South African tea taking the world by storm

South Africa’s most popular tea, Rooibos, is gaining ground overseas, with exports increasing 64% from 2015 to 2024 as foreign buyers seek its health benefits and distinctive taste.

Rooibos is a herbal tea that comes from the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant. This plant is native to South Africa and is grown in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape.

Unlike tea that comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free and is known for its deep red colour.

The tea is incredibly popular in South Africa, making up around a third of the country’s tea market. It is served at most cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Rooibos is also used extensively in the skincare industry, featuring as a key ingredient for brands like African Extracts Rooibos Skin Care and Annique.

It provides income and employment to approximately 8,000 workers in primary production and in upstream activities such as processing, packaging, and retailing.

While it is a South African staple, the tea has also been growing in popularity in many countries around the world. The South African Rooibos Council (SARC) told Daily Investor that it has seen growth in the tea’s demand globally.

Established in 2005, the SARC is an independent organisation which promotes rooibos and its attributes to protect the interests of the rooibos consumer and its stakeholders.

Some of its members include African Extracts Rooibos, Annique Health and Beauty, BOS, and Cape Rooibos.

“SARC continues to support and collaborate on research into the health properties of Rooibos and disseminate the results of this research in both local and international markets,” the organisation said.

“These measures have contributed to the steady growth of the export market from 5,900 tons per annum in 2015 to 9,700 tons per annum in 2024, and Rooibos is now being exported to more than 50 countries.”

Japan leads Rooibos exports

Interestingly, since 2020, Japan has consistently been the top export destination for Rooibos. During the late 2010s, the tea experienced a boom in popularity in Japan.

The council reported more than 2,000 tonnes were shipped to its shores in 2018. At the time, this was the largest consignment since Rooibos was first introduced to the Japanese in the 1980s.

In 2019, SARC chairperson Martin Bergh explained that breaking into the Japanese market had not been easy but that Rooibos was starting to make some serious inroads.

“The Japanese are spoilt for choice,” Bergh said. “They have more than 26 different types of tea to choose from, which range from their traditional green tea varieties to jasmine and barley tea or ‘mugicha’ as it is known among the locals.”

This means that Rooibos was up against stiff competition. However, there were some changes happening in the Japanese market that made Rooibos an appealing choice.

“Over the years, Rooibos has carved a niche for itself as a refreshing, healthy tisane, which has resonated with the ultra-health-conscious Japanese market. Today, it counts among the leading tisanes in Japan’s ‘Healthy Tea’ segment,” Bergh explained.

He said that while the Western World has known about the risks associated with drinking too much caffeine for years, the Japanese only started noticing them in the late 2010s.

“This has helped to increase Rooibos’ appeal since it is low in tannins and completely caffeine-free,” he said.

“The general trend toward natural health and wellness products continues to exert a growing influence on purchasing patterns in the region, and as more of Rooibos’ health benefits become known in the East, we anticipate the demand for the product to grow.”

Bergh’s sentiment proved correct. In 2024, 21,153 tonnes of Rooibos were exported to Japan, vastly outpacing the record set in 2018.

Health benefits drive global demand

Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and France followed Japan as the biggest export countries. According to the SARC, these countries regularly crack the top five Rooibos export destinations.

“Cross-border and intracontinental exports have increased meaningfully since 2016, when African countries entered the top 10 for the first time,” the SARC said.

Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia have also consistently ranked among the top ten export market destinations since 2016.

From 2015 to 2024, 80,35 tonnes of Rooibos were exported. The table below summarises the top 10 destinations for the past decade.

“We believe that the increased popularity of Rooibos is based on the research supported by SARC and how well these results speak to current health trends,” the SARC explained.

“Health research on Rooibos aligns closely with international health trends that are stimulating consumer demand.”

Current studies highlight Rooibos’ positive effects on stress management, immune support, gut health, anti-inflammatory action, and heart health.

These findings speak directly to global priorities around mental well-being, healthy ageing, natural immunity, and lifestyle-related disease prevention.

“These areas are also driving demand for functional foods, botanical ingredients, and plant-based wellness products worldwide, positioning Rooibos strongly within these growth segments. In this way, the industry is fortunate that Rooibos tick so many boxes,” the organisation said.

The SARC explained that Rooibos’ rising popularity brings multiple benefits. The most important one is that it is strengthening demand in both local and international markets.

This supports the industry’s growth and sustainability, which in turn provides other upsides, including job creation. “It also helps drive further investment in research and innovation, allowing the industry to stay ahead of the curve,” the SARC said.

“While this is a fortunate position to be in and does not bring many challenges, increasing and diversified markets all come with their own requirements that the industry needs to stay informed about and comply with.”

The SARC added that the industry also needs to ensure that quality and authenticity are protected in global markets, specifically in the European Union market.

The table below shows the top ten importers of Rooibos from South Africa.

Country	Total kgs	% of total exports
Japan	21,153,529	26%
Germany	15,167,537	19%
Netherlands	8,953,074	11%
UK	6,604,442	8%
USA	4,360,989	5%
France	3,128,899	4%
Poland	2,274,437	3%
Sri Lanka	1,521,153	2%
Botswana	1,285,910	2%
Zimbabwe	1,079,536	1%
Total	65,529,505	82%