Highlands Investments was at the forefront of the country’s legalisation process and was granted one of the first and largest trading licenses.
The company cultivates, processes and packages high-quality THC and CBD cannabis flower for the production of medical-grade cannabis products, and in 2021, was behind what was described as the world’s largest single legal cannabis export to date.
The 2022 African Cannabis Report stated that the total estimated size of the legal African cannabis market was approximately $41m (R755m), driven by exports to international legal markets.
“Highlands was established with an initial investment of about $20m and meets global standards for medical cannabis cultivation,” said Norman Raad, chief executive officer of Broll Auctions and Sales.
Broll Auctions and Sales will auction the business which includes 20ha of cannabis, with strains including Moby Dick, Diet Durban, Cloud Walker and Super Silver Haze. Key to the sale is the company’s Medical Cannabis Cultivation Licence for cultivation of up to 200ha, and a 60-year lease with room for further expansion.
Assets included in the sale include a modern processing and packaging facility, a natural aquifer, three mega boreholes, three one-million litre reservoirs, fully-integrated irrigation system, and several tonnes of CBD and THC biomass.
Raad said the 100% buyout of equity shares in Highlands would provide an opportunity for a large-scale trade-player or other knowledgeable investor to diversify his or her agricultural exposure. “Lesotho is an independent kingdom, globally recognised as one of the world’s best locations for cannabis cultivation, with its ideal climate.”
Now into its sixth growth cycle, Highlands Investments was one of the first ISO 22000 accredited cannabis businesses, reassuring global buyers that the cultivation and the processing are performed at the highest international standards.
While designed for cannabis and hemp, the machinery and processing capabilities mean business has the capacity to cultivate a wide array of genetics, including cash crops like barley, wheat, grain, sorghum, sesame, and biofuels.
The high-end agricultural business will go under the hammer at Wanderers Club in Johannesburg on 22 November at noon.
