SIBIS - Home


SANBI’s biodiversity information is now available online!
SIBIS offers: Threatened species information Distribution maps Area checklists General species details	View SIBIS statistics
SIBIS is the gateway to SANBI's biodiversity information, and information shared by SANBI partners. SIBIS provides access to over 10 million occurrence records and comprehensive coverage of South Africa’s 22 000+ plant species. Animal species are being added as they become available. SIBIS is a new product, so please let us know if you have any suggestions. Newsflash! New SABIF data added!

SABIF

The South African Biodiversity Information Facility was established by the Department of Science and Technology, in an endeavor to facilitate free and open access to the biodiversity data of South Africa and in this manner contribute to the sustainable development of the country. SABIF is also the national node of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and shares its vision to make world’s biodiversity data freely and universally available via the Internet. It can be accessed at www.sabif.ac.za.

One of SABIF’s main objectives is to promote the sharing of biodiversity data. It does this through creating and maintaining strong network s and partnerships with organizations working together to mobilize biodiversity data. Currently SABIF has mobilized more than 6.5 million biodiversity data records, including data on plants, mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles and fish, and through the use of the SIBIS informatics platform is able to very efficiently serve this data. SABIF also provides funding to support the digitization efforts of organizations throughout South Africa and in this way is able to encourage organizations to capture the vaste quantities of data that remains to be captured in natural history collections, research organizations and herbaria.

Get started:

If you have a species in mind, use to see what information SANBI has to offer, including a distribution map.

To create a species checklist, use the , click and select the area you are interested in.

To find out more about SIBIS, view the or pages to see what biodiversity information is included and where it comes from.

To learn more about how to use SIBIS, including its advanced functionality, download the User manual (PDF, 3.2MB).

Quick links:

Some interesting species are listed below. Click to view their details in SIBIS!

Acacia karroo – Sweet thorn
Adansonia digitata – Baobab
Adenium multiflorum – Impala lily
Aloe dichotoma – Quiver tree
Aloe ferox – Bitter aloe
Aspalathus linearis – Rooibos tea
Bradypodion pumilum – Cape Dwarf Chameleon
Brunsvigia orientalis – Candelabra flower
Clivia miniata – Bush lily
Disa uniflora – Red disa
Encephalartos woodii – Wood’s cycad
Erythrina caffra – Coral tree
Leucospermum cordifolium – Pincushion
Lithops optica – Stone plant
Podocarpus latifolius – Yellowwood
Protea cynaroides – King protea
Sceletium tortuosum – Kanna
Widdringtonia cedarbergensis – Clanwilliam cedar

Top 10 searches:

Here are some species our users have been looking at. Click to view their details in SIBIS!

Acacia karroo (FABACEAE)
Adansonia digitata (MALVACEAE)
Elegia capensis (RESTIONACEAE)
Acacia erioloba (FABACEAE)
Kiggelaria africana (ACHARIACEAE)
Aloe pillansii (ASPHODELACEAE)
Widdringtonia cedarbergensis (CUPRESSACEAE)
Aloe ferox (ASPHODELACEAE)
Hibiscus trionum (MALVACEAE)
Boophone disticha (AMARYLLIDACEAE)

Some of our partners: