What Afraceuticals (pty) Ltd does

Afraceuticals (Pty) Ltd is a privately held South African company that develops and manufactures standardized African plant-based botanical extracts for the global nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Its core technology is purpose-built, cGMP-certified extraction of two flagship botanicals: Pelargonium sidoides (marketed as PELAFORCE™) and Sceletium tortuosum (marketed as KANNASERENE™). The firm operates a vertically integrated "source-to-seal" supply chain that spans wild harvest in four Eastern Cape villages and the foothills of the Maluti mountains in Lesotho, through drying, milling, extraction and final packaging at its facility in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. The PELAFORCE™ EMA1170™ grade is positioned as pharmacologically equivalent to EPs® 7630 and is accompanied by a Drug Master File (Active Substance Master File - 3.2S); supporting evidence cites more than 30 European clinical studies covering over 9,000 patients.

The company's revenue model is a B2B one-time sales model: it sells standardized powdered extracts (PELAFORCE™, KANNASERENE™) and processed raw root forms (sliced, chipped, powdered) as ingredients to nutraceutical brands, pharmaceutical manufacturers, food supplement producers, ingredient wholesalers and contract manufacturers. It also offers contract manufacturing services for finished dosage formats including drops, gummies, syrups, capsules, tablets and throat sprays. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct outreach, the company website, email, LinkedIn and Facebook. Regulatory positioning includes Health Canada NPN (granted 2021), European and African Pharmacopoeia listings, and an Australian TGA submission initiated in 2021-10. The leadership team is founder/director-controlled (Managing Director Paul Walters, Business Development Director Dane Poulsen, Commercial Director Ryan Hooker, Production Director Jon Walters) with no disclosed external institutional investors.

Name

Afraceuticals (pty) Ltd

Legal name

AFRACEUTICALS (PTY) LTD

Website

https://afraceuticals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Afraceuticals (Pty) Ltd is a privately held South African manufacturer that produces standardized African botanical extracts (Pelargonium sidoides and Sceletium tortuosum) for B2B supply to nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Extract Ingredients

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Herbal & Botanical Supplements (CRADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ingredient Blends & Systems / Custom Formulation (Seasoning Systems, Functional Blends) (CRADAOAO), Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO)

Keywords

• Botanical extracts
• Nutraceutical ingredients
• Pharmaceutical raw materials
• Contract manufacturing
• Herbal extracts

Headquarters

HQ city

Kamberg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Botanical Extract Ingredients: Sale of Pelargonium sidoides and Sceletium tortuosum extracts as raw material ingredients to nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies for use in final product formulations including drops, gummies, syrups, capsules, and tablets.
2. Dry Root and Raw Material Sales: Sale of processed Pelargonium sidoides root products including sliced root, chipped root, and powdered root to manufacturers.
3. Contract Manufacturing Services: Custom formulation and manufacturing services for clients into various delivery formats including drops, gummies, syrups, capsules, tablets, and throat sprays.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Afraceuticals manufactures and supplies standardized African botanical extracts — primarily Pelargonium sidoides (PELAFORCE™) and Sceletium tortuosum (KANNASERENE™) — as raw material ingredients to nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies. The company operates a vertically integrated source-to-seal supply chain, from wild harvest in Lesotho and Eastern Cape through to cGMP-certified extraction, and offers custom formulation and contract manufacturing services into final delivery formats such as drops, gummies, syrups, capsules, and tablets.

Product overview

Afraceuticals develops and produces naturally potent African plant-based phytoceutical products for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry. The company operates two flagship branded ingredients: PELAFORCE™ (Pelargonium sidoides extract for immune and respiratory health) and KANNASERENE™ (Sceletium tortuosum extract for cognitive and mood support). Both are offered as powder extracts with various standardization options and can be formulated into final products including drops, gummies, syrups, capsules, tablets, and throat sprays. The company also supplies raw botanical materials (powdered, sliced, and chipped root forms). The product portfolio is united by Afraceuticals' vertically integrated source-to-seal supply chain and commitment to wild-harvested African botanicals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PELAFORCE: Flagship Pelargonium sidoides powder extract product for immune support, cold, flu, and respiratory tract infection relief.
• PELAFORCE EMA1170
• KANNASERENE

