Rooibos Grows From Cederberg Heritage Into a Global South African Export Powerhouse

Rooibos has grown from a plant rooted in the Cederberg region into one of South Africa’s most recognisable agricultural and export commodities, reaching consumers in more than 50 international markets. For millions of South Africans, rooibos tea remains part of an everyday routine, whether enjoyed at breakfast, during a work break or as a comforting drink at home. Behind every cup, however, sits a substantial agricultural value chain that connects farmers in the Western and Northern Cape with processors, manufacturers, retailers, cafés and businesses across South Africa and overseas. The crop has created opportunities for farmers and businesses while building an international reputation around a uniquely South African product. As demand continues to hold firm, the rooibos industry is increasingly looking beyond the traditional tea market to find new ways of creating value from the crop.

According to the South African Rooibos Council, rooibos production averages around 15 000 tonnes annually, although production volumes vary depending on plantings, rainfall and other climatic conditions. This variability reflects the importance of environmental conditions to a crop that has a highly specific natural growing range. Despite fluctuations in production, consumer demand for rooibos remains strong in South Africa and international markets. The council reported that total rooibos sales in 2025 were equivalent to more than 10 billion cups, highlighting the extraordinary scale of demand for the product. The figure is roughly equivalent to one cup for every person on Earth, with about 2 billion cups left over, demonstrating how a plant native to a relatively small part of South Africa has developed a truly global consumer base.

The economic footprint of rooibos extends well beyond the farms where the plants are cultivated. The industry provides income and employment to approximately 8 000 people across primary production and activities further along the value chain, including processing, packaging and retailing. This creates a network of economic activity that links rural agricultural communities with businesses involved in manufacturing, distribution and consumer sales. The crop therefore contributes to livelihoods at multiple stages, from cultivation and harvesting to the production of packaged tea and other rooibos-based products. Strengthening the entire value chain could increase the economic benefits generated by the industry and create further opportunities for businesses operating around the crop.

Rooibos also has an identity that is closely connected to its place of origin. The plant is endemic to South Africa, with the Cederberg region serving as the heart of its production and cultural history. Its restricted natural growing area gives rooibos a distinctive geographical identity that separates it from many other agricultural commodities traded internationally. Consumers around the world associate the product with South Africa, creating an opportunity to build economic value around its provenance as well as its characteristics as a beverage. Protecting this identity is important because the crop’s connection to its natural environment forms part of what makes rooibos unique in the global market.

The industry includes approximately 300 commercial farmers and 210 small-scale farmers, illustrating the range of producers involved in rooibos cultivation. Small-scale production is particularly important in communities where agriculture contributes to local livelihoods and economic activity. Government has highlighted the contribution of around 160 small-scale farmers belonging to the Wupperthal Cooperative in the Western Cape and the Heiveld Cooperative in the Northern Cape. These cooperatives demonstrate how rooibos production can support smaller farming operations while connecting them to a broader commercial industry. Ensuring that small-scale farmers can participate meaningfully in the value chain remains important as the industry seeks to grow while retaining its strong rural roots.

The international growth of rooibos has been particularly notable over the past decade. In 2025, exports surpassed 10 000 tonnes for the first time, reaching approximately 10 930 tonnes, compared with about 5 900 tonnes exported in 2015. This means export volumes have increased substantially over the period, reflecting growing international demand for the South African product. Rooibos is now exported to more than 50 international markets, giving the crop a significant presence in the global beverage sector. Japan is currently the largest export market, accounting for 33% of rooibos exports, showing the importance of international consumers to the industry’s continued growth.

The expansion of export markets provides opportunities but also places greater responsibility on the industry to maintain consistent quality and supply. International buyers expect reliable products that meet relevant quality and safety requirements, while consumers increasingly want to know where their food and beverages come from. Rooibos’s South African origin gives producers and manufacturers an important story to tell, but maintaining that reputation requires continued attention throughout the value chain. Farmers, processors and exporters all contribute to the quality of the final product that reaches consumers. Continued investment in production, processing and market development will therefore be important as the industry expands its global reach.

Adele du Toit, spokesperson for the South African Rooibos Council, has identified innovation, beneficiation and new business opportunities as important areas for unlocking more value from rooibos within South Africa. The traditional rooibos tea market remains important, but the plant can be used in a much wider range of applications. Rooibos extracts, functional foods and beverages, cosmetics and personal-care products are already expanding the ways in which the crop can reach consumers. These applications create opportunities for manufacturers and entrepreneurs to develop products that use rooibos as an ingredient rather than simply selling it as a dried tea product. Expanding these applications could help increase the economic value generated from every tonne of rooibos produced.

