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From Rooibos To Honeybush: South Africa's Best Local Teas

Whether you prefer classic rooibos or adventurous blends, these South African tea brands are worth adding to your cupboard

By Olivia Vergunst | August 29, 2026 | Category food

Tea has always had a place in South African life, but the local tea landscape is far more interesting than the familiar supermarket staples might suggest. Alongside everyday rooibos, a growing collection of independent producers and specialist tea brands are working with indigenous botanicals, distinctive blends and locally grown ingredients.

South Africa is, of course, home to rooibos, which grows naturally in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape and nowhere else in the world. Honeybush, another indigenous South African plant, offers a naturally sweet, floral alternative. From heritage names to smaller producers, these are the local tea brands worth getting to know.

Carmién Tea

For an elevated take on South Africa's most famous infusion, Carmién Tea is a natural place to start. The brand produces, processes and markets its own rooibos, with its farms and contracted producers located across the recognised rooibos-growing regions of the Western and Northern Cape.

Its collection moves well beyond straightforward rooibos, with blends including Earl Grey Rooibos, Spicy Chai Rooibos, Honeybush and Rooibos, as well as floral and fruit-led infusions.

Carmién Tea celebrates South Africa’s rooibos heritage with fragrant blends that bring a fresh twist to the classic cup

Best for: Exploring rooibos beyond the classic cup.

Enmasse Tea Merchants

Cape Town-based Enmasse Tea Merchants takes a more eclectic approach to the daily tea ritual. Founded in 2011, the brand says its teas are blended in Cape Town and that it sources locally where feasible.

Its range includes everything from organic single-estate rooibos to black tea, Earl Grey and more inventive blends, making it a good option when your tea cupboard needs a little more variety. The No. 01 The Connoisseur, an organic plain rooibos, is particularly suited to anyone who prefers a deeper, more considered version of the South African classic.

Best for: Tea drinkers who want variety without losing a local connection.

LMC Rooibos Collection

Founded by Lize du Preez in 2018, LMC is a younger brand built around family heritage and rooibos farming. Its rooibos is sustainably sourced from the Citrusdal Valley, at the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains.

The collection includes pure rooibos alongside blends such as Cherry and Hibiscus, Rose and Vanilla, Pear and Elderflower, and Spicy Chai Rooibos. The packaging also makes the range particularly appealing for gifting.

LMC Rooibos combines Cederberg-grown rooibos with fruit, floral and spice notes for beautifully layered local infusions

Best for: Beautifully packaged teas and more adventurous rooibos blends.

Cup Classique

For something that feels distinctly contemporary, Johannesburg-based Cup Classique offers blends designed around South African ingredients and storytelling. Its flagship launched at 223 Jan Smuts Creative Hub in Rosebank in 2026, bringing tea tasting into a creative, gallery-like setting.

Blends include Savannah Glow, combining pineapple, rooibos and ginger, alongside Mango and Mint and other flavour combinations. It is a reminder that local tea doesn't have to be traditional to feel distinctly South African.

Cup Classique gives South African tea a contemporary edge with playful blends inspired by local ingredients and landscapes

Best for: Entertaining, gifting and discovering unexpected flavour combinations.

Mandela Tea

Mandela Tea takes its local identity particularly seriously, working with indigenous South African botanicals including rooibos, honeybush and buchu. According to the South African Honeybush Tea Association, its teas are made with organic ingredients.

For anyone interested in exploring teas beyond rooibos, buchu offers a distinctly Cape botanical character and makes this an interesting addition to the cupboard.

Mandela Tea explores South Africa’s indigenous botanicals, bringing rooibos, honeybush and buchu into distinctive blends

Best for: Exploring indigenous South African ingredients.

Look Beyond Rooibos

The beauty of South Africa's tea culture lies in its diversity. Rooibos may be the obvious starting point, but honeybush, buchu and locally blended botanical infusions reveal just how much there is to discover.

For a country whose indigenous plants are so closely tied to its landscapes, drinking local tea can be a small but meaningful way to connect with place — whether that means a straightforward cup of rooibos in the morning or an aromatic blend served slowly after dinner.

Credits

Images: Courtesy of Carmién, Enmasse Tea Merchants, LMC, Cup Classique, Mandela Tea, Pexels