For many South Africans who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, rooibos tea was never a trend. It was simply there—brewed strong in enamel kettles, poured generously, often sweetened with honey. A household constant rather than a commercial phenomenon.
What is remarkable, in hindsight, is how this humble “mountain tea” transformed into one of the country’s most distinctive agricultural exports—what farmers across the Cederberg and Namakwa now call green gold.
From Wild Harvest to Scientific Breakthrough
Long before it was cultivated, rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) was harvested in the wild by the Khoisan people of the Cederberg. They understood what modern agriculture would only later discover: that this plant thrives where almost nothing else will—on poor, sandy, acidic soils under punishing summer heat.
Yet for centuries, rooibos resisted domestication.
That changed in the 1930s with the work of Dr. Le Fras Nortier, a medical doctor and botanist often described as the father of the rooibos industry. Nortier’s breakthrough was deceptively simple but transformative: he discovered how to germinate rooibos seeds, which in nature only sprout after fire cracks their hard outer shells.
This single innovation marked the beginning of commercial cultivation.
The Move North: When Rooibos Reached Namakwa
While rooibos existed in the broader region for centuries, formal cultivation in Namakwa only began in earnest from the 1940s into the 1950s.
As farming knowledge improved and demand slowly increased, cultivation expanded out of the Clanwilliam heartland:
• Into the Bokkeveld Plateau
• Around Nieuwoudtville
• And further into the Namakwa region
These areas proved ideal: similar soils, the same winter rainfall pattern, and crucially, land where few alternative crops could survive. For many farmers, rooibos wasn’t just another crop—it was the only viable crop.
When the Market Truly Opened
Rooibos did not become commercially significant overnight.
Pre-1960s: A Local Beverage
It remained largely regional, consumed within South Africa with little structured marketing.
1968: The Turning Point
The shift came when Dr. Annetjie Theron published research highlighting rooibos as a natural remedy for colic in infants.
This reframed rooibos as a health product—and demand surged domestically, embedding it into households during the very decades many South Africans remember so vividly.
1980s–1990s: The Global Breakthrough
The real expansion followed:
• Japan embraced rooibos as a longevity drink
• Germany became a major importer and blender
• Health-conscious markets drove international demand
By the 1990s, rooibos had evolved into a serious export commodity.
The Seedling Mystery: Why Cuttings Are a No-Go
During my travels, I asked a farmer’s wife for a simple seedling—or even a cutting—to take home. Her answer was polite but firm: they were still nurturing their seedlings and had none to spare, and certainly no cuttings.
There is a botanical reason for this.
While Aspalathus linearis can technically be propagated from cuttings in controlled laboratory conditions, it is notoriously unreliable in the real world. Rooibos depends on a deep taproot system—often reaching three to five metres underground—to survive the harsh, arid conditions of the Cape.
Cuttings rarely develop this critical anchor. Without it, the plant cannot access deep moisture reserves and simply does not survive in the field. For farmers, this makes seedlings not just valuable, but essential—and explains why they are so carefully guarded.
The Globalisation of Rooibos
Today, rooibos is exported to more than 60 countries, typically in two forms:
• Bulk “needle” tea for blending
• Value-added products such as flavoured teas and ready-to-drink beverages
Germany plays a pivotal role, importing raw rooibos and transforming it into flavoured blends for the European market. In many cases, the raw material is South African, but the final premium product is branded abroad.
Major markets include:
• Japan
• Germany
• United States
• United Kingdom and broader Europe
Scale of the Industry
Despite its global footprint, rooibos remains geographically constrained:
• Around 450–500 commercial farmers
• Several small-scale cooperatives
• Annual production of roughly 15,000–20,000 tonnes
• Industry value of approximately R1.5–R2 billion
Why Rooibos Cannot Be Replicated
Rooibos grows in a narrow ecological band defined by:
• Acidic, sandy soils
• Winter rainfall
• Hot, dry summers
Attempts to cultivate it elsewhere have largely failed.
Beyond the biology, there is also the law. Since 2021, Rooibos has held Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status with the European Union. Much like Champagne can only come from France, or Scotch from Scotland, only tea grown in the specific regions of the Western and Northern Cape can legally be called “Rooibos.” Even if the plant were successfully cultivated elsewhere, it could not be sold under its famous name.
The Reality of Farming Rooibos
For all its success, rooibos remains a demanding crop:
• Seeds must be scarified to germinate
• Seedlings are highly vulnerable to poor winter rainfall
• Soil preparation often requires pre-planting with wheat
• Establishment failure rates can be high
This is farming on a knife-edge—dependent on both climate and precision.
The “Tea Thieves”: Crime in the Fynbos
With global demand rising sharply—South Africa now exports roughly 15,000 tonnes annually to markets such as Germany, Japan and the United States—a darker side to the industry has emerged.
While much attention has been given to succulent poaching in the Northern Cape, rooibos has developed its own, quieter security concerns.
Criminal activity typically takes two forms:
1. Bulk Theft
Processed rooibos is lightweight, non-perishable, and increasingly valuable. Syndicates have targeted transport trucks and processing facilities, where large volumes of dried tea are stored before export. A single ton represents a significant payday.
2. Seed Poaching
Rooibos seeds remain difficult to source. Historically, harvesters followed ants to their nests to locate stored seeds—a practice that hints at their scarcity. Today, a small but persistent black market exists for illegally gathered seeds, often taken from protected wild areas.
Rooibos vs the West Coast Economy
The contrast is stark:
• Fishing, once dominant, has declined significantly
• Mining remains economically powerful but finite
• Rooibos offers a renewable, place-bound alternative
It may not rival mining in revenue, but it represents something more enduring.
Why Rooibos Succeeded
Its global success rests on three key strengths:
• Naturally caffeine-free and low in tannins
• Strong health positioning
• Exceptional versatility
In a world increasingly driven by wellness trends, rooibos found its moment.
It cannot be taken from the land
Rooibos is often called “green gold,” but the comparison is imperfect.
Gold is extracted and depleted. Rooibos is cultivated, renewed, and deeply rooted in its landscape.
From a wild plant used by the Khoisan, to a scientific breakthrough in the 1930s, to a household staple in the 1960s, and finally to a global export powerhouse—rooibos tells a uniquely South African story.
