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Our vision

Leading investment fund

SilverLeaf Investments exists to unlock the value of this transformative plant. Our long-term vision is for SilverLeaf Investments to be recognised as a leading investment fund in the cannabis and hemp industry, providing significant returns for the investor.

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Our mission

SilverLeaf will

  • Rewrite everything you’ve been told about this plant and shift attitudes and behaviours that exist about cannabis
  • Invest those funds wisely in businesses with significant potential for growth.
  • Enter partnerships and develop networks to assist in the shaping of the industry.
  • Walk the road with each of our investment businesses and help drive their success.
  • Be a significant player in creating economic benefit through job creation, skills development, and meaningful contribution to the South African fiscus.
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How we view our industry, our investors and each other

Our core principles

Respect

For the plant, and each other. We all bring something unique to the table.

Ears to the ground
This industry is changing fast. There’s no time to blink.
Hands on, eyes peeled
We’re digging deep, even in the weeds. You never know what promising seeds have been planted.
Brace for impact

Charting new territory is not for the faint-hearted. We’re buckled up and ready for the storms and the sunshine.

All hearts in

If it’s not what you love, it can’t be what you do.
This is exactly what we love doing – each of us with our own story of why.

Uniquely positioned

Meet the team

By design, we’re uniquely positioned to unlock value by leveraging the right opportunities in the industry:

  • An experienced, credible, skilled and savvy team of cannabis historians, seasoned executives, entrepreneurs and corporate financiers.
  • Diverse expertise in cannabis, capital raising, capital deployment, governance and compliance.
  • Knowledge and understanding cover the broader South African industry, both regulatory and commercially.
  • Deep-seated knowledge and access to high-quality investee companies across the value chain.
  • The know-how to cherry-pick winners and invest in best-of-breed opportunities.
  • Significantly connected and networked locally and globally to open doors.
  • Hands on, realising value in every investment by being actively involved shareholders on behalf of our investors.
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Darryl Weisz

Chief Executive Officer – Silverleaf Investments ltd / Silverleaf Management Pty ltd

I am ‘sold’ on the fact that cannabis is a wonder plant...

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Clifford Giesenow

Non-Executive Director – Silverleaf Investments ltd

Cannabis can and is changing the world! Join us in unlocking its potential...

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bio-Pierre-van-der-Hoven

Pierre van der Hoven

Non-Executive Director – Silverleaf Investments ltd

I firmly believe that the cannabis and hemp industry is the best opportunity...

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Ayanda-Bam​

M. Ayanda Bam

Non-Executive Director – Silverleaf Investments ltd

I discovered cannabis as a young child suffering from asthma...

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Paul Bacher

Non-Executive Chairman – Silverleaf Investments ltd

I've seen the benefits of this wonder-plant first hand...

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Jeffrey Miller

Non-Executive Director – Silverleaf Investments ltd

I’m really excited to be involved in the growth of this sunrise industry...

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Kaeden Arnold

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – SILVERLEAF INVESTMENTS LTD

Extracting industrial products from the cannabis plant, is the unspoken frontier in this sector …

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Administered by Grovest

Grovest is the largest administrator of small cap funds in South Africa, with assets under administration of R3,5 billion. Initially setup as a Section 12J VCC, SilverLeaf Investments is the first cannabis fund in South Africa.

Darryl Weisz

Executive Director

“I am ‘sold’ on the fact that cannabis is a wonder plant. In 2016, I was diagnosed with skin cancer and underwent a 12-month treatment. To counter the numerous ill effects of my treatment, one of my doctors recommended cannabis medication. I was astounded at how it alleviated my symptoms and helped me cope with the side effects.”

Following his university studies, Darryl started his career at Nampak Ltd, initially in HR management as well as in various sales and marketing roles across various industries.

In a 30-year corporate career spanning numerous industries, Darryl has built a broad range of business experience in local and international markets by managing businesses and major FMCG and industrial brands across the world. These include managing the brand portfolios of the Kellogg Company of South Africa and Nampak Tissue (now Twinsaver Tissue). 

After being appointed as Managing Director of Nampak Tissue (2003), Darryl was the Managing Director of the Strategic Ventures division of the Liberty Group (2009) and the Managing Director/Sales & Marketing Executive in the Hulamin group (2012). 

