South Africa

Wikipedia: South_Africa | Official Government Website: www.gov.za 
Updated: Dec. 1, 2017 

About South Africa

South Africa is the southernmost country in Africa. Its climate is mostly arid to semi-arid and temperate, and much of the country is covered by desert (in the northwest) or scrubland (in most of the rest of the country). The southwesternmost part of the country, Western Cape province, has a Mediterranean climate.

South Africa is a critically important region for the production of two very important herbal teas: rooibos and honeybush. Both plants are native to and grown exclusively in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The production of rooibos in this region is threatened by global climate change, which is of critical concern because these plants' unique requirements have so far made them infeasible to cultivate in any other regions. Poverty in the region further compounds the problem of adapting rooibos production to changing conditions.[1]

True tea (camellia sinensis)

In addition, South Africa also produces tea, although its total amount of production is small, constituting less than 0.1% of world production in 2008.[2] The tea is mostly grown in Eastern cape province, as this area has the highest rainfall in the country. Tea is also grown in Limpopo province, near Tzaneen. Except for a few other isolated spots, most of the rest of the country is far too arid to grow tea.

One of the tea-growing operations here, the Magwa tea gardens near Lusikisiki, used to produce large volumes of tea in the 60's and 70's' but has since declined, struggling with profitability and violent labor disputes.[3]

Also rooibos and honeybush are widely exported from South Africa, teas grown here are rarely available in the West.

Styles of Tea Produced in South Africa

This is a selection, not an exhaustive listing, of the styles of tea most commonly produced in South Africa.

Best South African Teas

The notion of the "best" South African teas is subjective, because different people have different tastes. We present the most often-rated and highest-rated teas produced in South Africa, and allow you to draw your own conclusions.

Browse All South African Teas (71)