The National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA) 2025, being launched on 9 December 2025, marks twenty years since the first NBA was released. Over the past two decades, the NBA has tracked the state of South Africa’s biodiversity, informed policy and practice, and supported decision-making across multiple sectors. It has also contributed to national development priorities and strengthened partnerships between scientists, government, and civil society.
This milestone is an opportunity to reflect on progress, learn from challenges, and recommit to investing in South Africa’s rich natural heritage. South Africa’s biodiversity is essential not only for nature itself but also benefits society, the economy and human wellbeing.
The NBA is produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) as part of its mandate, in partnership with numerous institutions. The NBA 2025 is the fourth iteration, building on the 2004, 2011 and 2018 releases.
The NBA 2025 is presented in two formats:
- A publication titled National Biodiversity Assessment 2025: The status of South Africa’s biodiversity. Summary of Findings and Key Messages, available in print and PDF.
- Dedicated website (http://nba.sanbi.org.za/), featuring around 100 webpages of scientifically referenced, citable content, with links to technical documentation and academic publications. Note: this link will point to the full website on launch day.
The new online format transforms how NBA content is delivered. Readers can access the level of detail they require, navigating from high-level statistics to detailed methods and datasets, and use smart searches to locate specific information. The website can be updated regularly, making the NBA a ‘living’ assessment that reflects the most current data available.
Over the years, the NBA has focused on the ‘national headline indicators’ of threat status and protection level for ecosystems and species. Each iteration, however, has been refined and expanded to reflect new science, changing priorities, and emerging challenges. Global and national approaches to biodiversity conservation have also evolved. For example, the 2004 National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment emphasised expanding formal protected areas, such as state-owned nature reserves.
Today, the focus has broadened to recognise that effective conservation also happens outside formal reserves. Initiatives such as biodiversity stewardship programmes on private land and community-led conservation efforts (known as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures, or OECMs), now play a key role in protecting nature.
The NBA has also tracked changes in how South Africa addresses pressures on biodiversity. For example, calls for better regulations and enforcement are now complemented by innovative technologies such as satellite monitoring and AI-powered wildlife tracking. There is also a growing emphasis on a whole-of-society custodianship approach, encouraging all sectors and communities to take responsibility for protecting nature and using it sustainably.
Funding has long been a challenge, but over the last twenty years, new and diverse financial mechanisms have been developed to support biodiversity. The NBA has also highlighted the importance of linking economic systems with conservation, ensuring that protecting nature benefits both ecosystems and people.
Participation in the NBA has grown steadily, with more scientists, government agencies, and civil society organisations contributing to the assessments. This expanded involvement has allowed the NBA to provide richer, more robust insights into South Africa’s biodiversity and guide more effective conservation action.
The NBA has evolved alongside conservation thinking and practice in South Africa. Its twenty-year journey reflects the country’s commitment to understanding, protecting, and wisely using its unique natural heritage. As we look ahead, the NBA continues to provide the evidence and guidance needed to safeguard biodiversity for generations to come, now in formats that are more accessible, interactive, and updatable than ever before.
From 9 December 2025, you will be able to explore the full NBA 2025 results and dive deeper into South Africa’s biodiversity. Visit : http://nba.sanbi.org.za/