Image courtesy News 24.
Invitations were sent out on Thursday morning, 29 July 2026 by the steering committee ‘cannabis sector’ to a wide cross section of stakeholders in the cannabis and hemp industries to register to attend the National Consensus on SMME, Informal Economy, Cannabis and Hemp Sectoral Dialogue 2026.
Participating organizations will be allowed to send two delegates to the meeting which is taking place at the in Kempton Park on Thursday, 27 August 2026.
About 300 reresentitives from a wide cross section of South Africa’s cannabis communities are expected to attend the event, to be held at the Kempton Park Council Chamber / Banquet Hall, Ekurhuleni.
It will be the highest level of interaction to date between senior government leaders and the sector and the first engagement the Preidency has had with cannabis stakeholders since The Phakisa Workshop in June 2023, and the main aim of the indaba, according to organizer Tshidiso Setshigwe is “secure an inclusive, legally grounded, and thriving R68-billion cannabis and hemp economy”.
“This is a defining, historical moment for the South African cannabis and hemp industry” he says. “For the first time, our sector is stepping forward in unified strength to meet government halfway, bridging the gap between grassroots experience, legal certainty, and economic transformation.”
The invitation sent to stakeholders says the “action-driven consensus dialogue” will bring “traditional, informal, and commercial operators face-to-face with executive state leadership, the Presidency, SAHPRA, the NPA, and SAPS top management”
The primary mandate of the session is to:
· finalise the Amnesty & Safe Passage Protocol,
· sign the National Cannabis and Hemp Redress Declaration, and
· establish operational frameworks for Social Redress Science Hubs.
Setshogwe says the Cannabis Dialogue is intended to be a cooperative platform designed to align private sector drive with public sector policy, building a sustainable future together.
Important Message
To Cannabis Organizations Invited to Attend the National Consensus on SMME, Informal Economy, Cannabis and Hemp Sectoral Dialogue 2026.
Action Required: Confirmation & RSVP
Please confirm the names, titles, and contact details of your two nominated leaders using the official accreditation portal no later than Monday, 10 August 2026:
Delegate Confirmation Portal: https://forms.gle/HfVUkPQsN9d8NqR98
For questions regarding delegation support, accreditation, or in-kind sponsorship
contributions, please contact the Secretariat directly:
Email: setshogwe@nationaldialogue.co.za | mbosanat@gmail.com
Direct Line: 061 497 8504
We look forward to standing side-by-side with your leadership on August 27th as we secure an inclusive, legally grounded, and thriving R68-billion cannabis and hemp economy.
In Solidarity,
Tshidiso Setshogwe
Member of the National Dialogue Steering Committee (Representing the Cannabis Sector)
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