IPUF Best New Plant Product

2004 Clanwilliam

Rooibos Ltd. received the award for their rooibos-based health drinks, Rooibos Iced, in 2004. Gerda de Wet accepted the award at the Social event in Clanwilliam. Rooibos Limited is the world's preferred supplier of South Africa's most famous indigenous tea - Rooibos. The plant Aspalathus linearis is unique to the Cederberg region of the Western Cape and has been used for over a century to make a flavourful and aromatic tea.

2005 Grahamstown

The French cosmetics company Veld's won the award in 2005 for their Aloe ferox skin care product. Joyce Musy accepted the award at the Social event in Grahamstown. From the grasslands and countryside of South Africa comes this unique cosmetics brand which utilises the benefits of rare wild plant essences. Aloe ferox has previously been used for its healing and regenerative properties - these have now been harnessed in this range, to give you a naturally beautiful radiance. Plastic Surgery in a bottle.

2007 Johannesburg

IPUF awarded the prize in 2007 to Natura Homeopathic Laboratory for their cold and flu fighter, Pentagen containing Pelargonium sidoides. Natura's general manager, Peter Kreft, accepted the award at the Social event in Johannesburg. Natura Laboratory strives to inspire wellness by providing high quality, effective products which are safe and easy to use. Natura currently provides a homoeopathic core range especially suited to the treatment of common and minor illnesses and to complement the treatment of chronic and more serious conditions.

2009 Stellenbosch

In 2009 the South African Honeybush Tea Association was awarded the prize for their efforts to ensure a reliable supply of raw and processed product, they compile reliable standards for production, consumer education and the marketing of honeybush tea.

In 1999 the South African Honeybush Producers Association (SAHPA) was established to coordinate activities within the industry, under the facilitation of the ARC. In 2002 the name was changed to South African Honeybush Tea Association (SAHTA). It is a non-profit organization representing and promoting the wellbeing of all producers, processors and marketers of honeybush tea.

2010 Keimoes

The 2010 award went to Ulrich Feiter and his company, Parceval, for their pioneering work in developing new commercial health care products from indigenous plants.

2011 St. Lucia

The 2011 Product Award went to Prof Ben-Erik van Wyk for his impressive range of books on subjects relating to indigenous plant use.

2012 Tshipise, Limpopo

The best product award went jointly to Dr David Katerere (MRC) and Dr Dibungi Luseba (TUT) for the compilation of the book: Ethnoveterinary Botanical Medicine. Visiting the contents, several IPUF names also appear. The book can be ordered from Amazon and also Kalahari. Here is a link.

http://www.amazon.com/Ethnoveterinary-Botanical-Medicine-Herbal-Medicines/dp/1420045601

2013 Nelspruit

Dr Nigel Gericke, on behalf of HG&H Pharmaceuticals, was selected as the 2013 recipient of the IPUF Best Product Award for his innovative development work on Zembrin, taking an indigenous plant from concept to clinical study. Zembrin is an indigenous plant extract of the Namaqualand plant Sceletium tortuosum - for centuries used and traded by San hunter-gatherers and Khoi Khoi pastoralists for medicinal, social and spiritual purposes.

2014 Puthaditjhaba, Free-State

In 2014 Botanica Natural Products (Pty) Ltd. won the award for BotanicaTIMOLA (Bulbine frutescens leaf juice).

2015 Clanwilliam, Western Cape

Riaan Van Breda received the best product award for Afriplex. The key aim of this company is "unlocking the potential of traditionally used African botanicals in order to nurture wellness worldwide".

2016 Port St. Johns, Eastern Cape

In 2016 Rosemary Du Preez and Karen De Jager won the award for all their work in uplifting the communities in the Eastern Cape by utilising plant products.