Fynbos Tonic Catching on In the Eastern Cape

Fynbos herbal tonic catching on in Eastern Cape

by Debbie Derry

If surf’s up, chances are good that the man behind the commercial success of buchu, will be put an appearance at the Fynbos Festival in Humansdorp.

For Edward Godfrey is au fait with the Eastern Cape’s surf as he is with his Paarl farm, home to the ever-growing success of buchu oils and waters.

The Godfrey family has a holiday home at St Francis Bay, and its thanks to them that buchu water – a panacea offering relief to several ills – reached the Eastern Cape long before other parts of the country.

They simply brought container upon container down with them from Waterfall Health Farms to share with family and friends during their visits. Before long it found its way into shops and farm stalls in the area. Today it also sells at chemists and fruit and vegetable outlets in Port Elizabeth.

So what’s so special about buchu?

For starters, this indigenous herb only grows on certain mountain slopes in the Western Cape and belongs to the fynbos family (hence the relevance at August’s Fynbos Festival in Humansdorp).

It’s also the only South African herb recognized for its medicinal healing properties by the pharmacopoeia of Britain (Martindales 1977 edition), the United States, France and the Netherlands.

It claims to bring relief to arthritis and rheumatism, cystitis and prostatitis, high blood pressure, water retention, kidney and liver disorders, stomach complaints, fibrositis and gout, coughs, colds and obesity.

And, swears Edward’s brother-in-law Michael Stander who visited La Femme with the product, it’s brilliant for hangovers.

“I’ll sneak a glass of buchu during an evening of drinking and I never wake up hung over,” said Michael who is presently marketing the natural diuretic overseas.

Others swear by its benefits too.

But none are taken by the taste.

Mrs. Mirley Reithmeir, of St Francis Bay, takes a cup of water first thing in the morning, “then I don’t have to worry about taking it later,” she laughed of the bitter taste.

However, as an osteoarthritic sufferer, the benefits of the water far outweighed the horrible taste.

“The relief in my fingers is wonderful,” she said.

Helen Ferreira, of Humansdorp, is another buchu faithful saying it helped lower her blood pressure.

“I have also lost a great deal of weight,” she said, adding that she also doled it out to her children for a general “pick-me-up”.

Much relieved that buchu is now available locally are the Campbells, Drummond and Sandy, of St Francis Bay.

They filled their boot with buchu water during a visit to the Western Cape where medicinal water is readily available.

“We have a glass last thing at night. I haven’t had cystitis since I started taking it,” enthused Sandy.

Though not enamoured with the taste, she found the after-taste quite refreshing.

Owners Juliette and Edward acknowledge the bitter taste but said work is already underway “to take the nose off it.”

This isn’t a thirst quenching drink. It’s a lightly-bitter herbal potion well known for centuries,” said Edward.

The family has been harvesting the herb as an essential oil and as dry leaf to the flavor and pharmaceutical industries worldwide for 30 years.

The water is a fairly recent innovation despite it has been drunk locally for ages.

Cape Herald, South Africa, June 1999