Products and services

• PELAFORCE™ Pelargonium sidoides extract Flagship standardized medicinal botanical powder extract derived from Pelargonium sidoides root, clinically proven for prevention and treatment of viral colds, flu, and respiratory tract infections. Listed in European and African Pharmacopoeia, approved as herbal medicine and food supplement with Drug Master File available; sold to nutraceutical and pharmaceutical manufacturers as a raw material ingredient.
• PELAFORCE™ EMA1170™ Pharmaceutical-grade Pelargonium sidoides extract manufactured according to the European monograph (EMA Monograph) with concentration ratio 4-25:1, accompanied by a Drug Master File (Active Substance Master File - 3.2S). Made in cGMP facility as a soluble powder extract for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers requiring EMA-standard material.
• KANNASERENE™ Sceletium tortuosum extract Sceletium tortuosum powdered extract standardized to ≥0.35% – 0.45% total alkaloids, intended as a phyto-ingredient for cognitive and mood support applications. Clinically demonstrated to improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and improve mood; supplied to nutraceutical formulators as a raw material.
• Pelargonium sidoides raw root materials Processed Pelargonium sidoides root products offered in sliced, chipped, and powdered forms, sold to manufacturers as bulk raw botanical material before extraction.
• Contract manufacturing services Custom formulation and manufacturing services for clients producing finished nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products in delivery formats including drops, gummies, syrups, capsules, tablets, and throat sprays, leveraging cGMP-certified extraction facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-fold suppression of human coronavirus
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Silver Hill LodgeminorOthersEnvironmental conservation partnership where Afraceuticals provides long-term annual funding equal to 1% of company revenue to Silver Hill Lodge's Bearded Vulture Conservation Project in Kwa-Zulu Natal. This aligns with their commitment to environmental protection and wildlife conservation in the Maluti-Drakensberg mountains region.
• 1% for the PlanetminorOthersAfraceuticals is a member of this global movement where members contribute at least 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes. This membership demonstrates their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
• Renowned UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaborations with universities for laboratory analyses, research, and development of novel processing techniques. These partnerships support the company's scientific validation and innovation in botanical extraction technology.
• Drug Master File (DMF) HoldersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustomers and clients who access Afraceuticals' products through the company's Drug Master File (Active Substance Master File - 3.2S) documentation for their own regulatory filings in various countries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nexira: French supplier of botanical and natural ingredients for the nutraceutical, food, and beverage industries. Comparable vertically integrated ingredient business with multinational B2B customer base.
• Sabinsa: US- and India-based manufacturer of standardized botanical extracts, cosmeceuticals, and specialty ingredients with strong clinical dossiers. Direct B2B competitor serving similar nutraceutical brand-holder customers with clinically substantiated plant extracts.
• Euromed SA: Spanish producer of standardized botanical extracts and phytopharmaceutical ingredients for the global nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Comparable in scale, regulatory orientation, and ingredient-supply B2B model.
• Indena S.p.A. Italian botanical extract manufacturer serving pharmaceutical and nutraceutical customers with standardized, GMP-certified plant-derived APIs. Highly comparable in business model, customer base, and quality/regulatory positioning to Afraceuticals.
• Linnea SA: Swiss botanical API manufacturer focused on standardized plant-derived active ingredients for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets. Comparable GMP-certified, evidence-led extract supplier with similar scale and customer base.
• Schwabe Group: German herbal pharmaceutical company and developer of EPs 7630, the reference Pelargonium sidoides extract against which Afraceuticals benchmarks PELAFORCE. Most directly comparable competitor in the same product category with established regulatory and clinical leadership.

Broad incumbents

• Naturex (Givaudan): Now part of Givaudan, Naturex is a major global botanical extracts and natural ingredients supplier. Broad incumbent operating at significantly larger scale than Afraceuticals but covering similar nutraceutical/functional food customer segments.
• Martin Bauer Group: Large German botanical extract manufacturer serving global food, beverage, and nutraceutical customers. Larger incumbent with broader portfolio but overlapping capabilities in standardized herbal extracts and B2B ingredient supply.
• Kemin Industries: Global ingredient manufacturer with a substantial human nutrition and health division producing plant-based extracts for supplements and functional foods. Larger incumbent with broader portfolio but comparable B2B ingredient model.

Emerging players

• Bio-Botanica: US-based botanical extract manufacturer producing standardized herbal extracts for personal care, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications. Smaller niche competitor with comparable ingredient business and customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Afraceuticals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afraceuticalspelaforce

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Afraceuticals (pty) Ltd