Johannesburg is quietly doing some serious environmental housekeeping. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) has cleared roughly 103,506 square metres of invasive alien vegetation at the Manie Mulder Adventure Centre, a leafy green spot known for its waterfalls, and is now replanting the area with indigenous trees.
The replanting effort got a boost from an unlikely sponsor: the South African Reserve Bank has donated 120 indigenous trees. Of those, 40 are set to go into the ground at Manie Mulder Adventure Centre on 22 October 2026, with the remaining 80 destined for nearby Little Falls Resort. The clearing work was a joint effort between JCPZ, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and the Reserve Bank.
This is not a one-off. The city's Alien Invasive Campaign has been running since October 2015, and this year it dovetails with National Invasive Species Week (11 to 15 October) under the theme 'Know the threat, protect our biodiversity: Empowering local communities with knowledge on Alien Invasive Species'.
Why all the fuss about a few aggressive plants? Invasive species grow fast, flower heavily, produce huge volumes of seed and adapt to almost any habitat — which lets them crowd out the indigenous vegetation that local ecosystems depend on. They also hit the city where it hurts: JCPZ notes that eradicating them drains municipal funds that could otherwise go to other services. JCPZ Managing Director Thanduxolo Mendrew has framed the work as essential to protecting the city's biodiversity and natural heritage.
There is a role for ordinary residents too. JCPZ wants people to watch for warning signs — unusually rapid growth, excessive flowering, massive seed production, adaptability across habitats, and aggressive spreading that pushes out local plants. None of these traits alone proves a plant is invasive, so suspected specimens should be reported for assessment. The JCPZ Integrated Catchment Management team takes reports on 011 791 1117.
For travellers, the takeaway is that Johannesburg's green spaces — often overlooked in favour of the city's art, food and history scenes — are actively being protected and improved. Places like Manie Mulder Adventure Centre offer a dose of nature, waterfalls included, without leaving the city limits. The trees going in now are an investment in exactly the kind of urban escapes that make a Joburg stopover more rewarding. And if you are a nature-minded visitor, this is a reminder that conservation here is a community project: knowing what belongs in the veld and what does not is part of the local culture.
Getaway South Africa
