John and Christine Forte founded their Somerset West-based company, Medico Herbs, after returning to SA in 2001 after several years in the UK.
Exposure to a broader market had kindled an interest in harnessing the medicinal properties of organically grown South African herbs, and they launched with something to capture the hearts and minds of potential customers — a slimming product.
Their objective was to create a range of affordable, cost-effective natural medications, and in researching alongside pharmacists and naturopaths have now developed more than 20 products with a range of applications from helping customers to quit smoking; shake off respiratory infections; boost their immune systems; restore hormone imbalances; stimulate the libido; as well as help with nutrition, detoxing, and with conditions of the nervous system, heart, energy levels and the brain.
Expanding beyond human conditions, the Fortes branched into products dealing with pet care and have found local and international markets for the compounds and single herbs in a dried, tinctured or powdered format.
Bulk orders for hoodia gordonii (for its appetite suppressant qualities), sceletium tortuosum or kanna (for its anti-depressant characteristics), devil's claw (for treating fever, rheumatoid arthritis and skin conditions among others), buchu (for gout) and sutherlandia (multipurpose characteristics including cancer treatments and HIV/AIDS) are received from the US, Canada and Germany.
The couple is in consultation with Chinese herbalists and suppliers.
The range retails in selected local and Namibian pharmacies as well as via an eBay store. Yet, comments John, their point of differentiation comes in having developed herbal medication taken via atomisers rather than in a drop format. He says intra-oral sprays have been proven to be nine times more effective than capsules as the medication is immediately absorbed into the bloodstream.
He believes that there is a growing interest in traditional southern African herbs and their medical properties, while there is a groundswell of people moving away from pharmaceutical conglomerates and “returning to their roots”, he says.
“People are getting despondent with chemically-based medicines and want to shift towards natural products. They recognise the side-effects associated with putting potentially poisonous substances into their bodies and that opens substantial opportunities for companies looking to capture the interests of this growing market.”
He says the current rand-dollar exchange rate benefits South African exporters, particularly when input costs are rand-based.
Medico Herbs sources its products from farms across the country (many in the Western Cape) and Namibia, and John ranks finding good farmers as one of the biggest challenges in an environment where demand for natural medication far outstrips the supply of raw materials.
Looking ahead he wants to expand into small operations in other African countries, secure in the knowledge the company consistently produces quality medication at an affordable price.
“We want market recognition that we are not a flash-in-the-pan, but a company where the products deliver on their promises without compromising the long-term health of its consumers,” he says.
Source: Business Day
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