The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) initiated a project to identify and protect trees worthy of special protection throughout South Africa. Such projects have been established in several countries, but this is the first of its kind in Africa. Champion trees are trees of exceptional importance that deserves national protection because of their remarkable size, age, aesthetic, cultural, historic or tourism value.

The first individual tree to be declared as protected under the National Forests Act of 1998 in 2003 was a historic English oak tree, the only remnant of the old Sophiatown that was razed to the ground by the previous government when it resettled that community in the 1950s. This intervention was an attempt to stop the imminent destruction of the tree by a property owner, and protection was afforded only after the tree was severely pruned. This was the starting point of the Champion tree project, aimed at preventing similar destruction of other trees of national importance by identifying and declaring them as protected timeously.

During August 2005 the first evaluation of nominated trees took place by a panel of experts specially appointed by the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry. The first Champion trees proposed by this panel will appear by notice in the Government Gazette and national newspapers this year. These include the largest tree in South Africa, a baobab at Sagole in Limpopo province with a height of 22m and a massive stem circumference of 32,8m. Also proposed as Champion tree is the tallest tree in Africa, an 81m tall Eucalyptus planted in Magoebaskloof in 1906. Trees of historic value include camphor trees planted at Vergelegen Estate by WA van der Stel three centuries ago, and the famous post office milkwood tree at Mosselbay in which it is believed the Portuguese seafarers left messages in a shoe in the 16th century. Another tree with an interesting history is a Lombardy poplar tree that served as a landmark indicating the safe house run by Ruth Fischer (daughter of Braam Fischer, founder member of the SA Communist Party) to activists on the run from security police in the struggle against Apartheid. The tree attracting most visitors is the Tsitsikamma Big Tree, a giant Outeniqua yellowwood visited by more than 8? 000 people per year, including many overseas tourists.