For many visitors, the garden is a place of calm, offering a welcome pause from the bustle of the busy town life. But the Botanical Garden is far more than a collection of beautiful plants and flowers. Every collection, signage and carefully placed specimen tells a story of conservation, research and education.

The curator is often behind the scenes, ensuring that this living laboratory continues to flourish, together with a small but passionate team of horticulturists, researchers and support staff. The role of a curator requires equal parts scientist, strategist, caretaker and visionary.

Following the sudden passing of former curator Dr Donovan Kirkwood in 2025, Senekal stepped into the position of Acting Curator during a period of uncertainty and transition. “Alongside her existing responsibilities as assistant curator, she took on the additional task of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the garden, supporting staff, managing collections and ensuring that visitors continued to experience the garden at its best.

This transition was not without its challenges.

"The greatest challenge was navigating the loss of Dr Donovan Kirkwood," says Senekal. "Beyond losing a respected leader, I lost a mentor who played a pivotal role in shaping my passion for plant conservation and understanding of the important role botanical gardens play in conservation and society."

Now, after months of leading from the front, her appointment as curator has been made official.

For Senekal, the appointment marks the culmination of a journey that began far from Stellenbosch. Raised in Thabazimbi, Limpopo, at the foot of the Waterberg, she grew up in a household where nature was part of everyday life. With a biology teacher for a mother and a father working with wildlife, an appreciation for the natural world developed early.

Interestingly, plants were not her first academic pursuit. Senekal initially studied music before completing a BSc in Biodiversity and Ecology in Stellenbosch University's Department of Botany and Zoology.

"During my undergraduate studies, I fell in love with the world of plants, and after graduating I was fortunate to begin an internship at the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden."

Senekal was appointed Assistant Curator in 2023 and has since contributed to several significant initiatives, including the development of a first-of-its-kind threatened habitat display, the establishment of satellite collections to support plant conservation, and the growth of a world-class botanical art collection documenting threatened species.

"It is a privilege to join the line of curators who have shaped this historic garden," she says. "I have been passionate about the work of SUBG for many years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help build on that legacy and continue growing its impact."

As the first woman to hold the position in the garden's history, the appointment also represents an important milestone for the institution. Yet Senekal hopes the significance of such milestones will continue to evolve.

"It is an honour to be part of the Garden's history, but I hope we reach a point where appointments like this are no longer seen as milestones. My hope is that, over time, it becomes entirely unremarkable for the curator to be a woman, a person of colour, or anyone from a historically underrepresented background."

While her appointment signals a new chapter, it is also one rooted in continuity. Having worked closely within the garden since 2020, Senekal brings with her a deep understanding of its collections, its people and its purpose.

Looking ahead, her focus remains firmly on strengthening the Garden's role as a centre for conservation, research and education. As an academic botanical garden situated within the Cape Floristic Region, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, SUBG plays an important role in safeguarding threatened plant species and supporting scientific research.

"With the support of my team and core partners, we are finalising SUBG's strategy for the next five years. Our focus is on strengthening the garden's contribution to conservation, research and education; expanding our reach through collaborations and satellite collections; supporting applied research that informs on-the-ground conservation; and continuing to grow SUBG as a welcoming public space where everyone can discover and develop a love for plants."

As one of Stellenbosch University's most treasured spaces, the Botanical Garden continues to serve as a sanctuary for visitors, a resource for researchers and students, and a custodian of important plant collections.