In a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal there grows a tree called Warburgia salutaris.
The tree is used in popular traditional African medicine, and University of Johannesburg researchers are currently using a chemical compound from it to make a complementary diabetes treatment.
According to the institution, the Walburgia salutaris tree contains several active chemical compounds in its leaves, roots and bark. However, the tree is highly vulnerable to poaching throughout Southern Africa and is the focus of a major conservation project.
