One would never think buying and selling cannabis was illegal, judging from the overtly commercial nature of this year’s Cannabis Expo.
Over 114 exhibitors participated in this year’s cannabis indaba, held from 29 to 31 May 2026, which turned the Sandton Convention Centre into a proverbial pop-up shopping mall for the technically illegal ‘Grey Zone’.
Growing confidence of the cannabis retail sector and the guys who want to do business with them
Particularly noticeable was the number of exhibitors offering point of sale and software retail solutions, a reflection of how the ‘Grey Zone’ continues to blossom despite – or because of – the lack of regulation. These included 420POS, SHB Payment Solutions, POS420, Cannbro Technology, Cannaledger and GS1 South Africa and CIMS All in One Social Platform.
Also palpable was the growing confidence of the cannabis retail sector – cannabis clubs were in abundance: Budbox being the lead sponsor, The Greenside, High Society, Bud-ness in a Box, Bong Joint Joint Bong, Jackpot International, Mary’s Apothecary, Green Gorilla, Chubby Gorilla, Von Gold Herb, Canna Stoners, Mars Growers Club, Canna-Collective, Happy 420 Africa, Rolling with Aaptwerk, and High Sweetie amongst others were displaying their wares. Pre-rolls were a big seller all round – highlighting the trend in the country where preroll joints are catching up with flower as the most sold cannabis category.
The standard of exhibitor displays is up a notch from last year, and interactivity was more of a feature – from dab hits to ball games, consumer engagement was the name of the game. Novelty exhibitors were CBD Sex Shot, Super Bunny and Canna-girl.
Among the suppliers to the ‘Grey Zone’ Cannamart has clearly emerged as the ‘Makro’ of cannabis retail; it’s display space was triple the size of last year. Canna-emporium, OTP Distributors and Veloutee Suppliers also had stands loaded with all the paraphenalia needed to instantly set up a cannabis outlet.
Cannabis vending machines likely to transform the Grey Zone into a 24-hour affair
One of the most successful exhibitors at the Expo was Buddrop, a new company developing cannabis vending machines for clubs. It’s software allows clubs to restrict their machines to members only and positioned outside a club, immediately transforms them into a 24-hour service. At the rate of sign-ups Buddrop appeared to be getting, cannabis vending machines are likely to make their appearance in the Grey Zone in a major way in the next few months.
Despite the trade in cannabis still being prohibited, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition was there in full-force, sponsoring a number of grassroots enterprises. Of these, the two stand-outs were Toca Essentials and Shaz Garden.
Mpondoland: watch this space
The Gauteng Agriculture Department (GDAD) showcased its cannabis product development initiative, the Small Enterprises Development Fund and the Township Cannabis Incubator had displays outlining their work, and there was a strong representation from the Eastern Cape, including the OR Tambo District Municipality and the Mpondoland Cannabis Belt Association which represents thousands of legacy farmers.
One of the major developments that occurred on the sidelines of the Expo was a meeting between the MCBA’s chair Philisande Makhanda and secretary general Snoux Phosa, the Small Enterprises Development Fund Agency and the SACDC chair Gareth Prince about uniting and mobilizing small-scale farmers in the Mpondoland region.
There was strong representation from Malawi and Zambia. Dr Prosper Sievu, one of Zambia’s senior regulators, was exhibiting in his personal capacity as a consultant – Prospersievu, while Lesotho’s new chief regulator Robert Takaone was also a visitor. Malawi’s Central Cannabis Authority was an exhibitor, while Manota Mphande, from Munande Farms, floated the idea of a South African delegation visiting Malawi for a cannabis fair later this year.
Cannabis sector stalwarts Fields of Green for All (FGFA) and Cheeba Africa were there – Cheeba is increasingly doing consulting work outside South Africa and is moving into AI education to complement its online cannabis and hemp training courses. The FGFA’s Myrtle Clarke featured in a number of panel discussions, advocating the importance of communities working together to do what government appears incapable of – liberating the plant.
Sign of the times: Farmers Weekly and Ms Medusa X Bomb dab hitters, unlikely but friendly Expo neighbours
The soft-focus schizophrenia was evident in a glance – there was the Farmers Weekly promotional team, fresh from NAMPO in the Free State right next to Ms Medusa X Bomb dab hitting stand, where one could ogle at pure THC in crystal form. Dabbing as a cannabis consumer trend is clearly on the up.
