"South Africa has what it takes to create global cannabis brands"

It has been almost four years since the Constitutional Court ruled that South Africans have the right to consume cannabis in the privacy of their own homes, effectively decriminalizing the personal use of cannabis. Since then, there have been important milestones that have enabled the emergence of South Africa’s fledgling cannabis industry.

In 2019 cannabidiol (CBD) was officially rescheduled as a level 4 substance, meaning that all CBD-containing preparations were rescheduled and fully legal. In June 2021, the much anticipated Cannabis Master Plan was unveiled, detailing how cannabis can be incorporated into South Africa’s business sector as part of the government’s ongoing drive towards legalization and commercialization. Government has good reason to want to focus on this industry. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development estimates that the cannabis industry is worth an estimated R28 billion in South Africa and could create between 10,000 – 25,000 jobs across the sector.

However, There have been some frustrations along the way as the enabling legislation has not been forthcoming, and the pace of change has been slower than anticipated. However, from the outset, Goodleaf had a clear sense of the opportunity and acted quickly, launching their CBD wellness and lifestyle brand within a year of the Constitutional Court ruling. In 2019 Goodleaf opened South Africa’s first premium CBD store in the heart of Cape Town’s city center. Two years on and they have three physical stores and a 30-strong premium product line, which includes oils, skincare topicals, sparkling flavored water, natural vapes, and powder sachets. The brand’s product range is available online and in major retailers across South Africa, including Pick ‘n Pay, Spar, Checkers, Wellness Warehouse, Woolworths, and Poetry.

From the start, Goodleaf’s intention was to create a South African-grown global cannabis brand. In less than four years, Goodleaf Wellness has gone from a budding startup to firmly establishing itself as Africa’s leading vertically integrated cannabis operator, combining high-quality, low-cost cultivation and production with a world-class brand and distribution across South Africa, the UK, and Europe.

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