Darryl currently occupies numerous non-executive positions in various small-to-medium companies. He consults in strategic planning and business growth on both a professional and pro-bono basis. His ongoing community work includes the Chairmanship of the ORT Bursary Trust, an international educational and skills enhancement non-profit organisation where he is a board trustee.

Clifford Giesenow

Executive Director

“Cannabis can and is changing the world! Joining us in unlocking its potential.”

With experience in the cannabis, real estate and technology industries, Clifford is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for incubating and launching ideas. He is the founder and owner of Leafolo™️, the world’s first African herbal smoking blends; a co-founder and shareholder of CannaTradeAfrica; the holding company of ‘The Greenside’, as well as ‘CannaFoods International’ which owns the ‘Taste of Cannabis’ products and retail stores. His expertise includes strategy, sales, marketing, product and business development. Clifford has extensive networks and connections in the cannabis industry both locally and globally.

Clifford is a member of the industry non-profit, Fields of Green for All and is also a co-founder of the Cannabis Trade Association Africa (CTAA), a voluntary association for industry companies and professionals.

Pierre van der Hoven

Executive Director

“I firmly believe the cannabis industry is the best opportunity to quickly make a significant positive difference to the people of South Africa.”

Pierre has over 30 years of business and entrepreneurship experience, largely in the media industry. He is a founder of several media companies including eTV, YFM, Yarona FM, TBM Communications, SA Direct (a TV channel on Sky in the UK covering travel, tourism and business in Southern Africa) and Tuluntulu, a mobile video and audio streaming app focusing on African content.

Since 2016, Pierre has been increasingly focused on the cannabis and hemp industries, closely monitoring international and local developments in legalisation as well as the recognition of the medicinal benefits of cannabis. 

In 2017, Pierre founded a vertically integrated cannabis company called AfriCannaBiz, as well as a cannabis-focused consulting company called Baobab International. In early 2018, he was commissioned to write a research report on cannabis and hemp’s economic potential for South Africa. 

That same year, he led a cannabis licence application in Zimbabwe and was involved in numerous licence and permit applications in South Africa, working with the Cannabis Development Council (CDC) and the Traditional Healers Organisation (THO). He also founded a cannabis industry advocacy organisation called African Cannabis Industry Association (ACIA).

Pierre is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) SA and Chartered Marketer CM (SA). He holds an MBA from Henley Business School in the UK, a Masters from the Cannabis Training University in the USA and is a member of the African Natural Healing Association (ANHA) focused on African traditional medicine. 

M. Ayanda Bam

Executive Director

“I discovered cannabis as a young child suffering from asthma and living in an area with only a single nebulizer. In their indigenous wisdom, my grandparents would therefore prepare a steam bath for me using intsangu (cannabis) and umhlonyana (Artemisia Afra) and this would greatly relieve my congestion. Due to these broncho-dilatory and many other benefits, I have been, and continue to be, deeply humbled and infinitely impressed by this transformative plant.”

M. Ayanda Bam is a seasoned management professional with over 12 years of experience across various industries. He is the co-founder of ‘Zageta Solutions’; one of the country’s first indigenous consulting companies providing sustainability-based solutions leveraging cannabis to government, private sector, and civil society. He brings over a decade of global management consulting and fund management experience (including Deloitte, The Monitor Group & Adam Smith International) across multiple industries in more than 20 countries across the world. He has designed and implemented numerous multi-billion projects across (leveraging more than R50 billion) in multi-year, multi-country and award-winning water infrastructure and agriculture funds/facilities with a strong focus on Africa.

More recently, Ayanda has focused on cannabis, hemp and non-woven industries  as well as regulatory reform and policy advocacy in North America, CARICOM, and SADC. He is the co-founder of Friends of Hemp South Africa (FOHSA), the leading South Africa industrial hemp voluntary association and represents South Africa and the continent as a founding member of the Federation of Industrial Hemp Organization (FIHO), the largest association of hemp which globally represents 240+ organizations across 60+ countries. He also holds various board and advisory seats for multiple private companies and NGOs, and currently represents (via BUSA), coordinates the national private sector constituency on the South African National Cannabis Masterplan Committee. He is also the PPGI Cannabis Industry sector coordinator, engaging with the Office of the Presidency on commercialisation and industrial development matters. Ayanda is a regionally recognised cannabis thought-leader and a regular speaker on various local and international cannabis and hemp conferences & forums.

