African Botanical Treasures

OUR BOTANICAL TREASURES AND HERITAGE

Southern Africa is a place of staggering natural beauty and is blessed with eight major terrestrial biomes from semi-desert, succulent-rich Karoo, Fynbos, Savanna, Forest, Thicket and Grassland.

These biomes, or ecological life zones, have distinct environmental conditions and related sets of plant and animal life. Around 10% of the world's flowering species are found in South Africa, the only country in the world with an entire plant kingdom inside its borders: the Cape Floral Kingdom. While it represents less than 0.5% of the area of Africa, it is home to nearly 20% of the continent’s flora. It is a World Heritage site and a biodiversity hotspot. The Cape Peninsula alone boasts more plant species than the whole of Great Britain.

FYNBOS OF THE WESTERN CAPE

The Cape Floral Kingdom lies at the southernmost tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans collide. It is a global biodiversity asset, the smallest of the world's six floral kingdoms. It is also known by the name FYNBOS (Afrikaans for ‘Fine Bush’). Home to more types of indigenous plants than any similar sized area on Earth. What makes it even more special is that approximately 70% of its 9000 plant species are found nowhere else on Earth.

FYNBOS is the collective name of the 9,000 plant species found here, a majority of which, covers the region's magnificent mountains, lowland valleys and coastal plains. It forms the world’s smallest and most ecologically diverse plant kingdom. It is more botanically diverse than the richest tropical rainforest in South America, including the Amazon. Many of the FYNBOS plants appeared illustrated in herbal publications in Europe already in the 16th and 17th centuries from the travels of the great explorers.

The natives of the Western Cape, the Bushmen, and their younger relatives, the Khoisan, were hunter-gatherers and had a wonderful knowledge of the various usages of the plants which they passed on to the European settlers.

In the Mediterranean climate of its mountainous habitat, frequented by winds, fires and summer drought, FYNBOS has adapted – safeguarding the secrets of its valuable restorative qualities.

Smart survivors, these plants have developed an array of intriguing adaptions and defence mechanisms to cope with the scorching sunlight, gale-force winds, dry summers and wet winters. Many of the FYNBOS plants not only look beautiful but also have their own distinctive scent.

SECRETS OF THE CAPE FLORAL KINGDOM

Hydro-distilled from many organic, wildcrafted, biodynamic FYNBOS plants, to bring you the energy, vitality and natural goodness of Africa in its purest form, African Botanics unlocks the secrets of the Cape Floral Kingdom using sustainable, indigenous botanicals formulated using the latest science and inspired by many ancient beauty rituals.

Restore, rebalance and discover Africa’s Floral Kingdom - words that evoke images of the breathtaking mountain views, fascinating unexplored landscapes, beautiful skies, soothing sounds of the birds, whispering winds and astonishing floral richness.

Now you can experience these pristine and nurturing botanical blends and aromatic sensations of Africa at home with wild-harvested, cold-pressed Marula Oil, Baobab Oil, Kalahari Melon Seed Oil, Kigelia Africana, African Green Rooibos Tea extract, Honeybush, Resurrection plant, Mafura butter and many others that are infused with pure essences of aromatic Buchu, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Rosemary leaf, Neroli, Cape Chamomile and Cape Geranium to detoxify the body, activate vital energy, rejuvenate the skin and smooth away stress, while restoring balance and calm.