The Botanical Society of South Africa (BotSoc)

About us

The Botanical Society of South Africa (BotSoc) is a non-profit, non-government civil society organization, which was established in 1913, the same year that the now world famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden was started.

Our mission is "to win the hearts and minds and material support of individuals and organisations, wherever they may be, for the conservation, cultivation, study and wise use of indigenous flora of southern Africa for the benefit and sharing for all".

Our Core objectives:
• Promote a caring attitude towards biodiversity and the indigenous flora and vegetation of southern Africa amongst all people and provide a forum for positive collective action by offering its membership to all individuals and organisations sharing its mission
• Conservation
• Increase knowledge and understanding of the indigenous flora and vegetation of southern Africa through environmental education, awareness campaigns, outreach and research
• To liaise and co-operate, and work together with likeminded institutions and organisations, when considered appropriate.
• To instill passion and interest the people of SA and visitors in the progress and development of all the National Botanical Gardens established by the Board of the South African National Biodiversity Botanical Institute (SANBI) or its successor and to encourage active support of local National Botanical Gardens by the branches of the society, of which there are 16 countrywide.

The BotSoc is committed to wild flower conservation through partnerships, programmes and projects. The BotSoc supports all the Botanical Gardens in the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) network of which Kirstenbosch is the flagship garden and part of a world heritage site.
BotSoc also supports environmental education and community awareness, together with our partner organisations, to nurture a love, passion and commitment to safeguard our unique biodiversity heritage. We are proud to be involved with the ongoing monitoring and surveying of our rich floral diversity with the focus on the most vulnerable and threatened plants in South Africa in partnership with SANBI.

We invite interested persons who wish to know more about the Society to please contact us directly and/or visit our website.

For other net participants we can establish new contacts in the field of our work.