The KwaZulu-Natal young and promising farmer has found a niche market with some of the Brics countries. Zulu is planning to plant more than 2000 ha of hemp. Speaking at his farm, KwaZulu Hemp Processors, earmarked for hemp production situated at the eMacekane area of eMpangeni, KwaZulu-Natal on the north coast, Zulu had encouraged youth to take advantage of farming hemp as it has the potential to create sizeable job opportunities and push back the frontiers of poverty.

Speaking at the site visit by KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa on Wednesday, 12 September 2024, Zulu thanked the commercial farmers' association for the advisory role they played, which resulted in a successful application for a hemp permit and accessing the most sought-after markets in South America, North America and Europe. Zulu said despite this being the pilot program, that he has already received numerous offers needing exports of thousands of processed hemp products. "With the Department of Agriculture, we are ensuring that the farmers have access to the markets through seed and have access to training so that they are able to produce a substance of quality that I will be able to process and meet the European hemp standards, South America as well as North America, and ensure that KwaZulu-Natal is seen as a forefront leader in the hemp industry," he said. Hemp is part of the marijuana family with 0.3 percent or less of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the ingredient that produces a psychoactive effect and is non-intoxicating as opposed to cannabis.

KaMadlopha-Mthethwa, said that although there is ongoing research on the use of hemp, the commodity is a game changer. "We have to lift communities in need with job opportunities to come out of hemp production. It's a labour-intensive production, meaning that it will absorb a lot of people in terms of employment opportunities. I am happy that Mr Zulu took up this initiative, and we hope to see his project yielding positive results. We will also come back to this farm to see to it that the farm has been completed”.

We are supporting applicants with applications for permits for hemp farming, too." In October 2021, growing and farming hemp was made legal after the Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Department announced the opening of the application process for hemp permits, which enabled farmers to apply for a permit to farm hemp as an agricultural crop and for industrial purposes.

Application forms for hemp farming can be found on the website of the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), South Africa is the third-largest illegal cannabis producer in the world.

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