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South Africa is overlooking the economic potential of Aloe Ferox

25 March 2025 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Andre Damons

Dr Gerard Verhoef, an intellectual property (IP) commercialisation specialist at Barnard Incorporated Attorneys, gave an oral presentation at the second Southern African Mountain Conference.

South Africa is neglecting and overlooking the economic potential of Aloe ferox, forfeiting millions in potential revenue from this ‘green gold’. In doing so, the country is denying farmers and communities the chance to prosper from the land’s true bounty and is also undermining its biodiversity.

While South Africa harvests a mere 200 tons of Aloe ferox annually, its global competitors, such as Mexico, churn out a staggering 400 000 tons of Aloe vera, says Dr Gerard Verhoef, an intellectual property (IP) commercialisation specialist at Barnard Incorporated Attorneys. He gave an oral presentation titled IKS, the public domain and Biotrade during a session on Mountain People's Livelihoods at the second Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2025).

Researchers, policy makers, and practitioners from across Southern Africa and beyond came together from 17 to 20 March at the scenic Champagne Sports Resort in the central Maluti-Drakensberg for SAMC2025 themed ‘Overcoming Boundaries and Barriers’.

The next rooibos

SAMC2025, under the patronage of UNESCO and organised by the University of the Free State (UFS) Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) – in partnership with the African Mountain Research Foundation (AMRF) and the Global Mountain Safeguard Research Programme (GLOMOS) – delved into critical issues around mountain ecosystems, communities, governance, and transboundary cooperation.

Aloe ferox could be the next rooibos, which is successfully using its geographical indications (GI) status to unlock value throughout the biotrade value chain, Dr Verhoef said. Other South African plants that are also an underutilised asset with economic potential for the country, include honeybush, baobab, umsuzwane, rose geranium, imphepho, Cape chamomile, Kalahari melon, mafura, sour plum, and African ginger.

A GI consists of the name of the place of origin. It links a product to a specific geographical area, which indicates the origin of where the product is produced, processed, or prepared.

Overlooking the potential of Aloe ferox, which has been scientifically proven to contain double the amino acids and 20 times more antioxidants than its international cousin, Aloe vera, Dr Verhoef explains, South Africa is not only undermining its biodiversity but also the economy. Aloe ferox is most popularly used for its laxative effect (aloe bitters) and as a topical application to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. It is also used for many traditional uses as well as cosmetic purposes.

Time to capitalise

According to him, Aloe ferox remains an underutilised asset, relegated to niche markets and small-scale production due to regulatory constraints and the unwillingness to obtain access and benefit-sharing (ABC) permits needed to navigate obstacles in South Africa as well as Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

“This is not just an agricultural oversight; it is a glaring economic misstep. It is high time that South Africa capitalises on its green gold, turning the tables on international competitors and finally giving Aloe ferox the global podium it deserves. This is not just an agricultural oversight; it is a glaring economic misstep.

“Aloe ferox could be a flagship in the global wellness market, much like rooibos has become for tea. But until we embrace and promote our indigenous resources with the same vigour as we do foreign ones, our ‘green gold’ will remain just out of reach, a latent promise unfulfilled. It’s high time South Africa capitalise and turn the tables on international competitors, finally giving Aloe ferox the global podium it deserves,” said Dr Verhoef.

The path forward, he explains, requires a radical shift in how we view and value our native species. It demands a coalition of dedicated scientists, legal advisers, and farmers to advocate for more accommodating regulations and stronger market support. The pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries – major users of aloe products – must also be brought into the fold to help recalibrate the scales in favour of Aloe ferox. South Africa’s rich biodiversity is a national treasure, yet our approach to leveraging this wealth remains timid and fragmented.

News Archive

Applications for the Vice-Chancellor's Prestige Programme for 2013/2014 now open

2012-12-06

This highly prestigious programme, led by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, seeks to identify, develop and promote the next cohort of the most promising and talented UFS academic members of staff who obtained a doctoral degree within the last five years. These are young scholars who have chosen academic careers and who are focused and determined to become senior academics in their respective disciplines.

Once identified, these scholars will be put through an intensive programme of academic and scholarship support that includes an advanced residential programme, exposure to leading scholars, intensive reading and writing programmes, high-level seminar participation and presentation, nuanced publication schedules and personal mentoring and advice.

The selection process is highly competitive, and aimed at those young scholars with the potential to obtain upper-level ratings (Y1 and P). The selection criteria include the following:(1)

1. Recently obtained a PhD degree.

2. Evidence of an active publication record.
3. Early recognition of scholarly work, e.g. successful funding/grant applications and academic awards.
4. The early development of a post-doctoral intellectual project that shows evidence of scholarly “potential” (defined by the NRF Y-category).
5. Indication of the young scholar’s understanding of what their envisaged postdoctoral endeavours will contribute to the body of knowledge.

This period of support will run over a cycle of two years after which a new intake of next generation professors will be selected.

While this cohort will be selected for an intensive programme, ongoing development and support of all young scholars will continue. The selected scholars will reflect a balance of young academics from the humanities (broadly defined, including education, law, theology and the social sciences) and the natural sciences (broadly defined, including the agricultural and health sciences).

Call for Applications

This is a call for applications for the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Programme for 2013/2014. Candidates are invited to submit applications. No nomination is required, but deans and heads of department will also be asked to invite young scholars to apply. Complete applications are due by Monday 21 January 2013. A full application will include the following documentation:

1. A complete curriculum vitae of the candidate.
2. A complete exercise of intent comprising the following:
2.1   Select two journal articles (copies of which to accompany the application) in the area you have identified for your intellectual focus post PhD. These articles have to be selected from journals of international standing in your field.
2.2   The articles need to be summarised (250 words each), and
2.3   Two questions have to be identified that you would want to pursue in relation to your intended project.
2.4   This is followed by a brief, critical summary of a hundred lines maximum to indicate how these articles inform, integrate or provoke your planned future research.

Submission and contact address

A paper copy of the application must be submitted to the Vice-Chancellor’s secretary, Ms Melissa Coetzee, in the Main Building by 16:00 on Monday 21 January 2013 and an electronic copy of your entire application to the administrative assistant, Mr Albert Nell:nella@ufs.ac.za. You will be contacted to acknowledge receipt. Candidates will be informed of the outcome in February. Further information on the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholar Programme can be directed at any of the following co-directors (in alphabetical order):

Prof Jackie du Toit, Prof Neil Roos, Prof Aldo Stroebel or Prof Corli Witthuhn.

[1] The VC reserves the right to nominate young scholars to the programme and also to invite scholars to a panel interview to evaluate personal qualities, professional commitment and academic ambition.

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