San, Khoi & Rooibos Factsheet

The document establishes the San and Khoi people as the original knowledge holders of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), citing a 2014 South African government study. It outlines the legal framework for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) under the Convention on Biological Diversity and South African law, and notes ongoing negotiations between the rooibos industry and the National Khoi & San Council and South African San Council to ensure compliance with bioprospecting regulations.

• A 2014 study commissioned by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs concluded that the traditional knowledge associated with rooibos and honeybush belongs to the San and Khoi people, who have used the plants for generations to treat ailments and for cosmetic purposes.
• While community members and some academics assert that rooibos knowledge stems from the Khoi and San, interviews with industry representatives reveal a perception that the link between local communities and the origin of this traditional knowledge is weak.
• South Africa regulates the commercial exploitation of biodiversity through the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) of 2004 and the Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing (BABS) Regulation of 2008, aligned with the international Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol.
• The South African Minister of Environmental Affairs endorsed recommendations that the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) inform the sector that there is no evidence to dispute the San and Khoi's role as knowledge holders and encourage bioprospecting projects to negotiate benefit-sharing agreements with these communities.
• The National Khoi & San Council and the South African San Council are currently negotiating with the South African Rooibos Industry to ensure the industry meets its benefit-sharing obligations under national bioprospecting law.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). San, Khoi & Rooibos Factsheet. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/San-Khoi-Rooibos-Factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. San, Khoi & Rooibos Factsheet. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/San-Khoi-Rooibos-Factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=San, Khoi & Rooibos Factsheet |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/San-Khoi-Rooibos-Factsheet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendsan, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{San, Khoi \& Rooibos Factsheet}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/San-Khoi-Rooibos-Factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }