SANBI is doing more than protecting South Africa’s biodiversity. Through fascinating insights and accessible science, it is helping all of us understand why our natural world matters.
South Africa (16 August 2026) – The South African National Biodiversity Institute, better known as SANBI, is more than just an organisation working to protect biodiversity; they are helping us understand the world around us.
If you have ever stopped scrolling after seeing one of SANBI’s fascinating snippets about an animal, plant, ecosystem or environmental threat and thought, “I didn’t know that,” you are experiencing one of the most valuable parts of its work.
Biodiversity can sometimes sound like a very big, very scientific word, but SANBI has a knack for making it feel personal. Take bats, for example. We recently spotted their post about bats, and learned something! It stuck with us, and we felt like that needed to be celebrated.
The insight challenged one of the most common misconceptions about these nocturnal creatures: that they are simply “flying rodents”. In fact, bats are evolutionarily much closer to animals including dogs, cats, horses and whales than they are to rodents.
Suddenly, the bat flying around your garden at dusk becomes a little more interesting. Bats are not simply mysterious creatures of the night. They play important ecological roles, including pollinating plants and helping to control insect populations. Yet several South African bat species face increasing pressure from habitat loss and climate-related changes.
It is a small piece of information, but it changes the way we look at an animal that many people might otherwise overlook.
The organisation is not simply collecting scientific information and storing it away for scientists and policymakers. Its mandate is to generate, coordinate and interpret the knowledge needed to understand and protect South Africa’s biodiversity, while also sharing that knowledge with the wider public.
Established on 1 September 2004 under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, SANBI expanded the work of the former National Botanical Institute beyond plants to encompass the full diversity of South Africa’s fauna and flora.
Today, its work stretches from research and biodiversity monitoring to conservation, policy advice, education, ecosystem restoration and the management of South Africa’s National Botanical and Zoological Gardens.
And while the scale of that work is enormous, sometimes it is the tiny facts that make the biggest difference.
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South Africa is exceptionally rich in biodiversity. Despite occupying only around 2% of the world’s land area, the country is home to a remarkable proportion of the world’s plant, reptile, bird and mammal species, as well as three globally recognised biodiversity hotspots.
That makes biodiversity conservation more than an issue for scientists, conservationists and policymakers. It belongs to all of us.
The water we depend on is connected to healthy ecosystems. Agriculture depends on functioning natural systems. Our gardens provide habitats for insects and birds. The plants around us support pollinators. Wildlife contributes to ecosystems in ways we are still learning to understand.
Even biological invasions, something that might sound like a problem belonging solely to conservationists, can affect water security, agriculture, fire risk and livelihoods. SANBI’s national assessments describe biological invasions as a significant and growing threat to South Africa’s natural, agricultural and urban ecosystems. That is why the accessible education SANBI shares is so important.
With every simple post, curiosity grows, and curious minds want to learn. Once we start learning, we are driven to make changes, and that is the kind of citizen our biodiversity needs us to be. Active and aware of what is happening around us.
So thank you SANBI, your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we love having access to snippets of information that make us feel more curious.
You can check out the website here to find their social media, gardens and more.
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