Carmién Tea
Carmién Tea is a South African rooibos tea company (founded 1999, Citrusdal) that processes and markets naturally caffeine-free teas, RTD sparkling beverages, gin, cordials, and teaware to health-conscious consumers, women, families, hospitality buyers, and international B2B clients, including in Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Carmién Tea does
Carmién Tea (Pty) Ltd is a South African privately-held rooibos tea company founded in 1999 and headquartered at Bergendal Farm in Citrusdal, Western Cape—the Cederberg Mountains region where rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) grows exclusively. The company processes, blends, packages, and markets a broad portfolio centered on naturally caffeine-free rooibos, spanning Pure Rooibos, Green Rooibos, Women's Health blends (pregnancy, nursing, menopause), Wellness & Detox blends (with adaptogens such as ashwagandha, lion's mane, CBD), Fruit & Herbal Infusions, Flavour Infusions, Kiddies Teas, Cold Brew formats, Ready-to-Drink Sparkling Ice Teas (canned), Rooibos Distilled Gin, Cordials, Smoothie Blends with collagen, and Pet Supplements. The Lize Mouton Collection (LMC), launched in 2018, operates as a premium female-founded sub-brand across pyramid teas and teaware (cast iron, glass, travel cups, tins). Notable proprietary technology includes cold-water-specific flavour granules for cold brew, PLA compostable pyramid teabags, Bioweb sustainable filter paper, and rooibos espresso formats, with vertical integration extending from farm to retail.
The business operates a hybrid B2C and B2B model: direct-to-consumer sales through carmientea.co.za with a Tea Club rewards program, national retail pharmacy and supermarket distribution (Clicks, Dis-Chem, Spar, Wellness Warehouse, Babies R Us, BabyCity), a B2B wholesale and stockist channel for hospitality (guesthouses, offices, restaurants) with private-label services, and an international B2B presence anchored by a dedicated Tokyo sales office serving Japan and other markets. Pricing is in South African Rand across unit-priced SKUs (e.g., Pure Rooibos pouch R49; Wellness blends R39-R99; Sparkling Ice Teas R33-R752 by pack size; Rooibos Gin R79-R489), with free-delivery thresholds of R500 (B2C) and R1000 (B2B). The company is governed by seven directors (WJ Mouton, JE du Preez, CP Mouton, AJ Mouton, M Ras, JP van Zyl, J Douries), with the Mouton family's multi-generational rooibos farming heritage underpinning operations and the Lize Mouton Collection partnering with the Mouton Foundation on community development. Recent recognition includes 2026 Excellent Taste Awards (Gold for Orange Chamomile and Apple Blueberry Kiddies Cold Brew; Silver for LMC Cherry and Hibiscus), and the company operates a physical tea shop and tasting room at De Tol Farm Deli on the Piekenierskloof Pass.
Carmién Tea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carmién Tea
- Legal name
- Carmién Tea (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://carmientea.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Carmién Tea is a South African rooibos tea company (founded 1999, Citrusdal) that processes and markets naturally caffeine-free teas, RTD sparkling beverages, gin, cordials, and teaware to health-conscious consumers, women, families, hospitality buyers, and international B2B clients, including in Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carmién Tea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Herbal Tea
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Ethnic Beverages Wholesale (Specialty/Import) (AFAIAIAG)
Keywords
Where Carmién Tea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
Carmién Tea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Retail sales through own e-commerce platform (carmientea.co.za) offering full product range including teas, teaware, gifts, and specialty products directly to South African consumers.
- B2B Wholesale and Stockist: Wholesale pricing for registered stockists and B2B agents. Orders over R1000 delivered free in South Africa. Includes bulk rooibos sales, private label programs, and branded product partnerships.
- International Bulk and Private Label: Global packed and bulk sales for international markets including Japan. Private label services for businesses wanting custom branded rooibos products.
