Since the Constitutional Court ruled in September 2018 that the personal use of dagga in a private space is not a criminal offence, interest in cannabis has grown exponentially in South Africa.

From dagga growing workshops, dagga conventions and even dagga growing garden kits, roleplayers in the industry are not letting the grass grow under their feet, moving at pace to ensure they can cash in, even though actual legislation still needs to be formulated to underpin the ruling by the highest court in the land.

On the medical marijuana side, the first medical cannabis dispensary in Africa was opened in Durban in May 2018, months before the Constitutional Court ruling.

Wesgro, the Official Tourism, Trade & Investment Promotion Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, believes the medical cannabis market, in particular, has the potential to boost the local economy through exports.

Wesgro is in talks with three big Canadian pharmaceutical companies interested in investing in the industry in the province. They are also lobbying national government to fast-track the issuing of licences.

The organisation’s Chief Research officer Cornelis van der Waal says globally $9.3 billion dollars are spent on cannabis and related products.

He says the Western Cape is a briliant agricultural manufacturing area, and is the heart of value added Agri-production in the country. The climate here is far better suited to growing dagga than Canada, which means the province can be a massive contributor to global exports, creating thousands of jobs.

Van der Waal says while at this stage the actual medicinal benefits derived from the use of cannabis is not yet proven, there are over 400 clinical trials currently taking place.

The University of the Free State’s department of pharmacology is for instance studying the benefits of cannabis in treating cancer, gangrene, Alzheimer’s, hypertension and pain.

As the use of the herb becomes more socially acceptable, and once regulatory obstacles and the government’s lack of enthusiasm can be overcome, Van der Waal says they have high hopes that medical marijuana will become SA, and the Western Cape’s, new growth industry.

Cape Town based company AgriProtein has been named among just two companies hailing from Africa in the Global Cleantech 100, a list of the 100 companies best positioned to solve the future’s clean-tech challenges.

This is an amazing achievement, especially given the fact that the company was established only a decade ago, in 2018, in Phillipi.

AgriProtein is a waste-to-protein solution provider that uses black soldier fly larvae to turn food waste into insect protein, used in fish and livestock feed…

Sustainability is at the heart of the company. One of their products is a substitute for fishmeal. For every tonne used, it allows three tonnes of fish to remain in our oceans.

The company also says their new standard 250 tonne per day waste bio conversion factories will have a material impact on local landfill sites. Each plant will divert over 90,000 tonnes a year of organic waste from stretched landfill operations.

From a humble shed in Phillipi, AgriProtein has expanded globally in just a few years, with operations across the world.

In addition to being selected to the top 100 three years in a row, this innovative company was also selected as one of Time Magazine’s “Genius Companies” in 2018.

Go check out the company and the positive impact they are having:

https://agriprotein.com/

“You watch this space” — This was the President’s promising refrain throughout his State of the Nation Address this week.

Reflecting on interventions in state-owned enterprises and crucial state agencies such as the National Prosecuting Authority and the South African Revenue Service, Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that meaningful progress had been made.

He also announced that ten years after the Scorpions were disbanded, he would set up a special directorate to deal with serious corruption. The new directorate will identify priority cases to investigate and recover the assets identified to be the proceeds of corruption. Ramaphosa says he’s already met with the new prosecutions boss Shamila Batohi to discuss the establishment of this unit.

Reaction from President Ramaphosa’s State of The Nation Address has been mostly positive, with a large chunk of the speech emphasising the importance of investment, easing the cost and burden of doing business and the role of small business in creating jobs and enhancing growth.

He highlighted the “five most urgent tasks at this moment in our history” which are:

– Inclusive growth and employment
– Improving the education system and developing the skills for the future
– Improving the conditions of life for all South Africans, especially the poor
– Stepping up the fight against corruption and State capture
– Strengthening the capacity of the State to address the needs of the people

But perhaps it’s the President’s call on all of us to assist with this huge challenge that should make the biggest impact.

“Above everything else, we must get our economy working again. I call upon every South African to make this cause your own. Because when we succeed and of this we are certain it is the entire nation that will benefit. As government, as business, as labour and as citizens, let us unite to embrace tomorrow.”

Even EFF leader Julius Malema was completely disarmed by Ramaphosa, giving the country a State of the nation address that we deserve after a very difficult last nine years.

Ramaphosa intends declaring the elections for 8 May – and he has urged all South Africans to ensure they are registered to vote – before the declaration.

Let’s hope the lofty and ambitious goals that the President has set for the country can be met, to ensure that the poorest of the poor can be uplifted.

To read the full speech follow the link: https://www.gov.za/speeches/president-cyril-ramaphosa-2019-state-nation-address-7-feb-2019-0000