Grootbos Foundation

Grootbos Foundation The Grootbos Foundation changes lives, uplifts communities and conserves the Cape Floral Kingdom

Our objectives include:

*Conserving, rehabilitating and protecting the natural environment of the Western Cape region, particularly the flora and fauna on Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and the Walker Bay region.

*The provision of education relating to indigenous horticulture, agriculture, conservation, ecotourism, greening and life skills education.

*Training and skills development for disadv

antaged persons with the purpose of enabling them to obtain employment or become self-employed.

*Using sports and sports facilities as a tool for social integration, promoting healthy lifestyles for youth, and increasing environmental awareness and life skills amongst communities.

*Research including ecological, educational, social and scientific research on topics related to our core programmes.

*Developing sustainable and innovative solutions to tackle the issue of food insecurity.

*Protecting and supporting vulnerable communities in meaningful ways during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Being the only Cape Town Marathon local charity partner with a conservation focus is a responsibility that Grootbos Foun...
04/06/2026

Being the only Cape Town Marathon local charity partner with a conservation focus is a responsibility that Grootbos Foundation did not take lightly.

We were proud to bring a small part of the unique fynbos landscape to the marathon expo through a beautiful protea display and to connect runners from around the world with the globally significant Cape Floral Kingdom.

There were many places from which Grootbos Foundation could have sourced the flowers for this weekend, but choosing to support a local flower farm and the seasonal flower pickers in the region around Grootbos was an intentional decision.

While summer fires are a natural part of the fynbos ecosystem, they caused significant damage to flower farms in the Walker Bay Region and the Overberg Region, reducing the number of flowers that can be sustainably harvested both from flower growers and from the wild. Fewer available flowers means livelihoods of seasonal workers are impacted not just during this but also future flower picking seasons for the next few years until the vegetation restores itself.

The conservation of the Cape Floral Kingdom and the local communities within it is at the heart of Grootbos Foundation’s work. That is why it means so much to showcase this region, its flowers, and its community on an international stage like the Cape Town Marathon.

Thank you to the local flower pickers and farmers in the Overberg area and Cape Flora SA for bringing our flower dreams to life!

Tickets for Chelsea Flowers in Stanford are now live on WebTickets. Experience the botanical splendour of Leon Kluge’s L...
03/06/2026

Tickets for Chelsea Flowers in Stanford are now live on WebTickets.

Experience the botanical splendour of Leon Kluge’s Life after Fire Exhibit which won ‘Gold’ and ‘Best Exhibit in the Great Pavilion’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. This exhibit is a celebration of the unique fire driven landscape of the Cape Floristic Region, inspired by the fires which raged through the Cape during our most recent summer season. Now, the region is blooming again. Fire ephemerals, plants that only flower the season after a fire, are bursting from the soil in masses. Some have not been seen for decades.

Leon Kluge's botanical display tells the story of fynbos regrowth and regeneration after fire, an ancient cycle repeated countless times across millennia.

This spring, Stanford will be in full bloom, experiencing a “superbloom” of rare flowers throughout the surrounding veld, and the opportunity to experience and witness the creative genius of Leon Kluge’s award winning botanical display, returned home to South Africa, for all South Africans.

There is life after fire, and it is magnificent.

Book your ticket now: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1595779908

Chelsea Flowers in Stanford is a proud participant of the Stanford in Bloom village festival.

All profits from ‘’Chelsea Flowers in Stanford’’ will go toward conservation and community projects of Grootbos Foundation.



Grootbos Private Nature Reserve Stanford Tourism & Business Leon Kluge

After a careful selection process and many inspiring applicants, we are excited to welcome new students to Green Futures...
28/05/2026

After a careful selection process and many inspiring applicants, we are excited to welcome new students to Green Futures! 🌱

Our Horticulture class and Hospitality class of 2026/27 started at the beginning of the month, and the last few weeks have already been filled with hands-on learning, new experiences, and exciting first steps. From the classroom to practical training at Green Futures Nursery and at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, students are already getting a glimpse of the journey ahead.

We can not wait to see them continue to learn, grow, and develop into confident, independent young professionals, over the next couple of months.

Welcome to Grootbos Foundation!

BREAKING NEWS: South Africa has clinched the award for the ‘Best exhibit in the Great Pavillion’ at the RHS Chelsea Flow...
19/05/2026

BREAKING NEWS: South Africa has clinched the award for the ‘Best exhibit in the Great Pavillion’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. This is in addition to the gold award announced this morning!

This year, the team, led by Leon Kluge, put on a spectacular show of South African plants, offering a window into the remarkable fire-driven ecosystem of the Cape. A large part of the display showcases the diversity of bulbs, orchids and other wildflowers which emerge after fire has swept through fynbos landscapes.

The ‘Life after Fire' display is a celebration of the resilience of the plants of the Cape, inspired by the fires which tore through the region this past summer. Fire in fynbos is far from a disaster, but is rather a crucial catalyst that resets fynbos ecosystem health, triggering new growth of bulbs and plants.

Here’s to fire, fynbos and flowers! Congratulations to the team!

The sponsors for this year's display include The Rupert Nature Foundation, Hazendal Wine Estate, Grootbos and Southern Sun.

Cape Flora SA, a non-profit established in 2005, offers their support this year and remains steadfast in its commitment to the sustainable harvesting and growth of the fynbos industry. The display promotes the demand for high-quality fynbos cut flowers in international markets, providing livelihoods for communities within the South African fynbos industry.

