Medicinal plant value chain development in South Africa – A semicentennial appraisal and research trends

• Ethnobotanical surveys dominated in the earlier years (1974-1984). • Pharmacological studies were the most active aspects in recent times (2015-2024). • Cultivation research consistently received little attention. • Sustainable availability of quality medicinal plant raw materials remains a constraint. The rich biodiversity remains the bedrock of South African bioeconomy, provided the potential associated with the value chain of medicinal plants can be explored sustainably and equitably. This review entails a critical analysis of the current research and trends spanning over the last 50 years (1974-2024), to identify the successes, gaps and challenges associated with the South African medicinal plant value chain, from ethnobotany to product development. We used bibliometric data from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus to retrieve 941 and 1259 records, respectively. The South African Journal of Botany and Journal of Ethnopharmacology remained the core dissemination outlets for the retrieved publications. The outputs were linked to different aspects associated with the value chain for medicinal plants, namely ethnobotanical surveys, pharmacological evaluations, quality control, cultivation, and commercialization through product development. While ethnobotanical surveys dominated in the earlier years (1974-1984), pharmacological studies were the most active aspects in recent times (2015-2024). Cultivation research consistently received little attention, limiting sustainable availability of quality medicinal plant raw materials. Pelargonium sidoides and Harpagophytum procumbens were used to demonstrate the value chain and commercial success for some South African medicinal plants. Given the existing limited endeavours, research focusing on clinical trials, quality control and cultivation need to be prioritized to ensure that the potential contribution of South African medicinal plants to the bioeconomy is attained.