They come from a non-profit background doing community projects focused on food security and self-sustainability. In the North West they ran a permaculture training farm before pursuing opportunities in the Western Cape where it was quite natural to apply the same models they’d used before, to uplift communities with growing cannabis when decriminalization happened in 2018.
Kobus shares some details about his very interesting journey in the last 3 years in the cannabis industry with us. It was filled with both success and some major challenges including projects he had to walk away from, going to court and learning some tough lessons along the way. He found a way to use those lessons in a positive way, helping cannabis enthusiasts stay legal, getting their constitutional frameworks in place.
On this bumpy ride, Kobus, with a group of friends and virtual assistants started Grow One Africa, an organization that proposes standards for the cannabis industry.
Grow One Africa came at an important time for people who wanted to get into the cannabis industry in South Africa, where the law is still quite grey therefore making it near impossible for an industry to actually exist. Grow One Africa rose organically from what people needed, Kobus explains the model and takes us through the rules and processes of what it means to be a facilitating service, helping others stay compliant in the eyes of the law and do things the proper way in the cannabis industry where self-regulation is needed at this stage.
What an inspiring and honest guy, it’s very telling when someone gets excited about the ability to be able to pay taxes.