National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004)

Aloe ferox is favored for its therapeutic uses, both locally and internationally (Newton and Vaughan, 1996; Grace et al., 2008; DAFF, 2015). Owing to the high commercial value of the species and its derivatives, the industry is taking measures to implement sustainable harvesting practices that contribute to the conservation of the species. The majority of the A. ferox industry operates out of the Western Cape, and tappers in this province implement correct tapping and harvesting practices that have been shared within families over many generations, and which ensure the selection of appropriate plants at each harvest. Recent and ongoing developments of the finished product sector, continues to promote the complete use of harvested leaf materials which has also added to the conservation value of the resource base.

In the Eastern Cape, a joint venture between industry and tappers, known as the lkhala Agricultural Co-operative (the species is called Ikhala in Xhosa), has been generating incentives for the conservation of the species by involving harvesters and locals in business opportunities and providing them with access to a consistent market (Burgess, 2007). Trained harvesters participate in the collection and pre-processing of raw materials for local and international markets, whilst some locals are provided with the opportunity to make profits from the sales of finished products within and around their communities. Harvesters and locals are thus aware and protective of the benefits they derive from nature.