Thousands of people will be flocking to The Cannabis Expo which is being presented this year by private cannabis club network, Budbox, and is taking place from 29 – 31 May 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Over 100 exhibitors have been signed up, with several government departments taking up space to promote aspects of the National Cannabis Master Plan which is being developed under the leadership of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
Besides the cannabis consumer extravaganza the Expo is renowned for, there will be some serious talk on the Open Stage where the DTIC will engage with industry stakeholders.
Open Stage Schedule below:
Friday, 29 May 2026
Time: 12:00 – 12:45
Topic:What Actually Changed in Cannabis Regulation in South Africa This Year?
Speakers: DTIC (Representative still to be confirmed) , Stefan JF Bezuidenhout (SJF Attorneys) , Myron Krost (Canna Trade Africa) , Daphney Fafudi (SAHPRA) , Louis Eksteen (Cannabis Retail Association)
Time 13:00 – 13:45
Topic: Who is Still Funding Cannabis in Southern Africa? What Gets Capital, What Doesn’t, and Why?
Speaker: Wesley Petzer (Petzer Consulting)
Time 14:00 – 14:45
Topic: What is Blocking Cannabis Reform in South Africa, and Who Has the Power to Fix It?
Speakers: DTIC (Representative still to be confirmed), Advocate Simi Pillay-van Graan (Trikar Enterprise Solutions), Stefan JF Bezuidenhout (SJF Attorneys), Louis Eksteen Cannabis Retail Association), Myrtle Clarke (Fields of Green for All)
Time: 15:00 – 15:45
Topic Who Will Control the Cannabis Value Chain in 5 Years, and Why?
Speaker: Wesley Petzer (Petzer Consulting)
Saturday, 30 May 2026
Time: 11:00 – 11:45
Topic: Why Most Cannabis Businesses Fail Before Year Three, and How Founders Can See It Coming
Speakers: Dr Ncebakazi Galada (iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu), Nico Kriek (Cannabis Compliance Bureau) Portia Palesa Moloi (Mada Kop The Healing Hub), Jillian Nyakane (Jillie’s Natural); Rozayne Malyo (Think Green Consulting)
Time: 12:00 – 12:45
Topic: Cannabis Licensing: Why it Takes So Long, What Regulators are Actually Looking For, and Where Applicants Go Wrong
Speakers: Myrtle Clarke (Fields of Green for All), Nico Kriek (Cannabis Compliance Bureau), Wesley Petzer (Petzer Consulting)
Time: 13:00 – 13:45
Topic: Doctors, Patients and Prescriptions – Where Medical Cannabis Access Breaks Down in South Africa
Speaker: Megan Steyn (CBD Care)
Time: 14:00 – 14:45
Topic: What It Takes to Export Cannabis from South Africa: Compliance, Logistics and Commercial Reality
Speakers: Nico Kriek (Cannabis Compliance Bureau), Wesley Petzer (Petzer Consulting)
Sunday, 31 May 2026
Time: 11:00 – 11:45
Topic: Why Compliance Is the Biggest Risk in Cannabis, and How Businesses Drift into Failure
Speakers: Myrtle Clarke (FGFA), Stefan JF Bezuidenhout (SJF Attorneys), Nico Kriek (Cannabis Compliance Bureau) Danmari Duguid (Independent Consultant), Marleen Theunissen (Harambe Solutions)
Time: 12:00 – 12:45
Topic: Women’s Health in Cannabis
Speakers: Megan Steyn (CBD Care), Bronwen McClelland (Hempress), Rozayne Malyo (Think Green Consulting)
Time: 13:00 – 13:45
Topic: Why Medical Cannabis Has Not Scaled in South Africa: Clinical, Regulatory and Market Realities
Speakers: To be confirmed
Time: 14:00 – 14:45
Topic: The Future of Cannabis in Africa
Speakers: Wesley Petzer (Petzer Consulting) Ami Heystek (FGFA), Bronwen McClelland (Hempress), Portia Palesa Moloi (Mada Kop The Healing Hub)
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