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SA plants over seven million trees in major environmental milestone

By Zuko Komisa

  • South Africa has planted over seven million trees since 1 April 2026 under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential One Billion Trees Programme.
  • A nationwide Heritage Day campaign on 24 September 2026 spurred massive cross-provincial participation, spearheaded by government, diplomats, and local communities.
  • The initiative directly drives climate resilience and sustainable development, with the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng leading the provincial tally.

South Africa has achieved a landmark environmental milestone, planting more than seven million trees since the start of the 2026/27 financial year on 1 April.

Driven by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential One Billion Trees Programme, the initiative has united government, traditional leaders, businesses, and ordinary citizens in a powerful push for ecological restoration.

The nationwide momentum was supercharged by the Heritage Day tree-planting campaign on 24 September 2026.

President Ramaphosa launched the drive at Bongolethu Stadium in Oudtshoorn, while national celebrations at Freedom Park in Pretoria drew members of the diplomatic corps to highlight global cooperation in tackling climate change.

Public response across all nine provinces has been remarkably strong, reflecting a shared dedication to reducing carbon emissions, fighting soil erosion, and greening local communities.

The Western Cape led the charge with 2,053,786 trees planted, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (1,052,494) and Gauteng (1,012,051). Significant contributions also came from Mpumalanga (519,512), Limpopo (518,023), the Northern Cape (515,264), the North West (400,619), the Free State (326,294), and the Eastern Cape (736,692).

Beyond boosting biodiversity, the programme aligns closely with global Sustainable Development Goals, fostering healthier living spaces and stronger ecosystems.

Authorities are urging the public to maintain this momentum by continuing to plant trees year-round and registering their contributions on the official Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment platform to help monitor long-term survival rates.

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