Beneficiation is particularly important because the greater the amount of processing and product development that takes place within South Africa, the greater the potential to retain economic value locally. Exporting raw or minimally processed agricultural commodities can provide income, but transforming those commodities into finished products can create additional business activity. Manufacturing, packaging, marketing, distribution and retail can all contribute to the final value of a product. Rooibos provides a strong foundation for this approach because its established international reputation can support the development of new products aimed at both domestic and overseas consumers. The challenge is to ensure that innovation creates commercially viable opportunities while continuing to support the farmers and communities at the foundation of the industry.

The growth of rooibos-based products could also create opportunities for small and emerging businesses. Entrepreneurs can develop products that incorporate rooibos into wellness beverages, food products, personal-care items and other consumer goods. Smaller businesses may be able to identify specialised markets that are not served by larger manufacturers, particularly where consumers are looking for products with a strong South African identity. Each successful application can create demand for rooibos while adding another layer of economic activity around the crop. This makes product innovation an important potential driver of growth across the wider rooibos value chain.

Rooibos also carries an important connection to traditional knowledge and South Africa’s indigenous heritage. The plant has long been associated with San and Khoi communities, whose traditional knowledge forms part of the history surrounding its use. Recognising this knowledge is an important part of ensuring that economic development around rooibos also acknowledges the communities connected to the plant’s heritage. Under the industry’s benefit-sharing agreement, processors pay a levy of 1.5% based on the farm-gate price of rooibos in recognition of traditional knowledge associated with the plant. Between 2019 and 2024, R42.7 million was distributed to San and Khoi councils through this benefit-sharing mechanism, creating a direct financial link between the commercial industry and traditional knowledge holders.

The benefit-sharing mechanism demonstrates how agricultural development can incorporate broader questions of heritage, ownership and economic participation. Rooibos is not simply another commodity because its identity is closely tied to South Africa’s indigenous knowledge and a specific geographical environment. As international demand grows, maintaining mechanisms that recognise traditional knowledge can help ensure that the economic benefits associated with the crop are shared more broadly. It also reinforces the importance of protecting the history and identity that distinguish rooibos in international markets. A successful industry needs to consider both commercial growth and the communities and knowledge systems connected to the product.

Climate remains another important factor for the future of rooibos production. The crop’s limited geographical growing range means that changes in rainfall patterns, temperatures and other environmental conditions can affect production. The annual variation in production volumes already demonstrates how strongly the industry depends on planting decisions and climatic conditions. As the climate changes, farmers and researchers will need to continue exploring ways to maintain production while protecting the environmental conditions that support the crop. Building resilience into the rooibos value chain will be important if the industry is to meet international demand while maintaining its connection to the Cederberg and surrounding production areas.

The industry’s export success also creates an opportunity to strengthen South Africa’s agricultural brand internationally. Rooibos has an advantage that many commodities do not have because its name is directly associated with its country of origin and its distinctive production region. This provenance can be incorporated into marketing, tourism, food experiences and other activities that introduce international consumers to South African agriculture. A stronger connection between the product, the landscape and the people who produce it could create additional opportunities beyond conventional tea sales. Such development could help position rooibos not only as a beverage but as a South African agricultural product with a recognised cultural and geographical identity.

For farmers, processors and entrepreneurs, the future of rooibos will depend on maintaining demand while finding more ways to capture value within the industry. Export growth shows that international consumers already have a strong appetite for rooibos, but new products can help broaden that market even further. Increased beneficiation could support additional jobs and businesses while giving producers access to a wider range of potential markets. At the same time, small-scale farmers and traditional knowledge holders need to remain part of the economic story as the industry expands. A balanced approach can help ensure that growth benefits the wider value chain rather than concentrating opportunities in only a few parts of the industry.

Rooibos has already achieved something remarkable by developing from an endemic plant of the Cederberg region into a global South African export commodity found in more than 50 markets. With production averaging around 15 000 tonnes a year, exports reaching approximately 10 930 tonnes in 2025 and total sales equivalent to more than 10 billion cups, the industry’s international reach is substantial. Its economic contribution extends across thousands of people, hundreds of farmers and businesses involved in processing, manufacturing, packaging, retail and export. The next stage of growth lies in innovation, beneficiation and creating more finished products in South Africa while continuing to recognise the traditional knowledge and communities connected to rooibos. By combining its strong agricultural foundation with new business opportunities, international market development and responsible value creation, rooibos can continue to strengthen its position as one of South Africa’s most distinctive and valuable agricultural success stories.