SOUTH AFRICA – GES Labs, a world-class active ingredient extraction company based South Africa has completed the establishment of state-of-the-art pharmaceutical laboratory in Cape Town.

The new facility is targeting to serve domestic and international markets with plant extracts including cannabinoids for use in food, beverages and pharmaceuticals.

This is an addition to the company’s beneficial health products and ingredients based on Hemp CBD, Pelargonium and lion’s mane mushrooms.

“Our state-of-the-art facility allows us to harvest Southern Africa´s historical healing plants and turn them into world class health products for use in active foods, drinks and medicines,” said Peter William Nell, Founder and Managing Director of GES Labs.

According GES, the project tagged at a cost of R15m (US$986,000) was completed on time, taking just six months despite the COVID-19 distributions.

This was made possible thanks to a dedicated team of local scientists, engineers and builders who blended on and off-site work, expertly and safely.

“We are ecstatic at how the team has shown the very best of South African resourcefulness to deliver in this very challenging year.

“South Africa now has a new world class medicinal grade production laboratory ready to offer new jobs and great products to the market,” Wilco Drew, Chairperson of GES Europe said:

The company is now working with the South African health regulators to ensure the facility and its processes meet the exacting product safety protocols of food and medicinal grade operations.

“Our state-of-the-art facility allows us to harvest Southern Africa´s historical healing plants and turn them into world class health products for use in active foods, drinks and medicines.”

Peter William Nell – Founder and Managing Director of GES Labs

At the initial phase, GES will focus on processing South African plants including non-psychedelic variants of Cannabis into ingredients for food, beverages and nutraceuticals. Early in 2021 they will transition to fulfil European markets for prescription-based cannabinoids.

Other than extraction, the botanical manufacturing pharmaceutical company also specialises in isolation and bulk formulation of natural active ingredients.

GES is operating in a market valued at US$ 4.6 billion globally in 2018 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.2% from 2019 to 2025, according to a report by Grand View Reasearch.

The demand for cannabidiol (CBD) for medical and wellness purposes is high due to its healing properties, which is the key factor driving the growth of the market.

Moreover, growing product adoption and utilization owing to government approvals is a major factor anticipated to drive the demand for cannabidiol infused products.

In South Africa the floodgates were opened in May 2019 when the minister of health enabled non-prescription access to certain cannabidiol (CBD) products with the publication of a 12-month “exemption notice” on these products. Further amendments were undertaken earlier this year making CBD a legal product in the country.

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