There are evenings that stay with you, not because of the venue or the guest list but because of what's at stake. On 4 June 2026, Pam Golding Properties joined a gathering in Parktown North, Johannesburg, in support of Dr Sarah Venter's Baobab Conservation Project. Alongside artist Gary Stephens, whose new series drew directly from these ancient forms, the evening brought together science, art and a quiet but urgent call to action.
A Tree That Carries History
The baobab is not just a tree. It is a living archive: some specimens thousands of years old, carrying within their hollow trunks the memory of landscapes, seasons, and communities that have long since changed around them. Dr Venter has devoted her career to ensuring they endure. Her work spans several fronts, such as training women in rural Limpopo villages to become Baobab Guardians, establishing new seedling programmes, researching the tree's remarkable night-blooming and pollination cycles and collaborating with SANParks to protect ancient specimens from the growing pressures of overgrazing.
The Baobab Foundation: Protecting Living Symbols
That last point carries real weight. With support from the PHASA Foundation, the Baobab Foundation has been able to provide SANParks with practical equipment to mesh and protect baobabs in Mapungubwe National Park, shielding them from elephant damage in one of South Africa's most remarkable landscapes. Early results are encouraging, and more trees are set to be protected. Read more about this initiative here.
To learn more about the Baobab Foundation and how to support their work: visit their website here.
Art Rooted in the African Landscape
Gary Stephens, a resident artist at Everard Read Gallery with two decades of work rooted in Southern Africa, brought a complementary perspective. His new drawing series, Tree of Life, approaches the baobab not as subject matter but as teacher: exploring the spirit and structure of a form that has outlasted almost everything around it. View his biography and explore the series here.
Pam Golding Properties and Community Investment
Conservation without funding is just intention. Evenings like this one are a reminder of what becomes possible when a community decides that something is worth protecting. As custodians of some of Southern Africa's most significant properties and landscapes, Pam Golding Properties believes that the places we call home extend beyond bricks and mortar. Supporting initiatives like the Baobab Foundation is part of that commitment.
The baobabs of Mapungubwe have stood for millennia. With the right backing, they will stand for millennia more.
