The Honeybush Company, South Africa
Formerly known as The Langkloof Honeybush Company, home to several indigenous honeybush species
Sustainable harvesting and regenerative cultivation of honeybush
The Langkloof is situated along the R62, a scenic route in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This is a geographically varied region, inhabited by diverse communities who either live in small towns, or tucked away along winding dirt roads. Grounded was introduced to the region by an NGO partner who identified it as a critical ecosystem for its importance as a catchment area, supplying the downstream city of Port Elizabeth with water.
The area is a locus for apple farming in South Africa, a crop that requires heavy irrigation. It is also rich in biodiversity, home to several indigenous honeybush species. Although honeybush is currently threatened by extinction because of overharvesting, when gathered correctly, it is an interesting alternative to water-taxing apple farming. Honeybush can be processed into a tasty and healthy herbal tea, or into extracts used in food or cosmetics.
We decided to work together with a group of farmers, harvesters, and an NGO partner, to create a company that would promote the sustainable harvesting and regenerative cultivation of honeybush. The Honeybush Company (formerly known as The Langkloof Honeybush Company) was established in 2018 and is now working hard to get these fantastic teas and products to market. This is not without its challenges, but the team is dedicated to creating a high quality product that contributes significantly to water-secure farming methods, and protects the critical biodiversity in this area.
We did it!
In March 2021, the World Tea Virtual Summit announced the Langkloof Honeybush Company (now known as The Honeybush Company) as the winner of the Tea Tycoon award in the Green/Sustainability category, edging out 9 semi-finalists and 70 entrants from around the world! We were commended as “a business that focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs,” and earned ourselves a booth at The World Tea Expo 2021 in June 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. We couldn’t be prouder of the positive response we received.
Impact to date
This impact cannot be attributed to Grounded’s work alone, but rather is an achievement of the partners working together on the landscape. And of course these are just numbers; if you want to read more about this project and it’s challenges and achievements, we highly recommend reading our blog.
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Products
Honeybush tea
We provide both ‘single origin’ as well as carefully selected blends of honeybush tea. The caffeine-free tea produced by fermenting these species has a sweet honey flavour and several health-promoting properties, thanks to antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds.
Dried honeybush
Honeybush extracts have powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, and are a popular additive in ready-to-drink products, cosmetics, nutra-ceuticals and pharmaceuticals.
Operating company partners
