10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Traditional healers play an important role in primary healthcare and the preservation of indigenous knowledge in South Africa. However, the cultivation of medicinal plants remains controversial among some healers due to cultural taboos, ceremonial practices, and beliefs about the reduced potency of cultivated plants. Despite concerns over the decline of medicinal plant populations in the wild, limited research has examined traditional healers’ acceptance of cultivated medicinal plants and their views on conservation. This study investigated the willingness of traditional healers in the Western Cape, South Africa, to use cultivated medicinal plants, their perceptions of conservation, and the species they consider priorities for conservation. A total of 75 traditional healers participated in semi-structured questionnaire surveys, and two stakeholder workshops involving healers and researchers were conducted to encourage knowledge exchange and collaboration.

The findings showed that medicinal plant harvesting remains an important livelihood activity, with 52% of respondents relying on it as their main source of income and 92% indicating that medicinal plant sales contribute to household earnings. Sixty-four medicinal plant species were identified as commonly used, with Artemisia afra being the most frequently utilized species, followed by Rhoicissus digitata and Silene undulata. Most respondents (96%) expressed a willingness to cultivate medicinal plants, while 66.7% acknowledged a decline in the availability of certain species in the wild. Furthermore, 98.7% reported using and selling A. afra, identifying 44 medicinal and cultural uses for the species. The study demonstrates a growing acceptance of medicinal plant cultivation among traditional healers and highlights the potential for integrating indigenous knowledge and conservation initiatives to promote the sustainable use and preservation of medicinal plant resources.