Hester Steyn

Hester Steyn is a plant taxonomist at the National Herbarium of the South African National
Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), specialising in the flora of southern Africa. She has more than 25 years
of experience in botanical research, herbarium curation and biodiversity data management. Her
research focuses on the taxonomy and biogeography of southern African plants, particularly the
families Acanthaceae, Campanulaceae and Rubiaceae. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed
publications describing new species, revising taxonomic groups and advancing the understanding
and conservation of southern Africa's plant diversity. She is passionate about documenting,
classifying and conserving the region's flora and enjoys contributing to botanical publications and
resources that make plant knowledge more widely accessible.

Education
* PhD in Plant Sciences, University of Pretoria (2018)
* MSc in Botany (cum laude), University of Pretoria (1993)
* BSc (Hons) in Geography (cum laude), University of Pretoria (1992)
* BSc (Hons) in Botany (cum laude), University of Pretoria (1990)
* Higher Education Diploma (HED), University of Pretoria (1989)
* BSc (cum laude) in Botany and Geography, University of Pretoria (1988)

Experience
* Scientist, National Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Pretoria
(2008–present)
* PRECIS Information Officer, SANBI, Pretoria (2000–2008)
* Technical Assistant, Department of Botany, University of Pretoria (1991–1999)

Publications
* Author and co-author of more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications in international and
South African journals, and three books. Contributed to floristic checklists, and herbarium
digitisation initiatives supporting African plant biodiversity research.