Southern African Mountain Conference SAMC2025
In March 2025 we co-hosted the second Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2025) which took place in the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains of South Africa.
With UNESCO patronage we joined together with our partners at Global Mountain Safeguard Research Programme (GLOMOS: United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security and Eurac Research) and the Afromontane Research Unit (University of the Free State) to arrange this momentous 5-day event.
About SAMC
The 2nd Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2025), themed Overcoming Boundaries and Barriers, successfully delivered on all its key objectives. Organised by a consortium of Primary Partners (Afromontane Research Unit, The University of the Free State, South Africa and GLOMOS – Global Mountain Safeguard Research Programme, Eurac Research & United Nations University) and under the patronage of UNESCO the event marked a significant step forward in advancing mountain-focused dialogue and collaboration in the region. Building on the foundations laid by the first Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2022) which took place in March of 2022, this year’s conference was a flagship activity aligned with the United Nations’ Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions (2023–2027).
SAMC2025 brought together 313 delegates from 22 countries, including representatives from 10 African nations and most SADC member states, with strong policy-level participation. It provided a critical platform for strengthening transboundary cooperation at local, national and regional levels. Discussions focused on bridging divides across governance systems, disciplines, and sectors – from science and policy to practice – while highlighting pressing cross-border environmental issues, early warning systems, and disaster risk management through a much-needed mountain-specific lens.
The conference gained momentum through high-level representation from across the continent and beyond, including Ambassadors, Vice-Chancellors, Royal Houses, the SADC Secretariat, UNESCO, and the United Nations Mountain Partnership. SAMC2025 hosted impactful sessions on topics such as transboundary water governance, Southern African mountain biodiversity, and the proposed SADC Mountain Treaty or Convention, culminating in the first-ever Royal Mountain Indaba – a historic gathering with lasting significance.
Investing in the next generation was a key priority, reflecting Africa’s youthful demographic. SAMC2025 featured a dedicated Early Career Summit, a workshop on mountain instrumentation, and extensive opportunities for postgraduates and post-doctoral researchers to engage alongside leading experts. Prizes were awarded to top Master’s and Doctoral presenters, with three Doctoral awardees earning travel grants to attend the International Mountain Conference and Summer School in Austria later in 2025. The event’s lively atmosphere was enhanced by four keynote addresses, 249 presentations – including a strong humanities and arts element – book launches, a film premiere, and a gala dinner headlined by the Drakensberg Boys Choir and renowned mountaineer Saray Khumalo.
“SAMC2025 was even bigger and better than last time! I met so many people from across the SADC region and beyond, had amazing conversations and I know big things are going to come from this”
- A delegate (ecologist) from Namibia
Help us on our mission
Mountains Matter. They are home to 15% of the world’s population, host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, provide freshwater for everyday life to half of the global population and help to sustain agriculture and supply clean energy and medicines. Help us to protect them.