- Rooibos Distilled Gin: Value-added product line featuring rooibos-infused gin (Citrus Chai and Floral Berry flavors) in 500ml bottles, 50ml mini tasters, and gift combinations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pure Rooibos products from R25-R65 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wellness teas R39-R99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Women's teas R39-R49 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sparkling Ice Teas R33-R752 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Teaware R59-R529 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk/ Hospitality Envelopes R258-R270 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rooibos Gin R79-R489 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Carmién Tea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carmi\u00e9n Tea processes, packages, and sells a portfolio of naturally caffeine-free rooibos-based teas, herbal infusions, cold brew teas, sparkling iced teas, espresso and instant rooibos, distilled gin, cordials, smoothie blends, and supporting teaware for South African consumers, hospitality businesses, and international B2B clients. The company sources rooibos from the Cederberg region in South Africa and offers private label and bulk rooibos programs through dedicated B2B sales channels including a Japan office.
Product overview
Carmién Tea is a South African rooibos tea company offering a diverse portfolio centered on caffeine-free herbal teas made from Aspalathus linearis grown in the Cederberg Mountains. The core product range includes Pure Rooibos, Green Rooibos, Women's Teas (with formulations for pregnancy, nursing, and menopause), Wellness & Detox blends (targeting stress, focus, gut health, and immunity), Fruit & Herbal Infusions, Flavour Infusions, and Kiddies Teas. The company extends its portfolio with specialty products including Cold Brew Teas (for cold water extraction), Sparkling Ice Teas (ready-to-drink), Rooibos Distilled Gin, Cordials, and Smoothie Blends with collagen. The Lize Mouton Collection (LMC) serves as a premium sub-brand featuring elegant pyramid tea blends. Supporting the tea products is an extensive teaware line including cast iron and glass teapots, burners, cups, travel bottles, strainers, and decorative tea tins. B2B services include bulk rooibos sales, private label manufacturing, and hospitality supply. The company also operates a physical tea shop and tasting room at De Tol Farm Deli in Citrusdal. Eco-friendly packaging is emphasized with PLA compostable pyramid teabags, Bioweb cold brew filters, and Fibre+ non-plastic pillow teabags.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lize Mouton Collection (LMC): A premium female-founded South African sub-brand launched in 2018, celebrating South African heritage with tastefully designed rooibos tea blends. Conceived at the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains near Citrusdal, the collection targets individuals with busy yet healthy lifestyles who appreciate premium, innovative, and trendy products. Each LMC tea blend is specially selected by founder Lize Mouton and handcrafted by an expert team of tea makers. In partnership with Carmién Tea and Mouton Foundation, LMC is committed to empowering farmworkers and community development. The collection includes floral, fruit, and classic tea blends in pyramid teabags and loose leaf formats, as well as branded teaware items including cast iron teapots, glassware, travel mugs, and tea tins.
Products and services
- Pure Rooibos Tea
Quantifiable outcome
- 2026 Excellent Taste Award London - Gold Award for Orange Chamomile and Apple Blueberry Kiddies Cold Brew
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Carmién Tea
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Carmién Tea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Carmién Tea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- De Tol Farm DelicoreDe Tol Farm Deli hosts the Carmién Tea Shop and Tasting Room at the top of the Piekenierskloof Pass on the N7. This physical retail location provides immersive rooibos experiences for visitors, serving as a destination for the Rooibos Tea Route tourism circuit.
- Mouton FoundationminorPartnership with Mouton Foundation for farmworker empowerment and community development in the Citrusdal valley. In collaboration with Lize Mouton Collection brand, supporting social impact initiatives in the rooibos farming community.
- Clicks South AfricacoreMajor retail pharmacy chain distributing Carmién Tea products. Currently running 3-for-2 promotional campaigns making products accessible to Clicks' national customer base.
- Dis-Chem PharmaciescoreHealth-focused pharmacy retail chain distributing wellness and kiddies tea ranges. Products available at Dis-Chem stores nationwide.
- SparcoreSupermarket chain distributing Carmién Tea products including Energise and Kiddies Cold Brew ranges across Spar stores.
- Wellness WarehouseminorHealth and wellness focused retail chain distributing Carmién Tea products emphasizing the health benefits of rooibos.
