Rooibos grows exclusively in the fynbos of the Cape region of South Africa and is naturally caffeine-free. In 2021, it became the first African food product to be entered in the EU register of Protected Designations of Origin. Annual production fluctuates between 13,000 and 25,000 tonnes, with Japan as the largest buyer.

Alongside rooibos, South Africa is also home to honeybush, a less well-known herbal tea with a sweet, lightly woody flavour. Around 80% of it is still wild-harvested. Since the 1990s, there has been a gradual shift towards cultivation, supported by scientific research.

Read more about tea in South Africa.