An avid educationalist, Ayanda is  the Chairperson of the United World Colleges Scholarship Trust of South Africa, which offers students the opportunity to be educated at one of the 19 prestigious UWC colleges around the world. Ayanda holds a BA Hons in Economics and Black Studies (African History) Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College (Massachusetts, USA), where he was the inaugural Nelson Mandela Scholar.

Paul Bacher

Executive Director

“I have seen the benefits of this wonder-plant first hand when a member of his family used CBD oil to great success to cure a chronic and painful condition. I am drawn to sunrise industries with enormous growth potential – and cannabis is a natural fit.”

Paul co-founded a number of start-ups that have since become leaders in their industries, including NetActive, Call Centre Nucleus (CCN) and NetFlorist. While at CCN, Paul put together the first South African National Call Centre Industry Body and was elected as its first CEO.

Paul’s passion for social entrepreneurship led to him founding ORT Jet in 2005 (a charity utilising 700 volunteer executives to rehabilitate struggling businesses via mentorship and training), co-founding the Rosebank Craft Market at the Rosebank Mall in November 2013, founding the National Mentorship Movement in 2016, and Community Connect in 2018. In March 2017, Paul was appointed CEO of Foundation 2000, which provides grant capital to appropriate causes.

In 2013, Paul received the highly acclaimed ABSA Jewish Achievers Service Award for ORT Jet, and in Dec 2016, he was a finalist in the Global Community Philanthropy Summit’s Olga Alexeeva Memorial Prize for philanthropy.

In 2015, Paul co-founded Blue Haven Investments, a boutique venture capital business focused on disruptive technology and property development.

Jeffrey Miller

Non-Executive Director

“I’m really excited to be involved in the growth of this sunrise industry, and encourage all savvy investors looking to get in early to back this team.”

Jeffrey is a Chartered Accountant and completed his articles at Grant Thornton. With over 30 years of experience investing in unquoted companies across numerous industries, he brings many years of operational and investment skills to the company.   

Jeffrey co-founded Brandcorp, which was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, in 1997. He is also a co-founder of KNR Flatrock, Balboa Finance, Born Free Properties, Eurosuit, Bride & Co., Seed Engine, Seed Academy and Grovest. A pioneer of Section 12J Venture Capital Companies in South Africa, Jeffrey is an active member of various subcommittees of SAVCA and Simodisa, both of which focus their efforts on the South African Venture Capital industry.

Jeffrey is a member of the industry non-profit, ‘Fields of Green for All’ and is also a co-founder of the Cannabis Trade Association Africa (CTAA).

Kaeden Arnold

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – SILVERLEAF INVESTMENTS LTD

“Extracting industrial products from the cannabis plant, is the unspoken frontier in this sector. I believe that the plant can help decarbonise value-chains and the environment as much as it can improve people’s lives”. 

Kaeden Arnold contributes to the Silver Leaf board by drawing upon years of entrepreneurship in South African Cannabis. This experience has mainly flowed through the co-founding of his cannabis innovation advisory; Zageta Solutions. 

After completing a Social Science BA from Wits University, Kaeden started his career in the educational sector working in the mining industry. He then furthered his studies completing  a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in International Business; both from the University of Pretoria (GIBS). His masters research focused on the international cannabis regulation as it applied to South Africa. This afforded him  a unique academic insight into the global trajectories for cannabis regulation.At the same time as completing his postgraduate studies, Kaeden worked as a management consultant in  Africawide Consulting and thereafter co-founded Zageta Consulting, a specialist Hemp, Cannabis and Green economy business consultancy.

Kaeden has recently participated as a committee member within the South African Cannabis Masterplan process, helping to drive amendments to legislation pertaining to cannabis and hemp. He is a founding member of South Africa’s Industrial Hemp Association and Friends of Hemp SA (FOHSA). Kaeden is very enthusiastic to share his expertise in growing the local market for whole plant use of hemp and cannabis businesses.