South African Association of Botanists (SAAB)

The South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) is the country’s professional scientific society for botanists. SAAB was established to advance botany and uphold the status of the profession across the population, and its mission is “advancing knowledge and protecting biodiversity through shared insight”.

Registered name

South African Association of Botanists (SAAB)

Type

Professional scientific society (botany)

Fields funded

Honours and MSc study in botanically related sciences

Website

sabotany.co.za

Why botany matters in South Africa

South Africa has one of the richest plant floras in the world, including the Cape Floral Kingdom, and botanists study everything from medicinal plants and crop diseases to invasive species and climate change. The country’s pool of specialist plant scientists is small, which is why SAAB treats postgraduate funding as the most direct way to bring new researchers into the discipline, according to a provider record checked in August 2026.

A society for members and students

SAAB’s members work at universities and research institutions across South Africa. A nine-member council leads SAAB, with Kelsey Glennon continuing as president and Nqobile Masondo as vice-president. SAAB holds an annual congress, where attendees automatically become members for that year, and runs SAABNet, an email list where members share bursaries, jobs and conference news.

The SAAB Student Committee represents Honours, MSc and PhD students and plans grant-writing and publishing workshops and an Annual Postgraduate Symposium. For 2026/27, Lesibana Sedibana, a University of Johannesburg PhD student in invasion biology, chairs the committee, with Anika Botha of North-West University as deputy and Faith Mnisi of the University of Limpopo as secretary.

SAAB scholarships

SAAB awards scholarships each year to graduates with an average of 70% or more. In 2026, SAAB offered three awards of R12 000 for one year of Honours or fourth-year study in any botanically related science at a South African institution. SAAB also offers up to three MSc scholarships worth R50 000, paid as R25 000 in the first year and R25 000 in the second year if progress is satisfactory, for applicants with a BSc Honours average of at least 70%.

Recipients receive complimentary SAAB membership, and supervisors of applicants must be paid-up SAAB members. As a research award, the scholarship carries no work-back. BursariesAfrica’s older guide gave closing dates of 28 February for MSc and 31 March for Honours applicants in 2026, so check SAAB’s bursaries page early in 2027.

How to research SAAB

Ask your supervisor whether they are a SAAB member, attend the annual congress if you can, and join the student committee’s activities. Read the scholarship rules on SAAB’s website before applying.

Plant science students can also see the UFS plant pathology fellowship.