Africa Eye

Healing or Hell: South Africa's Psychedelic Journey (2025x12)

Air date: Oct 12, 2025

One in two people globally will experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime according to the World Health Organisation. Treating these is a multi-billion-dollar global business, which does not just benefit big pharmaceutical companies. It is a market that operates with little oversight and, critics say, often puts clients at risk of serious harm and even death. Africa Eye investigates Cape Town’s emergence as a hub for unregulated psychedelic treatments - and gains rare access to South Africa's network of treatment centres, where illegal drugs are freely administered, leaving participants vulnerable to potentially harmful consequences.