Aether Apothecary
What does your company do?
Aether was founded by Cullen and Rick-Anne in 2018 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.
What is your biggest success?
My biggest success is where I stand today - every single day. From a curious university student to a 28-year-old founder running a national business, I’ve grown alongside Aether. There isn’t a single part of the process I haven’t touched - bottling, labelling, sales, marketing, invoicing, herbal studies, client consultations, management, and leadership. I’ve learned every spoke in the wheel. But more than that, success to me is seeing our rural facility thrive - creating meaningful jobs close to home for villagers in Nyara, Soto, and Haga Haga. We’ve built a hub where people, plants, and purpose reconnect. That community, that empowerment, that healing - that is my proudest achievement.
What has been your biggest hurdle?
My biggest hurdle is also my greatest gift - being the "Mama" of Aether. Having my hands in every part of the business meant learning to balance deep involvement with sustainable delegation. It challenged me to grow past the instinct to do everything myself and instead empower others with trust and leadership. As a young woman in a science-heavy, often male-dominated industry, I’ve had to assert my voice without losing my softness, to lead without ego, and to constantly prove that empathy and excellence are not mutually exclusive. The journey has demanded resilience, self-awareness, and faith -but it's sculpted me into the kind of leader I would have admired when I was starting out.
