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Joekels
South African tea company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Joekels Tea Packers (Pty) Ltd (Joekels) is a South African tea company. It was established in 1994 and now includes the second-largest Rooibos tea brand in the world, Laager Rooibos. [1] The company packs about 95% of all Private Label Tea products in South Africa. The team started with Phendula Tips, followed by Tea Time. They now include seven brands, including Tetley Green Tea and Laager Tea4Kidz.[2][3]
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Joekels Tea Packers was founded in 1994 by Joe Swart, an accountant and Jonathan Kelsey, a qualified tea taster. Kelsey, the company's tea blender, is the only South African tea taster with an insured tongue.[4][5][6]
With limited resources, the pair combined their skills and finances, working from Joe's mom's garage using a domestic cement mixer (nicknamed 'Old Faithful') to blend the tea.[7][6]
The company started with five staff members and one brand, Phendula Tips, tea meaning 'to turn around' in Zulu, mirroring the nation's transformation. This launched in 1994. Within three years, they had moved into a bigger space, launched the brand Tea Time, and won the Sanlam Entrepreneur of the Year award.[4]
In 2003, Joekels bought Laager Rooibos, the second-oldest Rooibos brand in the world. Joekels founded the first-ever children's tea in South Africa in 2001 with its Laager Tea4Kidz brand (originally Phendula Tea4Kidz). They went on to launch two variants with added Vitamin C - also a first for the segment.[1][8][9]
In 2006, FMCG firm Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL) acquired 33 per cent of shares in Joekels Tea Packers and later purchased a majority share. [10] Tata Consumer Products Overseas Holdings Ltd (TCP Overseas) - a step-down wholly-owned subsidiary of the company through Tata Consumer Products UK Group - purchased the share capital from its Joint-Venture partners.[11][12][13][14]
In 2008, Joekels bought Teeco and Southall's, and in 2012, commenced packing most Private Label Tea in South Africa.[9][15]
In 2015, Joekels took out an insurance policy on Jonathan Kelsey's tongue and taste buds to ensure consistency in premium quality products.[5][16]
Rooibos is only grown in one region worldwide - the Cederberg in the Western Cape. In 2016, a drought in the region created a Rooibos shortage that led to a significant price increase in the Rooibos segment.[4][17]
In 2017, Joekels launched Tetley Green Tea, which became the number one pure green tea brand on the market within six months.[4]
In July 2024, Tetley promoted its new Instant Chai Lattes, available in original and vanilla flavours.[18]
In May 2025, Tetley launched Tetley Decaffeinated Tea Blend to meet rising consumer demand for healthier lifestyle options and caffeine-free alternatives.[19]
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