south africa is extremely biodiverse, with 858 species of birds and 299 species of mammals. south africa and seventeen other countries are considered mega diverse which means those countries contain 70% of the planet's biodiversity.south africa's unique geography allows the country to support such a diverse population of plants and animals. it is important to protect biodiversity in south africa because people still rely on natural resources for food and medicine. plants and flowers are widely used as traditional forms of medicine and treatment for common ailments. the western cape of south africa has 8,000 plant species and 7 out of 10 of them exist nowhere else on earth. some of these plants are currently being researched for treatment of hiv patients.