The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has been officially appointed as a host of the Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation (TSC) Support Centres under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This important milestone positions SANBI to serve as the Subregional Centre supporting nine Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states thereby play a key role in advancing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF).
The TSC mechanism, established by the Conference of the Parties (COP) in December 2022, strengthens regional collaboration, capacity building, and technology transfer to accelerate biodiversity action. SANBI’s role as the host of the Subregional Centre will directly support South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Seychelles, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, and Mozambique.
Following a rigorous, multi-stakeholder assessment process coordinated by the CBD Secretariat and the Informal Advisory Group on Technical and Scientific Cooperation (TSC-IAG), SANBI’s appointment was endorsed by the COP Bureau in May 2024. This recognition affirms South Africa’s leadership in biodiversity science and aligns with SANBI’s mandate to explore, reveal, celebrate, and champion biodiversity for the benefit of all South Africans, while extending this expertise to strengthen regional cooperation and support nine SADC member states in advancing biodiversity action.
As a Subregional Centre, SANBI will serve as a one-stop service centre Parties to biodiversity-related conventions, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth organisations, and other relevant stakeholders to access technical and scientific knowledge, expertise, tools and other resources, taking into account the science, technology and innovation capability gaps identified by Parties. Its work will focus on facilitating access to technology and innovation, building capacity and skills to support biodiversity implementation, strengthening regional cooperation for sustainable development, and driving opportunities for job creation by linking biodiversity conservation with livelihoods and inclusive economic growth.
Building on its appointment, SANBI TSC has actively initiated key actions to strengthen biodiversity cooperation across the region. Among the notable action is the Regional Dialogue on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) for Member States of the SADC and the East African Community (EAC) held in Cape Town in May 2025. The dialogue brought together representatives from the SADC and EAC member states to facilitate peer learning and exchanges on aligning their NBSAPs with the KMGBF.
in June 2025, the SANBI TSC in partnership with the African Union Commission facilitated the participation of five SANBI TSC countries (Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, Seychelles and Lesotho) in the SBAPP (Spatial Biodiversity Assessment, Prioritization, and Planning in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, and Malawi) Mid Project Showcase. This showcase provided an opportunity for peer learning and the exchange of experiences on biodiversity mainstreaming, strengthening a shared understanding of how spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritization and planning underpin effective implementation of the KM GBF and the ongoing revision NBSAPs. These are just two highlights among many ongoing initiatives that contribute to the operationalisation of the SANBI TSC and the fulfilment of its mandate.
Reflecting on the appointment, SANBI CEO, Mr Shonisani Munzhedzi, “being appointed as the host of the Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre is a milestone for SANBI and South Africa. These centres are vital in bridging knowledge, technology, and capacity gaps, ensuring that no one is left behind in meeting global biodiversity goals.”
The official launch of the SANBI’ TSC will take place on Wednesday, 27 August 2025. The event will bring together representatives from governments, embassies, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and youth from across the region,
SANBI calls on government entities, civil society, research institutions, and the private sector to join this transformative journey. Collaborative partnerships are essential to harness science, technology, and innovation in protecting biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, creating jobs, and driving sustainable development across the region.
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Author: Lindiwe Maphumulo from Twenty8zero7 Communications on behalf of South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).
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