Ten million trees to be planted across South Africa on Heritage Day
Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts will lead a nationwide greening drive on September 24, featuring major tree-planting events in Pretoria, Soweto and George.
The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, will lead a nationwide campaign to plant 10 million trees on Heritage Day, September 24, 2026.
The drive forms part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential One Billion Trees Programme, which seeks to mobilise South Africans from all walks of life, including government, business, the private sector, interfaith organisations, the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, non-governmental organisations, youth formations and communities, to plant trees and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
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Planting drives to span nine provinces
The main tree-planting events will take place in Pretoria at Freedom Park, in Johannesburg at Noordgesig in Soweto, and in George in the Western Cape.
The Pretoria event will be led by Swarts at the Freedom Park Heritage Site in Salvokop. She will then join Gauteng MEC for Environment Ewan Botha at Noordgesig in Soweto.
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The George event will be led by Ramaphosa ahead of the national Heritage Day commemoration.
Tree-planting activities will also take place across all nine provinces as part of Heritage Day celebrations, led by premiers and MECs responsible for environmental affairs.
The campaign contributes to climate resilience, promotes environmental awareness and encourages individuals and organisations to take part in greening their communities.
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