- Babies R Us South AfricaminorBaby products retailer distributing Carmién Kiddies tea range for babies and young children.
- BabyCityminorBaby products retailer distributing Carmién Kiddies tea range including Kiddies Cold Brew products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Carmién Tea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rooibos Ltd: Rooibos Ltd is a major South African rooibos producer and supplier operating in the same single-origin botanical category as Carmién, competing directly for bulk export, private-label, and branded rooibos customers globally.
- Celestial Seasonings: Celestial Seasonings (Hain Celestial) is a US herbal/wellness tea CPG brand offering sleep, relaxation, and wellness blends — a directly comparable caffeine-free herbal tea portfolio to Carmién's Wellness range.
- Yogi Tea: Yogi Tea is a US functional/herbal tea brand with wellness-positioned blends and certifications, directly comparable to Carmién's Wellness, Women's, and Kiddies functional tea lines in product positioning and retail channel.
- Traditional Medicinals: Traditional Medicinals is a US herbal tea company positioned around functional health benefits (digestion, pregnancy, sleep), competing in the same therapeutic/wellness tea category as Carmién's Women's and Wellness blends.
- Republic of Tea: Republic of Tea is a premium specialty tea brand offering curated loose-leaf and bagged teas with a focus on health and lifestyle; comparable to Carmién's Lize Mouton Collection premium sub-brand in market positioning and price tier.
- T2 Tea: T2 Tea is a premium specialty tea retailer with curated blends, physical tea bars, and teaware — directly comparable to Carmién's premium positioning, gift/teaware cross-sell model, and in-person tasting/tea shop experience.
Broad incumbents
- Twinings: Twinings is a global incumbent tea brand owned by AB Food with broad herbal, black, and green tea offerings; competes with Carmién in retail tea aisles and hospitality bulk supply but at vastly larger scale and category breadth.
- Bigelow Tea: Bigelow Tea is a US family-owned incumbent tea brand offering specialty blends in retail and hospitality; comparable to Carmién in family ownership, specialty tea focus, and US/international distribution ambitions, but at materially larger scale.
- Honest Tea: Honest Tea is a bottled/RTD organic iced tea brand (Coca-Cola) with a comparable health-positioned, lower-sugar product to Carmién's Sparkling Ice Tea line, though operating at significantly broader distribution scale.
- Pure Leaf: Pure Leaf (PepsiCo/Unilever) is a major RTD iced tea brand directly comparable to Carmién's Sparkling Ice Tea range as a ready-to-drink caffeinated/functional tea competitor in retail cold beverage aisles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Carmién Tea social profiles
Digital presenceCarmién Tea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carmién Tea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Carmién Tea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carmién Tea M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carmién Tea
What does Carmién Tea do?
Carmi\u00e9n Tea processes, packages, and sells a portfolio of naturally caffeine-free rooibos-based teas, herbal infusions, cold brew teas, sparkling iced teas, espresso and instant rooibos, distilled gin, cordials, smoothie blends, and supporting teaware for South African consumers, hospitality businesses, and international B2B clients. The company sources rooibos from the Cederberg region in South Africa and offers private label and bulk rooibos programs through dedicated B2B sales channels including a Japan office.
Is Carmién Tea a public or private company?
Carmién Tea is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Carmién Tea founded?
Carmién Tea was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Carmién Tea based?
Carmién Tea is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Carmién Tea make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are B2B Wholesale and Stockist, international Bulk and Private Label and rooibos Distilled Gin.
Who are Carmién Tea's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rooibos Ltd, Celestial Seasonings, Yogi Tea, Traditional Medicinals, Republic of Tea and T2 Tea. Broad incumbents are Twinings, Bigelow Tea, Honest Tea and Pure Leaf.
Does Carmién Tea have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carmién Tea.
What industry is Carmién Tea in?
Carmién Tea's product category is Specialty Herbal Tea. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAE, Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates), with a secondary code of CRAHAGAI, Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories). Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 2080.