The South African rooibos export market steadily increased from 5 900t in 2015 to 9 700t in 2024. Since 2020 Japan has consistently been the top export destination for rooibos, with Germany, the Netherlands, UK, US and France regularly being in the top five.
This was according to Marthane Swart from the secretariat of the Rooibos Council. The top 10 destinations for rooibos in 2024 accounted for 86% of total exports; volumes exported to these markets are indicated in the table below.
| Country | Total kg | % of total exports |
| Japan | 2 909 760 | 30% |
| Germany | 1 625 040 | 17% |
| Netherlands | 955 987 | 10% |
| UK | 656 073 | 7% |
| France | 567 538 | 6% |
| US | 430 312 | 4% |
| China | 323 935 | 3% |
| Botswana | 322 981 | 3% |
| Poland | 291 625 | 3% |
| Zimbabwe | 280 110 | 3% |
| Total | 8 363 360 | 86% |
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Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Swart said exports from South Africa to China have steadily grown over the years, and in 2023 China was one of the top 10 countries for rooibos exports and remained so in 2024.
“The export tariffs for rooibos were, before 2024, inordinately high at between 15% and 30%. This was addressed through a bilaterial engagement with China thanks to the assistance of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, resulting in a reduction of tariffs to 6%, effective from 1 January 2024,” Swart added.
Over the past decade, South African rooibos production has fluctuated, with annual yields between 10 000t and 18 000t influenced by factors such as rainfall and plantings.
Production currently is on a slight downward curve with 17 000t in 2023, 14 000t in 2024 and an expected 13 000t for the 2025 harvest.
