture and animal husbandry at Elsenburg.

In 1981 AB started working as a foreman on the farm Swartrivier. On March 31, 1984, he married Antionette, a Calitz who grew up on Louisvale. He took charge of the farm on April 1, 1984 to start growing vineyards for his own account. The first assignment he gave his labourers was to take a week's vacation so that their new employer could go on honeymoon.