South Africa produces over 20,000 metric tonnes of rooibos each year - powering more than 10 billion cups consumed globally - yet few international drinkers know the dramatic Cederberg mountains behind every sip.
That could soon change as rooibos seeds prepare to travel to the International Space Station in October 2026.
Beyond the scientific headline, tourism experts see a massive opportunity to connect global recognition to a physical place.
By combining geographical exclusivity, space science, and local culture, the Cederberg is positioning itself to become South Africa’s next major travel route, turning a daily household beverage into an immersive, multi-day wellness destination.
A consumer in Japan, Germany, France or the United Kingdom may know the distinctive taste of rooibos without knowing much about the Cederberg, the farmers who produce it or the landscapes and communities behind every cup.
When the rooibos seeds are exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation before returning to Earth, scientists will compare them with control seeds to determine how the conditions affect their germination and growth.
The project brings together agriculture, space science and education through a partnership involving the South African Rooibos Council, MaxIQ Space and the South African National Space Agency, as well as schools and farmers in the Cederberg.
For tourism, however, the bigger question is what happens after the space headlines disappear.
From rooibos to a reason to travel
Professor Martinette Kruger, from North-West University’s Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) research unit, believes rooibos can be much more than an agricultural product.
“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.”
That geographical exclusivity could become one of Cederberg’s biggest tourism assets.
In 2021, rooibos became the first African food product to receive Protected Designation of Origin status from the European Union, meaning only rooibos from the designated South African production area can be marketed under that name in the EU.
The product already has global recognition. The tourism opportunity is to connect that recognition to a place.
“International visitors are increasingly looking for authentic, place-based experiences that cannot be replicated elsewhere,” Kruger says.
Cederberg already offers the raw ingredients for such an experience: dramatic mountains, hiking, rock art, stargazing, farms and a distinctive cultural landscape. Rooibos could become the thread connecting them.
Could rooibos become South Africa’s next wine route?
Kruger believes rooibos has the potential to do for the Cederberg what wine has done for the Cape Winelands.
The idea is not simply to take visitors on a tea tasting. It is to give rooibos a reason to visit its place of origin.
Research by TREES and Curtin University has explored this potential, with students visiting the Cederberg in February 2026 to develop tourism products, branding concepts and marketing strategies around rooibos.
The emerging vision positions the Cederberg as the “home of rooibos” - a destination where visitors can experience the landscape, people and culture behind the drink.
Rooibos tourism already exists in and around Clanwilliam, with farm tours, processing visits and tastings available alongside hiking, rock art and other attractions.
The opportunity is to make those experiences more immersive.
Beyond the tea tasting
Kruger says travellers increasingly want experiences rather than stand-alone attractions.
That could mean wellness retreats featuring rooibos, sunrise yoga, blending workshops, rooibos-infused dining, spa treatments, guided mountain hikes, indigenous storytelling and stargazing.
A visitor could spend several days moving from a working rooibos farm to a Cederberg trail, from a tasting experience to a wellness retreat, before ending the evening beneath one of the region’s spectacular night skies.
“The future of rooibos tourism should not be another tea tasting,” Kruger says. “It should be a multi-day experience where visitors leave feeling healthier, more connected to nature and with a much deeper understanding of the people and landscape that produce rooibos.”
Turning space tourism into Cederberg tourism
The biggest challenge will be converting international media attention into actual travel.
“The space mission provides a global story that immediately makes rooibos newsworthy beyond the tea industry,” Kruger says.
“The challenge is ensuring that every international media story points people back to the Cederberg.”
That means the tourism message cannot stop at “rooibos went to space”.
It needs to become: “Come and discover where rooibos comes from.”
One proposal is a permanent “Rooibos to Space” interpretation centre in Clanwilliam, where visitors could follow the seeds’ journey to the International Space Station while learning about the plant, its environment and the people who produce it.
Combined with farm visits, wellness, indigenous astronomy and outdoor activities, the space story could become a gateway into the wider Cederberg experience.
A tourism opportunity for the community
For the region, success should ultimately be measured by more than visitor numbers.
“Tourism should not replace farming; it should add value to it,” Kruger says.
That means ensuring that farmers, accommodation providers, guides, restaurants, wellness practitioners and artisans all benefit from the growth of rooibos tourism.
The next phase of the research will examine domestic and international tourists’ awareness of rooibos and the Cederberg, as well as which experiences and marketing messages are most likely to encourage visits.
The space mission could introduce millions of people to rooibos. The challenge - and opportunity - is to get those people to take the next step. Not just to drink rooibos. But to travel to the place that makes it possible.
zamandosi.cele@nationalmg.co.za