PhytoTrade Africa is the Southern African Natural Products Trade Association. We were established in 2001 to facilitate growth in the region’s natural products industry and, through this growth, to stimulate employment creation and economic empowerment in rural areas. Our 50+ members are drawn from eight different countries and are united by a common interest in the production, processing and sale of natural products.
Natural products are derived from plant resources that are harvested from the wild by rural producers. These products are used to supply the nutraceutical, phyto-medicinal, botanical, flavour and fragrance, herbal remedy, dietary supplement, functional food, cosmeceutical and personal care industries. PhytoTrade Africa currently focuses on Baobab Adansonia digitata, Kalahari melon Citrullus lanatus, Mafura Trichilia emetica, Mongongo/ Manketti Schinziophyton rautanenii, Marula Sclerocarya birrea, Mobola plum Parinari spp, Sausage tree Kigelia Africana, Ximenia Ximenia spp.
Despite rapid growth on a global scale, the natural products industry is not well-established within Southern Africa. Producers face negative perceptions about production skills and capacity in Africa, logistical constraints to developing reliable supply chains, a lack of co-ordinated investment in product development, and little support from their governments. Although an industry with potential to realise significant benefits for rural economies, these barriers can only be overcome through collective action on the part of producers.
PhytoTrade Africa is active in the following areas:
PhytoTrade Africa’s members are businesses involved in the production, processing and trade of natural products. They also include research institutions, government agencies, NGOs and individuals with a shared interest in the commercial use of natural products.
PhytoTrade Africa’s members are active participants in an R&D programme, undertaken with some of the world’s leading commercial players. In addition to preferential access to grant funding for innovations in production and processing technologies, members can draw on an extensive technical database, containing literature on plant species and uses, product development, existing patents, and new processing techniques.
Our members are entitled to on-site technical support from our team of advisors on a range of topics, including quality standards and certification, processing technologies, GMP, business planning, export procedures and market penetration strategies.
Our members receive continuous support in developing new markets, regular news updates on market trends, representation at trade fairs, and promotion of their products through our EU marketing office in London. The PhytoTrade Africa team also provides a match-making service to ensure that members are linked to buyers with good prospects for long term trade.
PhytoTrade Africa members also benefit from being part of the only natural products association in the region. Whether lobbying governments and regulatory bodies, advising on issues such as bio-prospecting, venture capital financing, and EU Novel Food Regulations, or simply providing a united and professional front for the industry, the PhytoTrade Africa team is there to meet the needs of its members.
Applicants must:
There are two categories of membership - Corporate and Individual. Corporate members are entitled to the full range of services offered by the Association, whilst Individual membership is restricted to those with an academic, but not a commercial, interest in natural products, who only require a limited selection of these services.
There is a sliding scale of membership fees for Corporate Members based on annual turnover:
Categories of Membership |
Membership Fees |
|
Corporate Member |
US$100 |
|
Individual Member |
US$50 |
|
Joining fees are charged on a once-off basis to new members, and are an additional 50% of the annual fees payable by a new member.
Complete a membership application form. Once submitted, we will contact your references and conduct an assessment of your suitability for membership. Applications are considered by our Board at quarterly intervals and, if successful, are activated on receipt of your annual membership fees.
If you are an institutional applicant, please include a copy of your most recent annual report and documentary evidence of your legal status (e.g. your company Articles, your welfare registration certificate etc.). If you are applying as an individual, please include your CV.
Application form and notes (MS
Word 125k) (pdf file
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Terms and Conditions of PhytoTrade Membership (MS
Word 21k) (pdf
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For more information about membership of PhytoTrade Africa contact the information officer.