Celebrating Another Successful Weed Biological Control Short Course

Last week, from 17–20 November 2025, we had the pleasure of hosting the much-anticipated Weed Biological Control Short Course once again. It was the 22nd time we’ve run this course in just over two decades. Each course and group of people brings new energy, fresh perspectives, and renewed enthusiasm for biological control, and this course was no exception.

We welcomed 25 delegates representing a wonderfully diverse mix of organisations, expertise, and experiences from across South Africa and beyond.

A major highlight was the strong presence from the Department of Agriculture, who sent twelve participants from various regions of the country. It was inspiring to hear about their ongoing efforts and challenges in invasive weed management and to connect their work with the course content.

We were also delighted to host a team of four colleagues from SANParks Kruger National Park. Their contributions throughout the course were invaluable—sharing first-hand knowledge from one of South Africa’s most iconic conservation areas.

The course also included five Centre for Biological Control (CBC) students and staff, who joined to strengthen their foundation in biological control. Among them was a distance-learning student from Zimbabwe, whose updates on Zimbabwe’s weed biological control practices were particularly encouraging. It is always exciting to see how capacity building extends beyond our borders.

From KwaZulu-Natal, two delegates from Umgeni Water joined the course with their perspectives on managing invasive aquatic plants in large water systems. Their experiences were good to hear.

We were also joined by a student from Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and a researcher from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Both contributed meaningfully during the sessions, offering their viewpoints. Our colleague from India also returned home with a culture of the water hyacinth hopper, which is now in their quarantine facility—an exciting step in ongoing collaborative efforts. We look forward to sharing more updates about this soon.

Overall, the atmosphere throughout the week was vibrant, collaborative, and deeply encouraging. Bringing together people who are passionate about invasive species management.

We are grateful to everyone who attended and contributed to making this course a memorable success. We look forward to hosting the next one soon—watch this space!