One of South Africa’s most biodiverse yet neglected ecosystems is the native subtropical thicket.

Restoring thicket makes the soil more resilient, stores carbon and serves as fodder storage for large livestock and other large mammals during droughts, a high priority for a region that has experienced its worst drought in 100 years in 2023/24. It also provides a safe habitat for various native browser species, including black rhinos and African elephants, responding to long-term threats. 

The thicket’s revival also sequesters up to eight million tonnes of CO₂ annually, offsetting emissions equivalent to about 20 gas-fired power plants.