Five ancient African baobab trees nearly left South Africa for a billionaire’s private park, three years after eight others from Kenya were shipped to Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili

Billionaires are known for their expensive tastes. From sprawling mansions and private jets to exotic cars, superyachts and other symbols of wealth, there is rarely a shortage of ways to spend a fortune. But for some of the world’s wealthiest people, the ultimate luxury may be something rather unusual: owning trees that have stood for centuries.

Five enormous baobab trees have spent the past three months lying on hot asphalt in a parking lot at an Africa Global Logistics warehouse in Durban, South Africa, far from the Limpopo landscape where they stood for centuries.

The trees, estimated to be between 200 and 300 years old, were intercepted by South African authorities on July 17, just before they could be shipped to Georgia. An investigation has since linked the proposed shipment to a private tree park owned by Georgian billionaire and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, although his involvement as the intended buyer has not been confirmed.

The case has renewed scrutiny of the international trade in ancient trees and the challenges of protecting Africa’s natural heritage from commercial exploitation.

The five baobabs were uprooted in Limpopo province’s Lephalale area and transported to Durban for shipment. However, authorities stopped the consignment after the exporter, Pretoria-based landscaper Corné Maré, failed to produce valid permits covering their removal, possession, transportation and export.

Maré, who runs Divine Landscapes, maintains that the trees were not illegally harvested from the wild but obtained from private gardens with the consent of their owners.

He appeared in the Durban Magistrates’ Court in September to face criminal charges relating to the attempted export. The case has been postponed until January for further investigation.

A subsequent application for an export licence was rejected in July, while an appeal against the decision was dismissed on October 27.

An investigation by Daily Maverick published on October 29 identified Ivanishvili as the likely buyer of the five trees. The billionaire, who made his fortune in banking, metals and technology, established the Shekvetili Dendrological Park beside Georgia’s Black Sea coast. The sprawling reserve features trees transported from different parts of the world, alongside exotic birds and animals.

The South African case follows a similar controversy in Kenya in 2023, when eight ancient baobabs were uprooted along the Kilifi coastline for export to Georgia.

The proposed shipment sparked public opposition and prompted President William Ruto to order an investigation into the legality of the export. Despite the controversy, the trees were eventually shipped to Ivanishvili’s private park.

All eight reportedly withered and died shortly after arriving in Georgia.

The fate of the Kenyan trees has added another dimension to the controversy surrounding the five baobabs in Durban, which remain stranded as the South African legal process continues.