The hemp exhibitors were there with stories to tell – what Michael Brooks has done with Vital Veggies and Mahlatsi Mohlala, founder of Green Route Hemp Industries – are grassroots success stories in developing hemp eco-systems in their own particular ways. Whereas these entrepreneurs have been setting up their own value chains, the likes of Lillian and John Mvubelo are focused on a single product – their hemp sanitary pads, under the Dahlia label.
Representing the health and wellness sector was Rozanne Mayo’s Think Green Consulting, Thabo CBD, Kuma Real Health from Hoedspruit, Menen 1 Hemp Homeware, Biobalance Health, Chariots Green Pharmacy, Spice Cannabis and Edibles.
The cannabis market is beginning to segment
In a clear sign that the Expo is becoming more of a showcase for the ‘Grey Zone’ than the industry as a whole, medical cannabis service providers and cultivators were almost entirely absent. Besides Atami and Hydrobiz, none of the exhibitors at the Medical Cannabis Business Conference held two months ago at SAPHEX, and organized by SANCAP were in attendance.
As Trenton Birch of Cheeba pointed out, the cannabis market is beginning to segment into medical, hemp and adult-use. In our corridor chat, he said that while The Cannabis Expo catered for the commercial side of cannabis, this was not a cultural event and neither did the B2B side of the business sit very comfortably in the mix. He said that at the rate the cannabis market was maturing it was only a matter of time before regional fairs and splinter festivals entered the major league.
The Cheeba Summit, which ran alongside the Expo, was a very focused one-day event which covered a range of business and policy topics, while the Summit’s Open Stage had a distinct focus on the business of cannabis. It’s promise of a ringside seat for the real cannabis conversations rang true with the DTIC’s main cannabis policy advisor urging activist Gareth Prince, who was in the room, to rethink his legal challenge to the country’s fragile cannabis framework,
There was also a strong turnout by commercial cultivation service providers, specifically GroHydro, Atami, Hydrogarden SA, Hydroponic.co.za, SA Horticultural Supplies, Indorson, Dosatron, Lionwell Technologies and Theonegrow. There is obviously a lot of cannabis cultivation happening within the ‘Grey Zone’ outside of SAHPRA-regulated medical cannabis exporters.
There was also a much more visible Chinese presence at this year’s Expo, primarily in the vaping and light technology spaces. As one rather bitchy cannabis commentator noted: “There’s a lot of rice at the braai this year”.
What there wasn’t a lot of was the so-called ‘Old School’ of cannabis veterans – “There are fewer recognizable faces” commented 9th Wave’s Lourie Camphor, “there are a lot of new players coming into the market”.
Alcohol and Cannabis pairing raises eyebrows, but it’s the ‘new normal’
Alcohol was a significant feature in this year’s Cannabis Expo, with Ignite running a tequila bar, and Beer on Tap, Aerotude Brands and Egoli Distillery were all selling a range of beverages and spirits, prompting some muttering in the aisles by consumers who felt the strong presence and availability of alcohol was counter to the cannabis industry’s emphasis on ‘harms reduction’.
“It is what it is” said one old-timer, dismissing the pairing of cannabis and alcohol at the Expo. “What you are seeing around you is the market talking, and the market is changing as cannabis becomes more accessible and becomes integrated with every day culture. It’s novelty status is wearing off, cannabis is now normal.”
That statement echoes my main take-out of the Expo this year – how cannabis is becoming normalized and integrated into mainstream lifestyle choices. Take Ignite, the lead sponsor for the Vape Expo, which was a prominent part of this year’s Cannabis Expo. Ignite is a lifestyle brand of which cannabis is but a component; it sells fashionable leisure-wear and alcohol, and its marketing initiative, complete with the obligatory scantily-dressed Ignite-branded girls, underscored how cannabis culture is shifting as the market evolves.
There is a younger generation embracing cannabis as one of a number of lifestyle choices and this year’s Cannabis Expo reflected that – the plant is no longer on the pedestal it was after the advent of legalization – it is now a commodity to be traded. The ‘Grey Zone’ doesn’t appear to be anxiously awaiting regulations, there’s a confidence born from increasing self-compliance, and regulations right now would be a “nice-to-have”, but few in the sector expect any interim regulatory action in the near future.
The consumer-driven cannabis market is simply getting on with it, growing exponentially and making money – all beyond any legal framework. No-one expects the Government to arrive at the party any time soon.
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