South Africa’s Rooibos Tea Becomes Global Sensation

Rooibos, a plant grown exclusively in South Africa’s Cederberg Mountains, has evolved from a regional tradition into a global tea phenomenon, with exports surpassing 10,000 tons in 2025, nearly double the 2015 figure. Global consumption rose over 12% between 2022 and 2024, driven partly by demand for caffeine-free alternatives to coffee and black tea. Rooibos Limited, the industry’s largest processor, exports roughly $24 million worth of the plant annually to over 50 countries, with Japan now its top market. The industry has a complicated history: Indigenous San and Khoi communities, who first harvested wild rooibos, were long excluded from the commercial sector. However, a 2019 benefit-sharing agreement now requires companies to pay an annual levy to Indigenous traditional knowledge holders, though critics say it has not resolved unequal land ownership.