South Africa: Department of Agriculture released blueprint for cannabis industry development

In South Africa, the Department of Agriculture has just released a blueprint for the development of the cannabis industry. This strategy, the result of two years of work, notably provides a framework for the industrialization and commercialization of the leaf in the rainbow nation.

It aims in particular at a legislative reform to attract foreign investment and limit concentration in the sector, ensure the promotion of leaf cultivation for recreational, medical and food purposes and the strengthening of the seed system and varietal diversity.

In addition, there are education initiatives, financial assistance for small producers and the granting of incentives for the establishment of processing plants and the manufacture of innovative cannabis-derived products. With the roadmap, the government plans to take advantage of a sector valued at nearly $ 2 billion and which is expected to grow further in the coming years with booming global demand.

This plan, which remains to be validated by Parliament, should enable the executive to support the creation of 25,000 new jobs in this nascent industry. As a reminder, the Constitutional Court of South Africa approved the cultivation and private use of cannabis in 2018.