CannaTech Global is a premier cannabis event platform bringing the world’s best and brightest industry mavens, thought leaders and disruptive tech gurus together to propel innovation. One of our objectives is showcasing emerging regions and markets, and South Africa is one of the most vibrant and promising emerging markets in the cannabis world today.
CannaTech will be landing in spectacular Cape Town this November. We can’t wait to light up the coast with the most illuminating content in the global cannabis conference space and expand our ecosystem to new frontiers.
While there are many more, here are the Top 5 reasons why CannaTech is coming to Cape Town:
1. FAR REMOVED FROM ‘REEFER MADNESS’ MADNESS:
Cannabis is commonly known in South Africa as dagga. For generations, cannabis has been an integral part of the local culture and there is a centuries-long history of incorporating the plant into spiritual and medicinal traditional practices. This means that the negative view of cannabis that pervades North American and European culture is absent. Whether for pain relief, easing childbirth, or as a ceremonial or recreational intoxicant, there is no taboo on cannabis in South Africa and this contributes to the country’s rapid entry into the global cannabis market.
2. ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST CANNABIS-CONDUCIVE CLIMATES:
Cape Town, like all of South Africa, has a near-perfect climate for cannabis cultivation. Soil quality is rich and generally uncontaminated by pollutants, the weather is temperate but seasonal making it perfect for the cannabis plant life cycle, and there are 10 hours per day of precious sunlight to foster plant growth. All of these conditions come together to create optimal conditions for maximized optimal crop yield, making South Africa a potential global leader in the cannabis industry. Of course, these same conditions also make Cape Town a dream location for sunning and surfing.
3. FLOURISHING, SECURE FINANCIAL LANDSCAPE
South Africa boasts the most sophisticated, diverse, and secure economy on the continent. This financial and bureaucratic stability is attracting a large number of quality cannabis industry investors to the region. With Cape Town positioned as the economic hub of the Western Cape Province of South Africa, it is the perfect place for CannaTech to disrupt. With a 4% average yearly growth in GDP, Cape Town is leading the country’s economic growth and is quickly becoming the centre of South Africa’s newly-legal cannabis ecosystem. By 2023, Africa’s legal cannabis market is estimated to reach a value of $US7.1 billion. CannaTech Cape Town will showcase this rapidly expanding market and investment opportunities both in South Africa and across the continent.
4. IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF PETER TOSH: “LEGALISE IT”
South Africa is blazing trails, so to speak, by becoming the third county in Africa to legalise medical cannabis in February 2017. Last September the country initiated a process of legalising cannabis for personal recreational use, joining Uruguay and Canada at the forefront of the Green Rush. Final recreational cannabis regulation is still a grey area, however significant boosts in the sale and import of growing and manufacturing equipment, and the expansion of local cannabis-ready businesses indicates that stakeholders anticipate a cannabis boom in the very near future. As South Africa’s legislative capital, Cape Town is the perfect place for CannaTech to explore the country’s nascent legal cannabis landscape.
5. TRADITIONAL, UNREGULATED DAGGA-GROWING INFRASTRUCTURE
The World Health Organization and Interpol have each estimated that South Africa is the third-largest producer of unregulated cannabis in the world. The United Nations echoes this analysis, estimating that South Africa produces 2,500 tonnes of cannabis every year, contributing to a $10 billion market that employs an estimated 800,000 people. This currently unregulated market is well-established and hundreds of years old. Fertile South African cannabis farmland spans hundreds of kilometres. The current situation in South Africa translates to huge global potential: if traditional cannabis farming is legitimised, it will quickly translate to a multi-billion-dollar cannabis economy manned by highly-skilled growers with generations of expertise. This unique ecosystem positions South Africa as an up and coming world leader in legal cannabis production.
These are just some of the reasons why Cape Town is the perfect destination for CannaTech Global’s next world-leading cannabis conference.
Don’t miss out on the unique opportunity to learn more about the African cannabis landscape at CannaTech Cape Town coming November 2019.
We offer unique, custom-made sponsorship opportunities showcasing your brand for maximum exposure. Some examples of sponsored events include after-party, investor breakfast, branded cocktail hour, custom-designed conference materials and much more. Please check here to find the right sponsorship package for your company.
Presentation opportunities are currently available for CannaTech Cape Town 2019 and for our flagship Israel event in 2020. Join an elite group of engaging speakers that have graced our stage by filling out a speaker application form today.
See you in South Africa!
