SABA President

 Tony Mortimer

I started bonsai by buying a tree from a road side vendor in Rustenburg during a caravanning holiday.

The tree survived and that started the addiction. I find the bigger bonsais appeal to me probably because I don’t have to bend down too much. I joined the East Rand Bonsai Kai in January 1998; joined the committee in May; took over the newsletter in July and remained on the committee until 2010

I was Vice Chairman of the East Rand Bonsai Kai for a year and then elected as Chairman in 2005 until 2009.

I was also the BRAT representative for a while until my Election as BRAT President in 2007,

My wife still does not understand my love for bonsai as trees do not grow fast.   I have been told I am impatient and want everything now. Well, still waiting!!  Bonsai for most of us is a hobby and we should never lose sight of the fact it is for enjoyment and camaraderie.

Contact Details:

Email me here or call me on 073 150 8710

 Vice President SABA

Duncan Wiles

My love for bonsai has gone on for more than 25 years and my hobby has now become my occupation and passion.

I am a member of a number of clubs and have served on the executive of most of them.  Until recently I was president of SABA for six years.

For my sins I am the Director Africa Region on the World Bonsai Friendship Fellowship council.

Bonsai has given me so much pleasure that I have spent many hours experimenting in feeds, growing methods, new potential material, designing using digital cameras and computers, teaching, holding workshops and putting on shows or displays.

I run regular courses and workshops.  I have done numerous demonstrations and workshops at club, regional and national level.   From time to time I have given talks on bonsai to gardening clubs, rotary clubs, nurseries, educational institutes and on radio.  I have had the opportunity to visit numerous bonsai growers in England, Germany, Belgium, China and Japan.

My visit to Japan however was the highlight of my bonsai career.

Contact Details:

Email me here or call me on 081 382 5233

SABA Secretary

Dave Wilson

I have always loved nature (animals and plants) – and for many years I had a beautiful garden (1000m²) that I had mostly developed myself, except for a few large trees that were there before me.

Then I sold that house and moved much closer to my work and there was no garden and no space for a garden. I had been given a few bonsai trees over the years but keeping them in the kitchen killed them all one by one.

Now I had “almost zero” garden and instead I installed concrete “lintel” shelving and started to collect bonsai trees and kept them outside. I joined a bonsai club in the Gauteng (South Africa) area and soon I was a member of three clubs on three different Saturdays each month.

I joined the committee of one of the clubs, and later became the editor (for a few years) of the bonsai magazine called “Treeview” which is available around the world by subscription. I have served on the BRAT (Bonsai Regional Association Transvaal) committee for many years and I was President, Secretary, and Treasurer for most of those years and still current.

Bonsai is a hobby that you should spend most of your time on. The more time and effort you spent on the trees the more attractive and the healthier they are. The quality of the tree improves each year and it can give great personal satisfaction. Bonsai does not involve any magic or mystic, it is just a horticultural principal to grow the tree in a container (pot) and to style the tree and keep it alive and healthy.

I have been to Washington City (USA) in 2005 and Puerto Rico in 2009 to attend international Bonsai Conventions and to see and meet other bonsai enthusiasts from around the world. I have also attended South African Bonsai conventions which are held in the major centres every two years with the next one in Johannesburg in 2013.

Contact Details:

Email me here or call me on 082 923 2538

SABA EXCO

Org Exley

I joined the Pretoria Bonsai Kai in 1988 after attending their Bonsai Show at the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria. Since then I have been a member and served on the committee for a numerous years as member and vice chairman, and am currently serving as Chairman of the Pretoria Kai.

I have been a member of the BRAT committee for a number of years and at present am serving as the vice President.

My collection consists of a wide variety of species (±27). I propagate trees from seeds as well as from cuttings and I love to go on digs to collect Yamadori, and have most of the styles in my collection.

My collection consists of 200+ bonsai trees in containers that have been styled and or in the process of to be styled. I have a few hundred cuttings, seedlings and trees growing in containers for future use.

I have done numerous demonstrations at club, regional and national level.

Contact Details:

Email me here or call me on 082 809 2037

WEBMASTER:

Barry Stofberg

Email or call me on 083 324 9392