From Conservation to Commercialisation: Events at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden, South Africa

Scrooby, Chanel and Gregory, James Jenkins (2026) From Conservation to Commercialisation: Events at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden, South Africa. MODERN GEOGRÁFIA, 21 (3). pp. 79-100. ISSN 2062-1655

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Abstract

Over the past few decades, urban green spaces such as botanical gardens have increasingly undergone commercialisation. The majority of scholarly research on botanical gardens remains focused on the Global North, with studies predominantly centred on biodiversity conservation and the educational role of these spaces. Limited scholarly attention, however, has been paid to the commercialisation of botanical gardens. This study aims to examine the paradox of balancing conservation and commercialisation through the integration of events at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden in South Africa. The study employs content analysis of 20 years (2004–2024) of annual reports from the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), as well as semi-structured interviews with key informants from the garden’s management. In addition, a community survey was conducted to gain insight from the general public regarding the integration and impact of events at the garden. The findings indicate that events have been strategically incorporated by SANBI at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden since the 2000s, with the aim of broadening the visitor profile, increasing visitor numbers, and generating additional income. Furthermore, the results suggest that events have the potential to stimulate repeat visits, thereby contributing to human–nature interaction. This paper contributes to an understanding of the broader implications of the commercialisation of botanical gardens from a Global South perspective, where commercialisation should not be understood solely as a contradiction to conservation, but rather as a mechanism that enables conservation to continue under conditions of economic constraint.

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