OUR HISTORY


Aether was founded by Cullen and Rick-Anne in 2017 with the intent of spreading knowledge, and expanding the use of Therapeutic herbs and Medicinal mushrooms throughout South Africa.

Inspired by the vast pharmacopoeia of botanical and fungal medicines native to South Africa, Aether began its journey making basic extracts from the kitchen of these two pioneers, trading small batches at various markets around Cape Town.

From these humble beginnings, our wonderful brand moved to a farm in the Eastern Cape, built out our laboratory, hired wonderful locals from Nyara, Soto & Haga Haga Villages, we spread out further and further across the country. Our products are now stocked at some of the nations largest retailers, such as Faithful to Nature & Pick n Pay , as well as at most small health shops around our nation. We also partner with many doctors and holistic practitioners to supply medicine directly to patients.

The Aether Team have branched out into sharing our knowledge with other brands and now help them bring new innovative products to market. Our endeavours are currently focussed on being the best bioceutical house in SA, continuing our growth overseas & lending our brains to the ever increasing knowledge acquisition of science in SA.

WHY AETHER?

  • SUPERIOR LAB-MADE PROPRIETARY EXTRACTION

    We make use of a proprietary extraction protocol - using precision ultrasound, pressure & heat to make sure every last drop of goodness is extracted from our raw material & nurtured into a powerful end product

  • SAFE & CLEAN RAW MATERIAL BACKED BY SCIENCE

    We are fully transparent about our raw material, showcasing it origin, sterility, heavy metal & pesticide levels all to ensure accountability for the medicines we make. Request COA's to get the full scoop on a product

  • THIS IS OUR PURPOSE, THIS IS OUR HEART

    This is our life's work, & because of that we are driven by passion & unwavering determination. We are here to do justice to the task we've been given, we vow to make the best medicines, for the best prices & uplift people as we do it

IT IS OUR INNATE HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY TO STEP THROUGH THIS WORLD LIGHTLY, TO ACT AS A FORCE FOR GOOD TO THOSE WE ENCOUNTER - PLANTS, FUNGI, ANIMALS & HUMANS ALIKE

BECAUSE OF THAT WE SOLIDIFIED THAT THE HEART OF OUR ORGANISATION WOULD BE COMMITED TO RESHAPING THE INDUSTRY PARADIGM, TO BRING ABOUT PROFOUND CHANGE

SUSTAINABLE & REGENERATIVE PRACTICES

Sustainability is the bedrock of everything that we do. We have already implemented some amazing measures to improve our footprint such as:

  • Community Development

    We are located in Haga Haga a pristine environment with few employment opportunities available. Through our company we've been able create dozen of jobs, uplift, & empower our staff to grow within our organisation & further their education. We've funded nursery schools & are currently putting a student through high school with our ABBY program

  • Fairwild Certification

    Our Partnership with Fairwild certification demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship (spreading Reishi onto invasive black wattle trees in the EC and educating locals of the importance of this species). We have also initiated fair wage practices (paying harvesters well above minimum wage to collect these mushrooms after sporulation)

  • Sustainable First

    By Localising Production & supply chains, we reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Our emphasis on sustainability is also evident in our facility which is 100% off the grid & our state-of-the-art machinery uses less energy & extracts using incredibly safe biodegradable solvents, additionally we utilise only ecological packaging in our final products as well as shipping.

OUR LEADERS

  • Cullen Clark

    Role: Chief Visionary Officer & Co-founder

    Our visionary head has guided aether every step of the way to the company we are today, setting out a roadmap and with unrelenting optimism walking that route everyday. When he isn’t in the lab researching extraction protocol, Cullen can be found sniffing his way through the forests seeking out new and exciting varieties of mushrooms. He has written scientific papers with leading universities, compiled books and even discovered new never before documented psychoactive mushroom specimens here in South Africa. His current mission as an ethnomycologist is centred around his research for his book "The Lost Muti" showcasing for the first time South Africa's potential lost history of mushroom use dating back thousands of years.

  • Ricky-Anne

    Role: Chief Operations Officer & Co-founder

    Our green witch and head certified herbalist is never seen without a homebrew of some mushroom, flower, root or leaf in her cup. Greeting the herbs and mushrooms each morning on her farm and the home of Aether. She is consistently working with these medicines to create highly potent and beneficial blends. She has helped thousands of people find their personal herbal protocol, and get their health back on track. Without Rickys connection to the naturals our company would not have the 'heart' that so many patients are drawn to. Ricky Anne is currently completing her studies as a clinical herbalist which will allow aether to perform clinical trials on our products.

  • Rochelle Coetzee

    Role: Chief Admin Officer & Director

    Without Rochelle Aether would not be changing lives to the scale we currently do - helping thousands of individuals every month. Our Admin powerhouse is a vibrant and caring person with a fiery yet gently character. She is polar opposites at the same time in many aspects of life and that brings a balanced heart and mind to our brand. Rochelle is currently finishing her degree in psychology which she will incorporate into Aether to further flesh out the role of bioceuticals in therapy. She is a dancer, artist creator, Sage, and an exceptional leader that guides our team on a daily basis.

  • Bomkazi mBangeleli

    Role: Head Production Manager

    Boms came on as our first official production assistant, bottling and packaging orders for clients all around South Africa. We quickly saw her value as a born leader and thus built an exceptional team beneath her. Bomkazi and her team of 6 are the backbone of our brand. they make each medicine, bottle and package it and send it off with love to be used by people all around the world. The singing and jovial spirits in our laboratory are a testament to Bomkazi. She has several certificates in education and auditing. Through our aether education program she wishes to further her education and continue to climb the business ladder, helping us achieve our vision for Aether

OUR FACILITIES

Aether has found its home on the Good Earth Farm which is a 200 Hectare piece of land in the beautiful great Kei region of the Eastern Cape. This lush Eden is our home and allows us the opportunity to produce and package some of SA's best natural medicine, as well as develop new innovative subsidiary brands. 


In time the farm will also be open to the public which means you can come to walk through the indigenous forests, visit our state of the art laboratory, or even see how we harvest reishi