Rooibos exports soar even as global warming stresses farmers

One of the country's most important heritage products is navigating an interesting time as export numbers reach an all-time high, but the sole place where it grows is getting hotter and drier.

- By Hannah Abrahams

Rooibos tea seedlings await replanting on a farm near VanRhynsdorp in the Western Cape on 30 June 2021.

(Photo: Mike Hutchings/Reuters)

The South African Rooibos Council has reported that exports for 2025 amounted to about 10,931 tonnes, up from 5,900 tonnes a decade earlier.

The indigenous South African tea now reaches more than 50 international markets, with Japan retaining its position as the biggest buyer. Emerging markets such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka and China are also showing promising momentum.

These are darling export numbers showing consistent year-on-year growth and breaking previous volume records. However, production dropped from 17,000 tonnes in 2023 to 15,000 tonnes last year. This decline, combined with climate uncertainty, potentially presents some tension for the industry.

Rooibos can only be grown in one place in the world: the Cederberg region in the Western Cape, where it has deep roots in the rural communities. It is legally a tisane, a botanical infusion of dried or fresh leaves or flowers, but is mostly grouped in with other teas. Grown elsewhere, it would not hold the same quality or flavour profile.

Although the tea market forms a relatively small share of the country's agricultural sector, it is still comparable with the broader sector in that it focuses heavily on exports, says Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa.