In December 2025, the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Honourable Bernice Swarts, officially launched the National Biodiversity Assessment 2025 which is the most comprehensive picture we have of the state of South Africa’s ecosystems, species, and natural systems.

To help us unpack what this assessment means for all, Carol Poole, Project Manager of the National Biodiversity Assessment at SANBI speaks to Mmatsheko Mosito.