Welcome to our tea tribe!

The more you get to know us, through our blogs, posts, email updates, and reviews from our lovely customers you’ll realize that Rooibos Rocks is more than just a refreshing and healthy beverage. It has become a community of like-minded individuals that share an attitude, an ethos, and an approach to life – kind of like a tribe. Describing it is hard because we’re talking about a vibe, a feeling, and a set of values that binds us all together.

The first tribe of Rooibos fans

When Europeans arrived in South Africa about 350 years ago they noticed that the local San people, who roamed the landscape in small groups, prized the Rooibos shrub for medicinal purposes. Archaeologists later discovered that these hunter-gatherers had inhabited the area since the Stone Age and had been living off the land’s natural resources for 125,000 years (that’s about 300 times longer than the US has existed as a national state!)

The newcomers realized they could learn a lot from these “primitive” locals and the rest, as far as Rooibos was concerned, is history. Right from the start Rooibos has felt like a well-kept secret shared amongst a select band of those “in the know”!

Crazy thing called love

Born in Britain, we first came to South Africa on honeymoon and immediately fell in love with this unique country, its amazing people and relaxed lifestyle.

Settling near Cape Town a few months later, and coming from a country where the “cuppa” is a way of life, we swiftly became addicted to the native brew. Maddie was five months pregnant so she was delighted to discover a deliciously refreshing caffeine-free beverage that boasts loads of other health benefits too. New country, new family, why not start a new business? And so Rooibos Rocks was born – the result of love and a crazy idea!

A whole country in one cuppa

Early on in our business journey, we realized we didn't want to just share our love of Rooibos tea but also for all things South African – the beautiful environment, the friendly people, the upbeat approach to life, and the vibrant culture of the Rainbow Nation. We’ve tried to capture a flavor of all this in the packaging, our marketing, and in the way we build relationships with our customers.

Passionate about quality, sustainability, and ethics

As part of this, we feel it our duty to give you the best possible taste of our adopted homeland. Living close to the Cederberg region we get actively involved in the hand-harvesting of the Rooibos plants and personally oversee the packing. We only select Grade A Premium Organic Rooibos Tea – certified 100% organic with no artificial flavors, preservatives, or additives.

We also love the fact that our teas are sustainably and ethically grown and that the proceeds are used to support the local indigenous farming families that grow and harvest it.

On a mission to make the world well

We were initially drawn to Rooibos by the distinctive and refreshing flavor. But the more we learned about its unique health benefits the more we wanted to spread the word. Modern lifestyles are having a very negative impact on our wellbeing, leading to rising levels of stress, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and allergies.

Research suggests that the unique properties of Rooibos can do much to counteract these harmful effects and help with all these conditions. Understanding how it does all this can get a bit complicated (you need a Ph.D. in biochemistry!). So, we tend to focus on the simple fact it is caffeine-free and contains compounds that counter stress. Hence our “creating moments of calm in a world of crazy” message – it’s a bit catchier than all those scientific papers!

Let’s Rock!

Following in the footsteps of those early San peoples we’ve learned just how precious Rooibos really is. And like them, we’ve gathered a growing band of followers who feel the same way. Not just about the tea, but life in general. That it is to be lived to the full by taking good care of ourselves, our loved ones, our fellow human beings, and our planet. That’s what we mean when we say Rooibos Rocks!