The Agricultural Research Council (ARC), South Africa’s principal agricultural research institution, is looking to construct a 2,000m² climate-controlled cannabis research facility at its Pretoria facility to support advanced research into cannabis cultivation and processing.
This as Africa’s most industrialised economy moves to pivot to a fully regulated, economically driven cannabis and hemp industry — albeit while key legislation expected to unlock investments in the sector lags.
To this end, the research outfit has gone to market looking for a company that will implement the project to house a controlled cannabis cultivation room and seed multiplication facility.
“The cannabis facility aims to provide an optimally controlled environment replicating natural outdoor conditions,” according to the tender document.
“The facility will need to regulate temperature, humidity and lighting to enhance plant health and maximise yield and offer protection against adverse weather, pests and external threats to ensure consistent hemp production.
“The seed multiplication aspect of the facility will focus on ensuring a high-quality, consistent and contaminant-free seed production. The facility should support the controlled cultivation of plants for seed production.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his state of the nation address in February, outlined South Africa’s intentions to lead in the commercial production of hemp and cannabis.
Medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2017, with private use decriminalised in 2018, and the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act enacted into law by Ramaphosa in May last year.
The National Cannabis Master Plan has been assigned to the department of trade, industry and competition (DTIC) to centralise policy, accelerate implementation and streamline licensing.
The DTIC last week said that with medical cannabis legal, the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority had issued 120 licences for export and the department of agriculture had issued 1,408 cultivation permits, indicating strong government support.
“However, commercial trade still faces regulatory hurdles, which are gradually being addressed. The commercialisation of hemp and cannabis in South Africa is advancing, with the DTIC already consulting national and provincial departments, as well as industry stakeholders through preliminary consultation geared to development of a commercialisation policy,” the DTIC said.
“The Hemp and Cannabis Commercialisation Policy is expected to be ready for cabinet approval and public comment by April 2026,” it said.
“An overarching Cannabis Bill is also in development to unify existing regulations, including the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, 2024. This bill, which will cover private use, commercial cultivation, manufacturing and research, is set to be presented to parliament by mid-2027.”
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