South Africa is continuing its push to advance its emerging domestic legal cannabis industry, as evidenced by a recent visit by Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Kenny Morolong, to a licensed medical cannabis producer and exporter.

“Deputy Minister Morolong praised Karoo Bioscience’s cannabis operations, highlighting its potential to boost rural economies, create jobs, and position South Africa as a global player in medicinal cannabis.” reported The Bulrushes in its local coverage. “He emphasised the government’s commitment to supporting innovation and sustainable growth in the sector.”

“Facilities like Karoo Bioscience demonstrate how innovation in agriculture can generate employment opportunities for young people and women in particular,” said Deputy Minister Morolong, according to the outlet. “South Africa must seize the opportunity to become a leader in medicinal cannabis, ensuring that our products meet international standards and open doors to export markets.”

In addition to having legalized cannabis for medical use, South Africa is on a short list of countries that have adopted national adult-use cannabis legalization measures. South Africa officially approved a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2024, placing it on the list of legalized nations alongside Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany at the time. Czechia has also since adopted a national adult-use legalization measure.

According to market analysts at Reed Intelligence, South Africa’s legal cannabis market was worth nearly $600 million in 2024 and is projected to be worth over $4.8 billion by 2033, advancing “at a CAGR of 26.62% from 2026 through 2033.”

In March 2026, South Africa’s Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development published a draft regulatory proposal that would officially set the limits for adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession limits. The proposed regulations would involve the following:

• Setting a cannabis cultivation limit at “five cannabis plants at a private residence at any time, regardless of the plant’s size or strain.”
• Setting a cannabis possession limit for adults of “to 750g of cannabis per day for private use, whether in a private or public place.”
• Allowing adults to “transport no more than 750g of cannabis per day, including cannabis still attached to the plant.”

Additionally, a government-backed study in South Africa found that a well-developed domestic industrial hemp market could be worth up to $2.5 billion. To learn more about the top cannabis market players in South Africa’s emerging industry, check out a thorough article by Jamie L. Pearson of New Holland Group and Cliff Giesenow of CanX Consulting, which was previously published by the International Cannabis Business Conference (found at this link here).