What is bush tea? Why is research on high-value crops vital and how has Unisa academe contributed to such research? What is the botanical and medicinal significance of bush tea, what role does it play in our everyday lives? And can such research be integrated with the National Industry Policy Framework and New Growth Path? These key questions formed part of Prof. Fhatuwani Mudau’s inaugural lecture on 13 March. Pictured are Prof. Maggi Linington (Executive Dean: College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences), Prof. Fhatuwani Mudau (Department of Agriculture and Health: College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences), Prof. Rita Maré (Vice-Principal Academic: Teaching and Learning), and Dr Khayalethu Ntushelo (Department of Agriculture and Health: College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences).
Another Unisa researcher has contributed to fundamental knowledge production and guidance for the country and continent, this time in the field of agricultural sciences, with specific reference to the herbal tea industry.
In delivering his inaugural lecture on High-value crops as a strategic focus area for the National Industry Policy Framework and New Growth Path: Prospects for future industrialisation, Professor Fhatuwani Mudaufrom the Department of Agriculture and Health saidfindings from his research on the herbal tea industry, in particular, bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC), revealed that it could become a commercial product in South Africa leading to the establishment of a new beverage and medicinal industry.
The herbal tea industry, he said, was a targeted sector within the Department of Trade and Industry’s (dti) National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF), and its developmental role specifically relates to the beneficiation of a unique, indigenous natural resource – with a natural competitive advantage – with significant export potential.
Could bush tea be this unique, indigenous natural resource the NIPF speaks of? According to Mudau’s research, which is extensive and has been published in scientific journals, the answer is yes. “These initial works have a potential for the establishment of a huge herbal tea industry in South Africa. We believe that the quality of bush tea can be improved with the application of judicial agronomic management … The ultimate vision of this bush tea research is to commercialise bush tea with the aim of creating a new industry and jobs in rural areas, thus making science a major driver of job creation.”
Mudauexplained that high-value crops – with specific reference to bush tea – position themselves as a strategic focus in the NIPF and the NGP, highlighting key objectives such as facilitating diversification beyond the economy’s current reliance on traditional commodities and non-tradable services, promoting a labour-absorbing industrialisation path, with the emphases on tradable labour-absorbing goods and services and economic linkages that create employment, and promoting industrialisation, characterised by increased participation of historically disadvantaged people and marginalised regions in the industrial economy.
“The development of the new industry will aim at supporting the growth and development of the economy considering the South African national key priority areas … We see the agro-industry sector as a major economic drive as compared to other sectors in the economy, despite the challenges that the sector is experiencing in the Western Cape and other parts of South Africa. To the employers of this sector in the country, we cannot build over the years, and destroy.”
In addition to the economic impacts of his research, Mudau’s lecture also explored the botanical and medicinal significance of bush tea. Medicinal significance, amongst other things, includes purifying blood and treating boils, headaches, infested wounds, and coughs and colds.
Bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC)
He also explained the importance of his research on furthering the information available on the herbal tea industry. “In pursuit of knowledge and the foundation of building wealth for ordinary South Africans, I have no doubt that this project will contribute towards the creation of wealth as well as providing the health benefits for which this plant species is known. In line with the social mandate of Unisa, this project can play a critical role in the economic and social transformation of our country.”
Mudau said while bush tea research is relatively new, the theories he has developed have been cited extensively. “To date, we boast 91 citations and a Hirsch index of six. I have no doubt that bush tea research has immensely contributed to the creation of new knowledge in my field and has also established my reputation as a researcher.”
He added: “The work done on bush tea can form the basis of research in other South African herbal teas such as honeybush tea and Cape rooibos. Currently, the honeybush and rooibos tea industries are struggling to formulate agronomic management strategies, and this poses a threat to their growth. The current approach of the bush tea research is based on the investment guidelines of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), for which I had the privilege to work as a scientist and dealmaker. The current model can also be emulated by other industries of high-value crops.”
Bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC) is a plant indigenous to South Africa and is commonly known as bushman’s tea (English), Boesmanstee (Afrikaans), Icholocholo, itshelo, umthsanelo (Zulu). It is an herbaceous plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family.
People of South Africa have predominantly used it throughout history as a medicinal tea, for cleansing or purifying the blood, treating boils, headaches, infested wounds, cuts and the solution may also be used as a foam bath. The foam bath brew can also be used as lotion dabbed on to the boil, skin eruption or cut.
The tea is also excellent for coughs and colds and as a gargle for throat infections and loss of voice. It is also believed to have aphrodisiac properties in some parts of southern Africa. (In Tshivenda, bush tea is known as mutshaila muri u sa liwi nga khombe, which means the plant which is not supposed to be eaten by bachelors.) The leaves contain 5-hydroxy-6,7,8,3’,4’,5’-hexamethoxy flavon-3-ol as a new flavonol which is a recently discovered flavonoid.
Today, herbal tea cultivation is a big business in many parts of the world. South Africa is well known for its indigenous herbal tea production such as honey bush, rooibos and bush tea. There are increasing demands for such products, especially in the light of growing health consciousness worldwide. This has seen the establishment and revival of bush tea as a healthy herbal beverage alternative to caffeine-containing beverages.
