The highlights presented in this fact sheet on the current status of forest diseases in southern Africa are based on a review of literature and country visits to gather information and expert opinions conducted in 2015. The study revealed that in the last decade and a half, a rise in the number of forests diseases coincided with the widespread planting and movement of germplasm of exotic species of trees such as eucalyptus and their hybrids, in woodlots and large industrial plantations in both eastern and southern Africa.