MEET OUR
TEA MASTER
Deon Zandberg has Rooibos in his veins. Having grown up on a Rooibos farm, he is one of the most experienced Rooibos experts in the country.
At the helm of our agri division, he ensures all our producers have the support they need to produce high-quality Rooibos.
A life with Rooibos
Deon Zandberg and his colleague Arri van Wyk have known each other since early childhood. A tradition that has run through both their families for generations, making and drinking Rooibos from an early age has instilled in them a deep love and passion for the industry.
A network of farms across the Western Cape
Cape Natural Tea Products sources the highest quality Rooibos tea from over 150 farmers across the Western Cape. Managing the annual cycle is one of Deon's biggest challenges. It is vital to ensure that the right amount of quality tea arrives at the tea courts for primary processing at the right time - a process the requires a full-time hands-on approach.
How Rooibos is made
From seed to farmlands
Windfallen seeds are carefully gathered from the farmlands, prepared for germination, and planted in nurseries. At the right age, they are carefully planted onto the farmlands.
From growth to harvest
Various steps are taken to ensure the plants grow well for optimal harvest. Nine months after an initial top-harvest, the tea is hand-cut with sickles, bound, and immediately transported to the tea courts.
Primary processing
At the tea courts, the wet tea is cut and undergoes a fermentation process under the baking African sun. When full aroma and sweetness develops, the tea is dried and transported to our Cape Town facility for final refining.
