Rooibos tea: from South Africa to your cup

Meet Rooibos

Rooibos tea (that’s ROY-boss, try not to butcher it) means “red bush” in Afrikaans, and this shrub exclusively grows in a small region of South Africa.

When most people talk about rooibos tea, they’re thinking of red rooibos—the one that steeps a warm, red-brown hue. It’s oxidized, which gives it a naturally sweet & smooth flavour. It can have a lovely range of flavours, from earthy & woody to hints of honey or even nutty notes.

Here’s the twist: not all rooibos wear red

There’s a lesser-known type of rooibos called green rooibos. It skips the oxidation process, so the flavour stays lighter, a little grassier and has delicately fruity notes. It’s perfect in blends where you want the other ingredients to shine.

Rooibos = nature’s sports drink?

There’s a reason why rooibos tea is beloved by athletes.

Naturally hydrating – Keeps you hydrated without overloading your system with sugar.

Caffeine-free – Perfect for when you want to skip the jitters but still enjoy something tasty.

Full of electrolytes – That’s right. Rooibos has those magical little minerals that keep your muscles happy and your body balanced.

Packed with antioxidants – This is true especially in green rooibos. We could all use a little help fighting oxidative stress.

May help reduce inflammation and muscle soreness – Some people swear that green rooibos helps them bounce back faster after a tough workout. Science is still catching up, but hey, if it feels good and tastes good… why not?

Bonus glow-up – We’re not saying green rooibos is a skincare routine in a cup… but some say rooibos tea gives your skin a healthy glow.

Award-winning tea: wild grown rooibos

This sweet & nutty rooibos tea with deep notes of hazelnut, almond and honey, took home first place in the “Herbal” category at the Toronto Tea Festival.

Let us introduce you to a rooibos dream team: Izak lives in one of the remote outlying areas near Wupperthal, tucked away in the stunning Cederberg mountains.

Izak lives in one of the remote outlying areas near Wupperthal, tucked away in the stunning Cederberg mountains. He earns a living from a small veggie patch and his flock of sheep, nestled between a stream and the mountain foothills.

Every morning, he takes his sheep out to graze, and every evening, he brings them home. When the sun goes down, he carves wood ornaments by hand or gathers tubers from his garden.

But when wild rooibos season hits?

Izak hands over sheep duty to his wife and kids and heads into the mountains to forage wild rooibos, growing naturally in untouched pockets of the land. Then he loads this raw material onto his donkeys and treks to the nearest road. That’s where Johan meets him, ready to process this into an amazing tea.

It’s a story of tradition, passion and a whole lot of heart—all steeped into every cup of wild grown rooibos.

We’re very lucky to have connected with incredible people like Johan and Izak, who still gather wild rooibos the traditional way. By working with them, we’re not just sourcing amazing tea, we’re helping support small-scale farmers and preserve a beautiful way of life in the Cederberg mountains.

You can only get it at DAVIDsTEA, so if you’re curious, just swing by a store or check it out online.

Our best seller rooibos duo

We’re all about bringing you the best rooibos teas out there, and we’re pretty proud of what’s in your cup.