Concerns regarding the conservation of medicinal plant species are receiving much attention due to overharvesting
and exploitation. Medicinal plant harvesting is a global concern as plants are the source of the majority
of medicines, either traditional or western, in the world. Millions of U.S. dollars of plant material are being
The aim of this article is to shed light on patterns of, and major motives for the utilisation of
traditional medicine to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. This study was
conducted in Soshanguve township in Gauteng. A qualitative approach was adopted by
conducting focus group interviews with fifty-seven traditional healers. Data was analysed