摘要：The South African tea producing industry has been in decline since 2000 due to a host of factors such as significant increases in production costs occasioned by a regulated labor market, unfavorable international tea prices, removal of tariffs and increased competition from African tea producing countries. This culminated in closure of most of the tea estates leaving a few tea estates in precarious financial positions and operating on a stringent budget, funded mainly through government grants. The study focuses on issues affecting the tea industry in South Africa in general, in an attempt to find solutions to the challenges and to establish sustainable business strategies for the industry. Twenty participants were purposively chosen for their knowledge, experience and information about the tea industry in general. High production costs, low skills and labor productivity levels, lack of technical support, removal of tariffs, competition from low cost producing countries, exchange rate fluctuations and pending land claims were identified as key challenges of the tea industry in South Africa. The reimposition of tariffs, changes in minimum wage determination, preferential procurement, development of the small-holder sector and government support in development of a national brand and a buy local tea campaign were identified as the policy initiatives to steer the tea industry.
