Kanna: South Africa’s sacred plant medicine
Told by those who know it best
We traveled to South Africa and Namibia to learn firsthand from the Bushmen and Khoi— indigenous stewards who have collaborated with Kanna for thousands of years, and to connect with the land where this heart-opening plant grows.
Kanna’s ancient roots
Known to many as the ”happiest plant on earth,” Kanna is a serotonin-modulating succulent native to South Africa that has been central to the medicinal, social, and spiritual culture of the indigenous Bushmen and Khoi. Traditionally chewed, smoked, or brewed into tea, Kanna was used for centuries for mood elevation, stress relief, stamina during long hunts, and to foster peace, connection, and resilience in everyday life. This sacred plant helped them connect with themselves, their ancestors, their communities, nature, and the divine.
Every dose gives back
Centuries of colonial displacement have separated the Bushmen and Khoi from their ancestral lands where Kanna grows - and with it, much of the oral knowledge that once guided its use. Today, only a few elders and healers still carry this tradition.
We share this with deep respect for their living wisdom, humbled by their resilience and honored to amplify their voices.
We share this with deep respect for their living wisdom, humbled by their resilience and honored to amplify their voices.
KA! Empathogenics’ Kanna is ethically sourced through a trusted South African partner with a formal profit-sharing agreement with the Khoi.
As part of our ongoing commitment to building a sustainable give-back program, we work with Bushmen and Khoi leaders to sponsor cultural preservation and education initiatives like Aboriginal Walkers, and provide Kanna for community-led tea ceremonies that revive ancestral practices and promote reciprocal healing.
When you take KA!, you’re not just supporting your own mental and emotional health.
You’re joining us in a practice of reciprocity—honoring the indigenous knowledge keepers of Kanna. We’re committed to listening, learning, and giving back in ways guided by our indigenous partners.
“From an indigenous perspective, healing is a more comprehensive affair that involves relationships between humans, non-humans and the cosmos.”
— Beatriz Caiuby Labate
Chacruna Institute