South Africa’s botanical gardens are far more than public green spaces they are strategic socio-ecological assets that link biodiversity conservation with economic opportunity, community empowerment and a just transition towards a greener and more inclusive economy.
South Africa’s network of ten National Botanical Gardens, managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), conserves over 1 350 hectares of indigenous vegetation across the country and represents all major biomes. These gardens play a critical role in conservation, research, education and tourism, while also serving as accessible spaces where people and nature intersect.
Botanical Gardens and the Green Economy
Botanical gardens contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s green economy, particularly through nature-based tourism and associated value chains. Between 1994 and 2014, SANBI’s botanical gardens have collectively welcomed over 22 million visitors, generating approximately R441 million in revenue through entrance fees, events and venue hire. A significant proportion of this activity is centred around Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which alone accounts for roughly 60 % of total visits.
Nature-based tourism, which includes botanical gardens, contributes an estimated R27.7 billion to South Africa’s GDP, representing about 13% of the tourism sector, and supports a meaningful amount of the 1.9 million jobs that the sector creates. While botanical gardens are often not disaggregated in national accounts, their role in driving visitor spending on transport, accommodation, food and local services makes them important contributors to local and regional economies.
Kirstenbosch illustrates this potential clearly. The garden spans 528 hectares, with 36 hectares under cultivation, showcasing more than 7 000 indigenous plant species within the globally significant Cape Floristic Kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This combination of conservation excellence and visitor appeal demonstrates how ecological assets can underpin sustainable economic activity.
Amplifying Community Voices and Participation
Beyond economic value, botanical gardens serve as platforms for community engagement, learning and cultural recognition. Gardens such as Thohoyandou, Harold Porter and the Free State National Botanical Garden integrate local histories, indigenous knowledge systems and culturally significant plant uses into their programming. Through school outreach, citizen science initiatives, volunteer programmes and community events, botanical gardens help amplify local voices in environmental stewardship. These engagements foster environmental literacy, particularly among youth, while strengthening community ownership of conservation efforts. In doing so, gardens move beyond conservation for communities towards conservation with communities.
Botanical Gardens and a Just Transition
A just transition requires that the shift to a low-carbon, nature-positive economy actively addresses inequality and exclusion. Botanical gardens support this by creating inclusive employment and skills development pathways in horticulture, conservation, environmental education and eco-tourism. As living classrooms, gardens enable practical learning that aligns with emerging green economy sectors. They also support micro-enterprise opportunities from guided tours and craft markets to indigenous plant nurseries helping diversify local livelihoods while strengthening ecological resilience.
Building Socio-Economic Resilience Through Expansion
Importantly, expanding the establishment of botanical gardens into underserved and economically vulnerable regions offers a powerful tool for building local socio-economic resilience. New gardens can act as anchors for place-based development, generating jobs, stimulating local procurement and creating demand for skills linked to conservation and sustainable land management. Crucially, these spaces also deepen environmental education and awareness, embedding conservation values at community level and nurturing future green economy participants. By linking biodiversity protection with livelihoods, education and participation, botanical gardens can provide clear, inclusive pathways into the green economy, particularly in areas most in need of sustainable development interventions.
Conclusion
South Africa’s botanical gardens demonstrate how biodiversity conservation, economic inclusion and social justice can reinforce one another. By generating income, supporting local economies, amplifying community voices and building green skills, they represent practical, scalable infrastructure for advancing a just, resilient and inclusive green economy rooted in place, people and nature alike.
Author: Kennedy Simango
Research Analyst
