The South African Cannabis and Hemp Industrial Development Association is working with Botswana’s National Agricultural Research & Development Institute (NARDI) to protect and promote local landraces. However, the release earlier this month of the country’s expensive cannabis license fees, have put discussions on hold until the regulatory framework is a bit clearer.
SACHIDA’s chairman Katlego Kgopotso and executive director Cian McLelland head for Botswana this week to take part in the Africa Canada Cannabis and Hemp Trade Expo, which takes place in Gaberone on 30 January 2025.
They’ve been invited to give keynote speeches at the Conference, which is to discuss the legalization of Botswana’s medical cannabis industry under the theme, ‘The Last Mile’. Kgopotso will be speaking on developing IKS based cannabis industry in Botswana, while McClelland will speak about developing the local value chain, with a specific emphasis on the development of community co-ops for food and medical products.
Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber caught up with McLelland before his departure to put in a few questions:
BHB: You established a relationship with the Botswana govt last year, what was agreed and how is that unfolding?
CM: We engaged with numerous state organs such as NARDI (National Agricultural Research & Development Institute), BOMRA (Botswana Medical Regulatory Authority) to share our views on the development of their industry in a way the benefits the people of Botswana, with their IKS as a base for the industry. We discussed seed sovereignty, the development of health & wellness products from their landrace varieties, and many other related matters.
We were moving towards an MOU with NARDI to collaborate in the design of projects to protect their germ plasm, but that was all put on hold until regulations could set the framework for us to operate within. Now that regulations have been released, we will see where those conversations go.
BHB: Are there specific projects SACHIDA is looking at in Botswana?
CM: Landrace protection and product development.
BHB: Botswana has gazetted its license fees for industrial cannabis, and they appear prohibitively expensive for local farmers and businesses. What is your reaction, as SACHIDA, to Botswana’s licensing regime?
CM: The fees do seem very high, and we plan to engage with as many industry role players while there to discuss this and other matters. The event that we are attending and speaking at will represent a broad spectrum of the industry, so we will be listening to their response and seeing where and how we could possibly provide support.
BHB: Canada has effectively partnered with Botswana in designing and developing its industrial cannabis economy. One perspective is that this is designed to lock out local competition to big multinational companies and that it is not good for developing an inclusive economy. Surely, South Africa should be a more appropriate cannabis partner than Canada in developing a regional hemp economy? What is your perspective, politically and personally?
CM: Totally agreed that they should look more to SA, and to a large extent they are. But they can do a lot more!
One of the event organizers is Canadian, but their company is a Botswana company with a strong focus on the development of the local industry. To my knowledge, that is the only Canadian connection. I have heard that the President office signed an MOU with a Nordic country, but cannot confirm any details.
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