ABOUT US

Aether are creators and sellers of herb and mushroom products in South Africa. If you're looking to buy herbal remedies or mushroom's to assist with a variety of health conditions such as asthma, anti-cancer, hay-fever, immunity, liver and more then you're come to the right place.

OUR HISTORY


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

Inspired by the vast pharmacopoeia of botanical and fungal medicines native to South Africa, and a few fungal ‘greats’ such as Cordyceps and Chaga, Aether began with basic extracts from the home apothecaries , trading small batches at various markets around Cape Town.

From these humble beginnings, the mycelial networks of Aether have continued their expansion across the country and our products are now stocked at some of the nations largest health retailers, such as Faithful to Nature, as well as at most small health shops and through many doctors and holistic practitioners.

Cullen, Ricky and their team are now spread all around South Africa sharing, growing and expanding where-ever we can.

WHY AETHER?

  • SUPERIOR SUB-CRITICAL EXTRACTION

    We make use of a proprietary, subcritical, triple-extraction method; ensuring that our tinctures are of the highest potency and quality.

  • NON-CERTIFIED ORGANIC & WILD HARVESTED

    While organic certification is very challenging in South Africa, we can assure you that many of our products are comprised of organic, or wild harvested, herbs and mushrooms.

  • 100% VEGAN AND 70% LOCALLY SOURCED

    Part of Aethers ethical underpinning means that we source locally grown plants and mushrooms wherever possible - reducing carbon emissions and supporting small-scale local producers. We are also 100% vegan.

A RADICAL RETURN

Modern civilization has made wonderous steps and advancements, there’s no doubt that we are exploring and innovating like never before. However there is one aspect of life which we have severely neglected; our connection to the Earth, to nature and ourselves. 


Not only has this resulted in the destruction of countless ecosystems but it has also left many of us feeling disconnected from the natural world. We at Aether seek to bridge this gap by allowing each individual the opportunity to incorporate herbal and mushroom medicines into their lives, to learn about these medicines and their environments, forage, and empower themselves to become their own healers. Connecting people more deeply to themselves and the natural world throughout everyday life.

A NEW AERTH

We foresee a future in which natural medicines, and the ecosystems they come from, are revered and loved by all of humanity. Along with protecting the natural world, and creating truly sustainable manufacturing practices, we hope to facilitate the space in which the nutraceutical industry can make leaps and bounds towards creating truly groundbreaking medicines.

Through this transformation we can lay a foundation in which the natural world, working world, science and individuals are collectively empowering one another, creating a sustainable future in which all can thrive.

SUSTAINABLE & REGENERATIVE PRACTICES

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

  • Community Development

    In 2023 we implemented working with our first local school, to aid and support them in their needs. It continues to be a goal of ours to work more in depth with our local communities, building resources and connection.

  • Remaining 100% Vegan

    We are extremely dedicated to ensuring that all of our products and processes are 100% vegan and don't use and/or contain any other substances which cause harm to our environment, or the creatures which call it home.

  • Sustainable Production & Packaging

    We utilise sustainable energy sources to power our production facility wherever possible and ensure that we package and pack all of our products in sustainable packaging.

However, we don't want to just "survive" - we want to THRIVE. The world has passed the tipping point where aiming for ‘sustainable’ production is enough. We need to think REGENERATIVELY if we hope to remain living on this planet in any sort of harmony.

By 2025 Aether will be carbon positive, making significant contributions towards reforestation and soil regeneration, amongst other ecologically restorative practises.

As custodians of this Earth have a responsibility, to rebuild and care for our home,  This is how we are doing our part.

OUR LEADERS

  • Cullen Clark

    Role: Chief Visionary Officer & Co-founder

    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 to be published book "Mushroom Muti" showcasing for the first time South Africas 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 herbal protocol, and get their health back on track. Ricky Anne is currently completing her studies as a clinical herbalist which will allow aether to perform clinical trial, and verify scientifically our products efficacy.

  • Rochelle Coetzee

    Role: Chief Admin Officer & Director

    Without Rochelle Aether would not be changing lives to the scale we currently do - helping several hundred thousands individuals. Our Admin powerhouse is a vibrant and caring individual 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 our clinical testing programs. 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 use 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 auditingnthrough our aether education program she wishes to further her education and continue to climb the ladder and help us build our vision

OUR FARM

Aether has fount 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 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 our indigenous forests, visit our state of the art laboratory, or even see how we harvest reishi