South Africa will mark Heritage Day this year with an ambitious environmental drive to plant one million trees across the country. The campaign, spearheaded by Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, forms part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Ten Million Trees Flagship Programme. The broader initiative, launched in 2021, aims to green communities nationwide by planting 10 million trees over five years.
The central events will take place in Pretoria and Oudtshoorn on 24 September 2025. Acting President Paul Mashatile will lead the Oudtshoorn programme, joined by Minister of Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie and provincial leaders, ahead of the official Heritage Day commemoration. In Pretoria, Swarts will oversee tree planting at the Freedom Park Heritage Site in Salvokop, accompanied by ambassadors and high commissioners.
Tree planting activities will not be limited to these flagship sites. Provincial governments, led by Premiers and MECs, will roll out simultaneous greening events in all nine provinces, ensuring the day resonates as a nationwide call to action.
According to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the One Million Trees Campaign is more than a symbolic gesture. It represents a united front against climate change, while fostering awareness of the ecological, cultural and social value of trees. The initiative is designed to mobilise every sector of society—government, business, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, youth and NGOs—to take part in environmental stewardship.
Deputy Minister Swarts said the campaign was about “bringing South Africans together to contribute to climate resilience and to leave a legacy of green spaces for generations to come.”
With participation stretching from rural communities to diplomatic missions, the initiative reflects the government’s vision of embedding tree planting into national identity—making greening the country part of how South Africans celebrate their heritage.
