Rooibos

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Common Names

Afrikaans

Rooibos · Rooibostee · Bossietee

English

Rooibos · Red Bush

Khoikhoi

rooibos (Khoikhoi origin)

Ndebele

irooibos (adopted)

San

not documented

Sepedi

not documented

Sesotho

not documented

Setswana

not documented

Swati

not documented

Tsonga

not documented

Venda

not documented

Xhosa

not documented

Zulu

not documented

Common Name

Rooibos

Scientific Name

Aspalathus linearis

Family

Fabaceae

Native Region

Endemic to the Cederberg mountains, Western Cape.

Annual
Production

~15,000 t

Export Revenue

R820m

Export Markets

60+ countries

Livelihoods

5,000+

Protection & Benefit Sharing

GI 2021 EU Geographical Indication — South Africa the sole legally recognised producer. Name protected in European markets; SA Rooibos Council governs GI compliance. Confirmed as the model case for GI + industry-wide benefit-sharing.

BSA 2019 Khoisan Benefit-Sharing Agreement (RBSA) — ongoing royalties paid to traditional knowledge holders from industry revenues. Globally cited as the model for ethical botanical trade.

Organic 35% of total production certified organic — the highest proportion of any South African botanical export crop.

Wild Harvest Fully cultivated — no wild harvest. Commercial production entirely from planted farms in the Cederberg GI zone.

Provinces

ECEastern Cape

FSFree State

GTGauteng

KZNKwaZulu-Natal

LIMLimpopo

MPMpumalanga

NCNorthern Cape

NWNorth West

WCWestern Cape

Key

Registered farm

Certified organic

Introduction

Aspalathus linearis, known universally as Rooibos, is South Africa's most famous botanical export. Endemic to the Cederberg mountains, it is the only known natural source of Aspalathin — a potent antioxidant with documented anti-diabetic, cardioprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Active Compounds

Aspalathin
Nothofagin
Orientin
Isoorientin
Luteolin
Quercetin
Rutin
Chrysoeriol

Traditional Uses

General wellness tonic
Infant colic
Digestive aid
Allergies and hay fever
Insomnia
Topical skin wash

Clinically Validated

Anti-diabetic activity via alpha-glucosidase inhibition (Muller et al., 2012)
Cardioprotective and ACE inhibitory activity
Anti-inflammatory effects via COX-2 reduction

Cultivation

Mediterranean fynbos; well-drained acidic sandy soils; frost-tolerant.

Cederberg, Citrusdal, Nieuwoudtville

Commercial & Trade Notes

Established 15,000t/annum industry; SA Rooibos Council regulated.

Indigenous Knowledge

Khoisan traditional heritage; harvested using stone tools and fermented in piles—the precursor to modern processing. 2019 benefit-sharing agreement formally recognizes Khoisan knowledge holders.

Health