“Only Tea I Happily Drink”: Local Rooibos Tea Sees Global Demand, SA Beams With Pride
- Rooibos, which grows only in South Africa's Cederberg region, has seen global consumption rise by 12.5% between 2022 and 2024
- Exports of the plant surpassed 10,000 tons in 2025 for the first time, nearly double the 5,900 tons recorded a decade earlier
- South Africans reacted with pride as CNN International shone a spotlight on the country's beloved indigenous tea
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Source: Getty Images
South Africa's rooibos tea has quietly conquered the world, and South Africans could not be prouder.
A CNN International post published on 5 August 2026 spotlighted how the humble red bush, found only in a 60,000-hectare stretch of the Cederberg Mountains about 250 kilometres north of Cape Town, has become one of the world's fastest-growing herbal teas.
Global consumption climbed by 12.5% between 2022 and 2024. In 2025, exports crossed the 10,000-ton mark for the first time, a significant leap from roughly 5,900 tons a decade earlier.
Rooibos rises on health trends
Martin Bergh, managing director of Rooibos Limited, the oldest and largest rooibos processor in the world, told CNN that early growth was simply about awareness. He said:
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"In the beginning, rooibos was virtually unknown, so the growth was just driven by more people getting to know it and enjoying its flavour."
Today, the story is different. Health-conscious consumers are fuelling demand, drawn to the fact that rooibos is naturally caffeine-free. Bergh noted it has become a genuine alternative to black tea and coffee. Researchers have also linked the plant to potential benefits including reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer, owing to its high antioxidant and polyphenol content, though scientists say more study is still needed.
Indigenous communities in the Cederberg region have brewed the needle-leafed plant for generations, long before it earned shelf space in supermarkets across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
View the Facebook post here.
Source: Getty Images
South Africans react with pride
The CNN post sparked a wave of warmth and nostalgia among South Africans online:
@Marinda van Wyk wrote:
"Growing up with Rooibos, all babies were given this tea (without sugar and milk) in between feeds or when thirsty. Don't know how other mothers without Rooibos coped without it. 🤩"
@Songezo Mcapukisi said:
"My grandmother mixed Joko Tea and Boland Rooibos and boiled for a couple of minutes and add milk. Strain on a cup and add 3 teaspoons of sugar. That with scones or fat cakes incredible taste."
@Samantha Dullisear added:
"A member of the fynbos family, part of our unique and captivating Cape Floral Kingdom here in sunny South Africa ☀️🇿🇦🌍"
@Ballfoot Ervol noted:
"The only tea that I happily drink without having to add a creamer."
@Charlene Heck observed:
"In South Africa, I only drank rooibos tea the normal way... Now I live in Taiwan and here they make rooibos gelato, speciality drinks, cheese cake, and just yesterday someone told me about alcoholic cocktails made with rooibos. I think we need to do more with our rooibos in SA."
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Source: Briefly News
