Rooibos Eyed as South Africa's Wine-Tourism Story
North-West University and Curtin University researchers say rooibos could anchor Cederberg tourism the way wine anchors the Winelands, and have proposed a permanent "Rooibos to Space" interpretation centre in Clanwilliam.
Rooibos grows in one small corner of the world, and researchers now argue South Africa should sell that fact to travellers the way it sells the Cape Winelands.
Findings published this week by North-West University's Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) unit, in collaboration with Curtin University in Australia, propose that rooibos become a tourism destination brand for the country, anchored in the Cederberg region where the red bush is the only place on Earth the plant is grown commercially. The European Union recognised that in 2021, granting rooibos protected designation of origin status and restricting the name to the plant grown in its home region.
"Rooibos combines biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, wellness, agriculture and culture into one compelling story that is uniquely South African," said Prof. Martinette Kruger, who led the research. Rooibos is "much more than a beverage; it is a destination brand because it can only be produced in one small part of the world," she said.
Among the study's recommendations is a permanent "Rooibos to Space" interpretation centre in the town of Clanwilliam. The name refers to a separate initiative already scheduled for October 2026, when rooibos seeds are due to travel to the International Space Station under a project run by the South African Rooibos Council, MaxIQ Space and the South African National Space Agency, with students from seven Cederberg-region schools taking part.
The researchers also propose immersive multi-day visitor experiences built around wellness, adventure, gastronomy and indigenous heritage, and recommend that tourism be structured through collaborative local business models so it supplements rather than displaces farming. "Tourism should not replace farming; it should add value to it," Kruger said.
In February 2026, NWU tourism students visited the Cederberg to work with local stakeholders on developing tourism products. A next phase of research will identify which marketing messages are most likely to convert international awareness of rooibos into visits to the region.
The findings were reported by NWU's official news site and independently by the Potchefstroom Herald, which noted that Kruger was recently awarded an NRF C2 rating.
Sources: North-West University, Potchefstroom Herald