Rooibos is grown exclusively in Cedarberg of South Africa Preview.

Rooibos was first discovered by locals in the Cedarberg region of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa at the

beginning of the 20th Century. They found that the needle-like leaves of the wild Aspalathus linearis plant produced a tasty, aromatic tea that enhanced health tremendously. Using primitive methods, they harvested and processed the plant to produce the tea. Commercial production today is the same in principle but uses advanced technology, mechanization and refined methods with systematic cultivation and strict quality control throughout.

hundred years. The real breakthrough came in 1930 when Dr. Pieter Le Fras Nortier, a well known doctor and

nature lover, realize its value as an agricultural commodity for local consumption and export. His passion to introduce Rooibos to the world inspired local farmers and large-scale cultivation began using improved methods. The scarcity of Ceylon Tea during World War II also helped boost demand.

      Following the collapse of the Rooibos market after the war, the Clanwilliam Tea Cooperative was

Rooibos was first marketed in 1904 when Benjamin Ginsberg, a Russian immigrant, realized its

marketing potential and began trading it, spurred by his family involvement in the tea industry in Europe for over a

established in 1948 to revive the market. Due to difficulties, the Rooibos Tea Control Board was set up in 1954 by the Minister of Agriculture to regulate marketing, stabilize prices and standardize quality. The Rooibos industry then began to flourish worldwide. In 1993, the Board was privatized and Rooibos Limited was established.