Rooibos tea is a staple in every South African home and much-loved Rooibos ice tea brand, BOS is not only sharing this superfood with the world, but are also on a mission for a more sustainable tomorrow. Trees and Rooibos may not be a combination you’re familiar with, but BOS and Greenpop are planting trees one Rooibos Ice Tea at a time.

Greenpop and BOS Ice Tea – an ever-growing partnership 

If you’ve been to one of Greenpop’s garden days or events, you know that they are synonymous with BOS Ice Tea. But did you know that for every 2000 cans of BOS Ice Tea sold, a tree is planted with Greenpop? As if we needed another excuse to enjoy this refreshing drink. 

BOS is Greenpop’s longest-standing donor – who joined the TREEvolution back in 2014. Since then they have planted 34653 with us to date. The work we do would not be possible without the support of longstanding, invaluable partners like BOS. 

“Through this special and longlasting partnership, we are able to give back to the beautiful planet we live on. It gives the BOS team extra energy to work hard, as we know the products we sell result in trees being planted. We are very proud of the work that Greenpop has been doing for years and look forward to our continued collaboration. Go for It, GO BOS and help us plant some trees!” – William Battersby, BOS CEO

BOS’ origins

BOS was founded in the Mother City, when Grant Rushmere, “a passionate, creative entrepreneur, set out on a mission to answer the question: Can you be healthy and still have fun?”

Grant’s quest took him to the Cederberg’s rolling hills and mountain peaks, where he met Richard Bowsher, an entrepreneur and organic rooibos farmer. As they say, the rest is history, a beautiful partnership was formed and the two set out to bring refreshing rooibos Ice Tea to the world.

BOS’ name stems from rooibos, but also from Afrikaans for “letting loose” or to “Go BOS”. This speaks to the heart of who BOS are: “BOS is more than just your average tea brand. We are crazy, quirky, optimistic and colourful.” 

The beauty of a rooibos tea field. Photograph by BOS Tea.

Rooibos tea benefits

Rooibos tea is a staple in every South African household and enjoyed as refreshing Ice Tea a hot cup of tea with milk and sugar, and its herbal, floral and honeylike flavour is even used in cakes and biscuits! 

Rooibos is made from the fynbos plant Aspalathus linearis, found growing on the west coast of South Africa. The plant is also indigenous to the Western Cape of South Africa and is mostly grown in the Cederberg Region. It is naturally low in tannins, is caffeine-free and packed full of antioxidants, which help prevent free-radical damage in the body. Two notable antioxidants in rooibos tea are quercetin and aspalathin. Aspalathin helps lower blood-glucose and quercetin “has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, the ability to regulate cell proliferation, and cytotoxicity against cancer cells.”

Thanks to businesses like BOS, rooibos tea has taken the world by storm as more international audiences find the benefits of this local superfood. BOS now sell in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and New Zealand.

Raeesa enjoys a refreshing BOS Ice Tea at Reforest Fest 2023. Photograph by Pauline Bautista.

More than just rooibos ice tea

It’s no secret that the food and beverage industry has a massive impact on the environment. BOS believes in the importance of giving back to nature and to people, and this vision is instilled in their business fabric and all that they do.

“Rooibos has a transformative impact on the rural communities as well as the rainbow nation in which it is grown.​ At BOS we know how important it is to give back, to our people and to the environment, and we are involved in a number of initiatives that do just that.” – William Battersby, CEO Bos Ice Tea

They’re organic from plant to can

BOS is committed to sustainable, organic farming from plant to can. They focus on biodiversity preservation and organic farming methods. 

This Ice Tea plants trees

For every 2000 units of BOS Ice Tea sold, a tree is planted with Greenpop, which will be planted at one of our restoration sites in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The perfect way to end off a morning of planting trees is with BOS Ice Tea. Photograph by Shari Lee Thompson.

They’re Rainforest Alliance Certified

BOS is Rainforest Alliance certified. The seal promotes collective action and allows consumers to make informed decisions.

“The Rainforest Alliance certification seal means that the product (or a specified ingredient) was produced by farmers, foresters, and/or companies working together to create a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.”

BOS gives back to the communities who discovered this precious resource

“Rooibos is in fact an ancient superfood that was discovered hundreds of years ago by the Khoi-Khoi and San communities. Today, we acknowledge the profound discovery of this indigenous resource by sharing the benefits with them through a Traditional Knowledge levy, where 1.5% of the average price of raw rooibos tea is paid to these communities.”

Win a trip to Paris with BOS and Siya Kolisi 

BOS’ drive to not only give back to the planet, but to people too marries perfectly in their recent campaign with the Kolisi Foundation. BOS recently partnered with the Kolisi Foundation, an organisation founded by Siya and Rachel Kolisi “with a vision to change the stories of inequality to see thriving communities.”

When you buy Siya Kolisi’s Limited Edition Peach Rooibos Ice Tea and share your picture here, you could stand a chance to win a trip to Paris. Competition ends on 5 November 2023.

We are so grateful for the longstanding partnership and support we have received from BOS. Their support has been invaluable in helping make the work we do to restore forest ecosystems possible. We look forward to planting more trees with BOS in the future.