Johan Jacobs | Founder and CEO | Hemp Solutions South Africa
Co-Founder | Agri Hemp Botswana
Johan Jacobs, Founder and CEO of Hemp Solutions South Africa and Co-Founder of Agri Hemp Botswana, is working to transform the future of agriculture across Africa. Instead of focusing only on growing crops, he believes agriculture should create long-term value through processing, manufacturing, and exports. His companies are building one of the continent’s first fully integrated industrial hemp value chains, connecting cultivation with industries such as construction, textiles, paper, food, animal nutrition, and bio-composites. His mission is simple but powerful – agriculture should not end at harvest; it should become the foundation of sustainable industries that create jobs, strengthen economies, and keep value within Africa. At EliteX, we are proud to have Johan Jacobs as part of the edition: Visionary AgriTech Leaders in Africa, 2026.
Johan’s journey into AgriTech did not begin with a passion for technology. It started with a question that had stayed with him for years. He noticed that many African countries exported raw agricultural materials but later imported finished products made from those same materials at much higher prices. To him, this cycle limited economic growth and prevented local communities from benefiting fully from their own resources. He wanted to change this pattern by creating industries that process and manufacture products within Africa rather than sending opportunities abroad. Industrial hemp became the ideal crop because of its ability to support hundreds of different industries instead of serving only one market.
“If farmers aren’t earning more and industries aren’t growing, technology on its own hasn’t achieved much.”
His educational background in Computer Sciences and Information Technology gave him a unique way of solving problems. Instead of looking only at visible challenges, he learned to study the systems behind them. This systems-based thinking helped him understand that the issue was not a lack of capable farmers or fertile land. The real challenge was an economic structure that encouraged exporting raw materials instead of producing finished goods locally. This perspective continues to guide every decision he makes while building new agricultural industries across Southern Africa.
Building an industrial hemp business was far from easy. One of the biggest obstacles was the misunderstanding between industrial hemp and psychoactive cannabis. Many regulators, investors, banks, and even farmers viewed them as the same, making it difficult to gain support. Johan and his team spent years educating stakeholders about the differences and explaining the enormous industrial potential of hemp. They also worked closely with policymakers to encourage regulations that recognize industrial hemp as a separate agricultural and manufacturing sector. These efforts required patience, persistence, and trust before any large-scale business opportunities could emerge.
Technology certainly plays an important role in Johan’s work, but he believes it should never become the main story. His companies use improved genetics, modern cultivation methods, precision agriculture, and traceability systems to increase quality and productivity. However, he believes technology is valuable only when it improves farmers’ lives. His greater focus is on creating the missing infrastructure between farms and factories. By developing processing facilities, efficient logistics, and direct relationships with manufacturers, farmers gain access to multiple industries instead of relying on a single buyer. This creates more stable incomes and stronger agricultural businesses.
Johan believes Africa possesses everything needed to become a global agricultural powerhouse. The continent has fertile land, favorable climates, and ambitious people. However, it often lacks processing capacity that turns raw materials into higher-value products. Through Hemp Solutions South Africa and Agri Hemp Botswana, he is addressing this gap by building the infrastructure that connects agriculture with manufacturing. His work helps farmers become part of larger industrial value chains while encouraging governments and investors to see agriculture as a driver of economic diversification rather than simply food production.
One of Johan’s proudest achievements is not measured by revenue or production figures. Instead, it is the change in public perception. When he first introduced industrial hemp, conversations often ended quickly because many people misunderstood the crop. Today, industrial hemp has become part of serious discussions about policy, manufacturing, and economic development in Botswana and beyond. Watching governments, farmers, investors, and researchers move from skepticism to genuine collaboration has been one of the most rewarding outcomes of his efforts.
“Before you can build a business in a misunderstood industry, you have to build understanding first.”
Sustainability is deeply connected to Johan’s business philosophy. Industrial hemp naturally improves soil health, requires relatively little water once established, and allows nearly every part of the plant to be used commercially. This reduces waste while increasing profitability across the value chain. For Johan, sustainability is not a marketing strategy but the foundation of a successful business model. Likewise, innovation is not always about creating new technologies. Sometimes, true innovation means challenging long-standing assumptions and building entirely new systems that benefit people, businesses, and the environment together.
Looking ahead, Johan expects agriculture across Africa to become increasingly data-driven, climate-resilient, and connected through digital technologies. More importantly, he believes processing and manufacturing facilities will move closer to farming communities, creating new employment opportunities and changing how young people view agriculture. Instead of seeing farming as a difficult occupation with limited prospects, future generations can view it as a pathway to entrepreneurship, innovation, and industrial growth.
As a leader, Johan values trust, patience, and collaboration. Building an entirely new industry requires bringing together governments, investors, researchers, manufacturers, and farmers who often have different priorities. He believes lasting success comes through strong relationships and shared understanding rather than quick wins. He also measures leadership by how well an organization can continue growing independently rather than depending on one individual. His advice to young entrepreneurs is to solve meaningful problems, build trust before building a brand, and remain patient because lasting transformation takes time. Through his continued efforts, Johan Jacobs is helping reshape Africa’s agricultural future by proving that real progress begins when value is created where resources are grown.
“Agriculture shouldn’t end at the farm gate. Every harvest should be the start of a manufacturing chain, not the end of one.”