Aloe Ferox

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Common Names

Afrikaans

Bitteraalwyn · Bergaalwyn

English

Cape Aloe · Bitter Aloe

Khoikhoi

iikhala

Ndebele

inhlaba

San

not documented

Sepedi

kgopane

Sesotho

kgopane

Setswana

kgopana

Swati

inhlaba

Tsonga

nkhala

Venda

tshipembe

Xhosa

ikhala

Zulu

inhlaba

Common Name

Aloe Ferox

Scientific Name

Aloe ferox

Family

Asphodelaceae

Native Region

Widespread across the Eastern and Western Cape, with a notable form in KwaZulu-Natal between the midlands and coast (Umkomaas and Umlaas river catchments).

Annual
Production

~4,000 t

Export Revenue

R280m

Export Markets

40+ countries

Livelihoods

3,000–5,000

Protection & Benefit Sharing

No GI No formal Geographical Indication. Subject of an EU Herbal Monograph (European Medicines Agency, 2006/2016) covering Aloe ferox and hybrids. Established export trade documented by TRAFFIC (2006).

No BSA No formal BSA. Khoisan tapping tradition acknowledged but not formally compensated.

Organic Certified organic production available. Demand from EU and Japanese cosmetic manufacturers.

Wild Harvest Sustainably wild-harvested across ~1.2 million hectares. Traditional tapping method does not kill the plant; CapeNature and DAFF monitor sustainability.

Provinces

ECEastern Cape

FSFree State

GTGauteng

KZNKwaZulu-Natal

LIMLimpopo

MPMpumalanga

NCNorthern Cape

NWNorth West

WCWestern Cape

Key

Registered farm

Certified organic

Introduction

Aloe ferox, or Cape Aloe, is South Africa's most economically significant aloe species. It yields two distinct products: a bitter yellow sap (aloin) for pharmaceutical use and a clear inner gel for cosmetic and topical applications.

Active Compounds

Aloin A and B
Aloeresin
Polysaccharides
Vitamins C and E

Traditional Uses

Digestive stimulant
Burn/wound healing
Eczema
Psoriasis
Joint inflammation

Clinically Validated

Aloin efficacy as stimulant laxative (European/British Pharmacopoeia)
Gel polysaccharide wound-healing activity (Wozniewski et al., 1990)
Antioxidant activity superior to Aloe vera (Loots et al., 2007)
Anti-diabetic potential in animal models (Ojewole, 2004)

Cultivation

Mediterranean/subtropical; drought-tolerant; well-drained rocky slopes.

Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal

Commercial & Trade Notes

Permit-based wild harvest; large-scale managed plantation gel extraction.

Indigenous Knowledge

First used by Khoisan for wound healing/purgative. Integrated into Cape Malay apothecary and Afrikaner folk medicine (Lewensessens). Traditional 'pit tapping' remains the standard harvest method.

Health