South African Rooibos Council

What South African Rooibos Council does

The South African Rooibos Council (SARC) is a private, non-profit industry body founded in 2005 and headquartered in Stellenbosch, South Africa, representing the country's Rooibos sector. It functions as the central coordinating organization for an industry that produces approximately 20,000-22,600 metric tonnes of Rooibos annually from the Cederberg region, supports roughly 8,000 workers, and exports to more than 50 countries. SARC's roughly 10 member companies include processors, packers, and branders such as Rooibos Limited, AVI/National Brands, Joekels Tea Packers, BOS, Cape Natural Tea Products, African Extracts, Annique Health and Beauty, Skimmelberg, Cape Rooibos, and The Red T Company, plus a broader ecosystem of approximately 8,000 production workers.

SARC does not develop proprietary technology. Its core work centers on research coordination (funding clinical studies at institutions including CPUT and Stellenbosch University), quality standards development, processing guidelines, and the management of South Africa's Rooibos Geographical Indication and the EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status granted in May 2021 — the first African food product to receive PDO recognition. The Council also runs consumer-facing marketing programs (Rooibos Reset Challenge, National Rooibos Day on 16 January, the Rooibos Personality Quiz, recipe and beauty-treatment content hubs) and member coordination. Member-funded rather than product-selling, SARC's revenue model is built on recurring membership contributions from industry members, supplemented by grants such as the R4.8 million from South Africa's Department of Science and Innovation (2022) for research.

The Council's strategic agenda has expanded from domestic industry coordination to global category stewardship: it celebrated Rooibos crossing the 10,000-ton export threshold in 2025 (~10,930 tons, up from ~5,900 tons in 2015), welcomed zero-tariff access to China in 2026, and facilitated the world's first industry-wide Access and Benefit Sharing agreement that distributed R42.7 million to Traditional Knowledge holders between 2019 and 2024. Major export markets include Japan (33% of 2025 exports), France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, with growth initiatives targeting China, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

Name

South African Rooibos Council

Legal name

South African Rooibos Council

Website

https://sarooibos.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The South African Rooibos Council is a private, non-profit industry body founded in 2005 and headquartered in Stellenbosch that coordinates research, quality standards, and global marketing for the South African Rooibos industry, representing approximately 10 member processors, packers, and branders exporting to 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stellenbosch

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions: The South African Rooibos Council is funded by contributions from its diverse group of industry members, encompassing Rooibos processors, packers, and branders committed to the growth and sustainability of the Rooibos sector.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The South African Rooibos Council is an industry trade body that provides research coordination, quality standards, marketing, advocacy, and regulatory protection (including EU PDO and South African GI) for the South African Rooibos sector. It is funded by membership contributions from Rooibos processors, packers, and branders, and operates programs such as the Rooibos Reset Challenge, National Rooibos Day, and consumer education initiatives to grow demand for Rooibos globally.

Product overview

The South African Rooibos Council (SARC) is an industry organization that promotes and protects the Rooibos industry, representing member companies including African Extracts Rooibos, Annique Health and Beauty, BOS, Cape Natural Tea Products, Cape Rooibos, Joekels Tea Packers, AVI, Rooibos Limited, Skimmelberg, and The Red T Company. The council supports its members in promoting Rooibos herbal tisane products including Traditional (Red) Rooibos, Green Rooibos, Organic Rooibos, and flavoured blends. SARC also promotes Rooibos through consumer engagement tools like the Rooibos Personality Quiz, Rooibos Reset Challenge competitions, beauty treatment guides, and culinary recipes. The council coordinates industry standards, research initiatives, and global marketing efforts for the Rooibos sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• R42.7 million shared with Traditional Knowledge holders (2019-2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Agricultural Research Council (Infruitec/Nietvoorbij)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Agricultural Research Council (Infruitec) in South Africa developed Green Rooibos in 1995 and continues to collaborate on Rooibos research, including studies on polyphenols, antioxidants, and agricultural optimization. Professor Elizabeth Joubert from the Council contributes to ongoing research.
• Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPUT leads clinical Rooibos studies under Dr. Jeanine Marnewick, investigating health benefits including antioxidant effects and cardiovascular health. The university received R4.8 million in funding from the Department of Science and Innovation for Rooibos research.
• Stellenbosch UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers from Stellenbosch University have conducted studies on Rooibos' anti-diabetic properties, including how aspalathin improves glucose uptake and insulin secretion. Studies also explore stress reduction and cortisol regulation.
• Traditional Knowledge HolderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe industry-wide Access and Benefit Sharing agreement, the first of its kind globally, shared R42.7 million with Traditional Knowledge holders between 2019 and 2024, compensating indigenous communities for their traditional knowledge of Rooibos.
• Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB)supportingOthersPPECB ensures that all exported Rooibos products pass plant health and safety inspection and are certified to be free of bacteria and impurities, maintaining quality standards for international markets.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tea Association of the USA: U.S. trade association for the tea industry, conducting research, consumer education, and advocacy; comparable as another national industry body representing a tea category to trade, retail, and government stakeholders.
• International Tea Committee: International body that collects and publishes global tea statistics and production data; comparable to SARC as a coordinating trade-statistics and standards entity, operating at global rather than national scope.
• Indian Tea Association: Oldest tea industry association in India, representing producers, traders, and brand owners; comparable as a national tea trade body that handles research, advocacy, and market development similar to SARC.
• UK Tea & Infusions Association: Industry trade body representing tea packers, blenders, and branders in the UK — directly comparable as a national/regional tea industry council performing standards, advocacy, and consumer education, similar to SARC's role for Rooibos.
• Tea Board of Kenya: Statutory industry body for Kenyan tea, combining regulatory, research, and marketing functions for the country's tea sector; comparable as an African tea industry body with a similar mandate to SARC, though operating in a different tea category.

Others

• Specialty Coffee Association: Global trade association for the specialty coffee industry, conducting research, education, and events; comparable as an adjacent beverage-industry trade body with similar research, standards, and consumer-engagement functions as SARC.
• International Coffee Organization: Intergovernmental organization for coffee, bringing together exporting and importing countries to address industry challenges; comparable as a global coffee-industry coordinating body analogous to SARC's role for Rooibos, though operating at intergovernmental level.

Direct peers

• Hortgro (Deciduous Fruit Industry South Africa): South African industry body for the deciduous fruit sector, representing growers and exporters in research, marketing, and trade advocacy; directly comparable as a South African agricultural industry trade association with a similar collective-marketing and research mandate to SARC.
• Wine South Africa (WOSA): South African industry body promoting exports of South African wine; directly comparable as a fellow South African agricultural industry council funded by members, focused on international market development and origin-based marketing, structurally identical to SARC.

Regional players

• Ceylon Tea Traders Association: Sri Lankan tea trade body representing traders, exporters, and brokers; comparable as a national tea industry trade association focused on exports and market standards, similar in structure to SARC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rooiboscouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-african-rooibos-council

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about South African Rooibos Council