Local knowledge to be proud of…

I admit to being somewhat ignorant about the important impact that South African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) have had on the international scientific stage. I simply hadn’t realised before. After planning this edition and receiving all the wonderful recent contributions to the issue however, I was inspired to some digging to find out what have historically been the most impactful contributions of local IKS on science. I was astounded. Some of what I learned (and didn’t know): Some of the most high-profile contributions come from the rich botanical knowledge of the San and Khoi peoples. For centuries, San hunters used the Hoodia gordonii succulent to stave off hunger and thirst during long desert treks. This led to the scientific isolation of the molecule P57, which was patented for its potential as a treatment for obesity.