Grootbos Foundation is proud to celebrate alongside Leon Kluge and all South Africans, as we witness our botanical heritage acknowledged on the international stage. For the past 23 years, Grootbos Foundation has worked tirelessly to conserve this landscape, while educating local and international communities on its importance.

Leon Kluge Grootbos Private Nature Reserve Southern Sun Hazendal Wine Estate

It is another GOLD and BEST EXHIBIT IN THE GREAT PAVILION for South Africa at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. This is ...
19/05/2026

It is another GOLD and BEST EXHIBIT IN THE GREAT PAVILION for South Africa at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. This is the third year in a row that the flora of South Africa display has been awarded Gold! This year, the team, led by Leon Kluge, put on a spectacular show of South African plants, offering a window into the remarkable fire-driven ecosystem of the Cape. A large part of the display showcases the diversity of bulbs, orchids and other wildflowers which emerge after fire has swept through fynbos landscapes.

The ‘Life after Fire' display is a celebration of the resilience of the plants of the Cape, inspired by the fires which tore through the region this past summer. Fire in fynbos is far from a disaster, but is rather a crucial catalyst that resets fynbos ecosystem health, triggering new growth of bulbs and plants.

Grootbos Foundation is proud to celebrate alongside Leon Kluge and all South Africans, as we witness our botanical heritage acknowledged on the international stage. For the past 23 years, Grootbos Foundation has worked tirelessly to conserve this landscape, while educating local and international communities on its importance.

Here’s to fire, fynbos and flowers!

Leon Kluge Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

All Overstrand youth are invited to apply for the Grootbos Foundation's 2026 Employability Programme.Do you want to gain...
06/05/2026

All Overstrand youth are invited to apply for the Grootbos Foundation's 2026 Employability Programme.

Do you want to gain the knowledge and skills for the world of work? Are you between 18 and 35 years of age? If so, apply via https://forms.gle/N8UHvR1u3mApfbKV6 or use the QR code in the poster above.

Applications close on 22 May, 2026. Workshops will be held in June, followed by interviews, after which, we will select 30 youth to receive 10 days of stipend-paid workplace experience at a local business.

Apply now to participate in training workshops, interview preparation, and the opportunity to gain work experience at a business of your choice to further your skills and knowledge!

𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴, 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴, and 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘢 are three autumn-flowering fynbos bulbs found i...
17/04/2026

𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴, 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴, and 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘢 are three autumn-flowering fynbos bulbs found in the fynbos landscapes of the Walker Bay region. Often we think of spring as the prime-time for flowers but in fynbos many flowering bulbs conserve their energy during the hot, dry summer months, then burst into flower with the onset of autumn rains, when cooler temperatures and improved growing conditions make flowering more favourable. Producing flowers requires a great deal of energy, so timing is important. Fynbos geophytes often have short and highly specific flowering periods. This strategy may also improve pollination success by reducing the competition between plants with similar pollinators.

Did you spot the insect on the 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘢. This is a Hairy Sugar ant, which is most likely collecting nectar from the flower. Ants are not considered to be very effective pollinators since they have limited mobility which makes it unlikely that they would carry pollen between flowers!

Have you seen any of these species in fynbos over the past few weeks?

It’s official! Stanford in Bloom and Chelsea Flowers in Stanford will be back for the 3rd year in a row. Save these date...
25/03/2026

It’s official! Stanford in Bloom and Chelsea Flowers in Stanford will be back for the 3rd year in a row. Save these dates: 12 - 27 September 2026.

That’s all we can share for now. Online tickets to see the flower exhibit are not yet available but as soon as they are, we will announce it here.

In the meantime, we’ll be holding our breaths as Leon Kluge and the team exhibit South Africa’s spectacular flora at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London between 19 - 23 May 2026.

Follow Stanford Tourism & Business, Grootbos Foundation and Grootbos Private Nature Reserve for updates.

Tickets, talks, and more will all be announced in the coming months.

Grootbos Foundation is recruiting students for 9 months of skills training in horticulture and gardening.Click the link ...
24/03/2026

Grootbos Foundation is recruiting students for 9 months of skills training in horticulture and gardening.

Click the link to apply: https://forms.gle/XshFvzahgy8kkFoD8

Requirements:
- interested in a career which involves working with plants
- based in Gansbaai
- between the ages of 18 - 30

Complete the form before 17 April 2026 in order to be considered. Hardcopies are also available at the Gansbaai Library. Please fill in the form on your own, without help from anyone else.

Remember to include a copy of your ID and highest school certificate.

Grootbos Foundation is recruiting students for 9 months of skills training in Eco-tourism and hospitality.Click the link...
24/03/2026

Grootbos Foundation is recruiting students for 9 months of skills training in Eco-tourism and hospitality.

Click the link to apply: https://forms.gle/o25xX22q4P2VohJK9

Requirements:
- like working with people
- be interested in a career in hospitality,
- be based in Gansbaai
- between the ages of 18 - 30

Complete the form before 17 April 2026 in order to be considered. Hardcopies are also available at the Gansbaai Library. Please fill in the form on your own, without help from anyone else.

Remember to include a copy of your ID and highest school certificate.

Address

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
Gansbaai
7220

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+27283848048

Website

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