Soft Secrets has been a feature of cannabis publishing for 41 years since it began as an underground paper in Amsterdam in 1981 as a one-page gazette for the coffee shop circuit. The founder, Wernard Bruining, apparently tired of poor-quality imported cannabis, decided to help growers to produce high-quality weed at home. For this reason he focused on cannabis cultivation and the platform grew from there.
Today Soft Secrets distributes 740 000 free copies in 27 countries, and since it entered South Africa earlier this year, has published two editions with a print run of 20 000 each, and is preparing to bring out the third edition in July, distributing locally to almost 200 cannabis related businesses such as hydroponic stores, social clubs and cannabis facilities.
Cannabiz Africa editor Brett Hilton-Barber met Soft Secrets publisher Fabrizio Dentini (pictured here) at the Cannabis Expo during his last visit to South Africa, and was immediately impressed by how enthusiastically he’s embraced this country and its crazy cannabis culture.
Here he follows up his meeting with a Q&A with the Italian writer ahead of his return to South Africa in a few months’ time.
Brett Hilton-Barber: You’ve launched Soft Secrets in SA. Why?
Fabrizio Dentini: In early 2025 I interviewed Mrs. Myrtle Clark a South African cannabis celebrity from the Dagga Couple and the picture she portrayed about the cannabis industry in your country immediately awoke my deepest interest.
It was the first time in my career that I had heard about the opportunity to grow cannabis for private purposes legally. This was enough for me to take up the challenge to bring our legendary European cannabis newspaper to make history in Africa.
Our magazine basically teaches people to grow and to respect cannabis and connects people from the industry so I took a plane to Cape Town where I landed with a dream in my head and the English version of our newspaper.
After two weeks in South Africa I found already more than 100 specialized shops willing to have the magazine and so I created a local editorial team and developed agreement to print locally and for a national scale distribution.
Now my “baby” already has two editions out, and we are soon closing the edition of September, the third of 2026.
BHB: What can we expect in the September edition?
FD: We are going to write about that marvellous system that all mammals have: the endocannabinoid system and to explain to our readers how it works and why it is so relevant for human beings. We have a special focus on the Western Cape’s cannabis legacy and culture; cannabis and human and environmental rights, the impact of a regulated marked on the industrial work opportunities for the next generation. We will report about Grow Down Cup a nice event for cannabis home grower…and of course more topics but right now that’s a ‘soft secret’.
BHB: You’re no stranger to South Africa and it’s cannabis culture: from an international perspective, what’s special about this place?
FD: No need to think about this question, the answer is one and straight. What is special about your country? Your people, the marvellous Rainbow people that make this country unique and the paradise of paradoxes.
As a journalist and I’ve lived with an intense professional emotion discovering step by step the South African culture. The more I ask the less I understand…and that drives my curiosity to new unexplored peaks. When I landed in South Africa the first time I really felt as a little stranger from another planet. Now, after my third trip, I feel more and more in touch with codes and attitudes. But it is a marvellous adventure from my side, people are warm and friendly and they love to laugh and listen to interesting stories and that really matches with what I prefer the most in everyday life.
BHB: South Africa seems to be stuck in an export-orientated mindset that requires controlled growing environments and high compliance costs. Is this a threat to the growing culture that has developed in the country over hundreds of years, or is this an opportunity for growers to up their game?
FD: I would not see this as a threat but as an opportunity. The major point here is that laws have to sustain the local industry and grant it the opportunity to develop in a safe and regulated context.
What I believe to be a priority is that home growers and consumer can access to their tools to grow and to high quality cannabis within a mark of clear legal frame. I am observing instead that that the Government is moving with a slow motion attitude regarding the implementation of a clear frameworks and that is a pity as it prevent the real disclosure of the industrial potentialities of cannabis as a basic community resource.
BHB: It seems to be we should be making much more use of our natural asset, sunshine, in how we develop our cannabis industry. To what extent is sunlight a differentiating factor in growing cannabis? Do artificial lights do the same job?
FD: Once a French horticultural expert I interviewed told me : “ Fabrizio, plants are like Gods. They were here before us and they will stay after us.”
The power of Nature has not to be challenged. That said, I believe that artificial lights can do a great job in the cannabis growing.
The major point is that every grower has to understand that inside a growbox or a grow facility. Where artificial lights were adopted, the master grower become the god in the place and for this reason has the responsibilty to respect plants under his control.
Plants can give us benefits from multiple perspectives, it is up to us to use botanical skills ethically in order to create a prosperous environmental situation where every single branch can develop according to its genetical codes.
BHB: Is there a difference in the quality of cannabis grown in soil to that cultivated in artificial nutrients?
FD: As I tried to explain before the point here is not to idealize nature in opposition to artificial practices. What is really important is to use morality and ethics while growing every plants Nature gave us.
Artificial nutrients can add quality to a poor soil and for this reason they are welcomed. The important is not to overexploit human resources for the greed of dollars…
BHB: What’s your take on South Africa’s landraces? From your perspective are they any more unique than landraces found elsewhere in the world?
FD: South African landraces are global legendary strains. For the moment I only tried Durban Poison but I will get in touch with more original flavuors in my upcoming journeys. What I believe to be pivotal is to preserve the local botanical patrimony as its uniqueness remains the main wealth of your land in the cannabis sector.
BHB: What’s been the most interesting part of your current deep dive into South African cannabis culture, and what are your plans going forward?
FD: I prepare my fourth trip for October to publish the last South African edition of Soft Secrets for 2026. So far I have only had time to visit Johannesburg and Cape Town, so I will try to visit other areas of your country.
The most interesting part of South African culture is the incredible history of your country, the incredible people that live in it, and the fact that is like a crossroad of so many other African cultures.
To visit South Africa for me is like to open a living book where every character is a protagonist and where every story can become a legend.”
BHB: Thank you Fabrizio, for the kind words you have to say about us, and good luck with Soft Secrets in South Africa.
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