Thu 26 Jan 12 SAFRINET: Finding new ways to move forward SAFRINET was one of the first networks of BioNET to be established. Since then, the climate in which SAFRINET finds itself has changed. We started with substantial core funding that was associated with many capacity development projects. This was our period of greatest productivity. All these initial activities came to an end several years ago.  More recently, the African Pollinator Initiative (API) used BioNET’s African networks, EAFRINET, WAFRINET and SAFRINET, as a structure for the co-ordination of Africa’s participation in the Global Pollinator Project. The project proposal was successful and this project is currently active. Further, the Scale Insect Barcode Initiative (SABI) was a SAFRINET initiative. Although its funding term came to an end in December 2011, there are funds to maintain activity for another year. Major challenges for SAFRINET are, first, the continual need to develop new projects, and to find partners and funding for them. Second, because these projects have their own co-ordinators and report to their funding agents, SAFRINET tends to lose contact with the projects and become forgotten. Third, there is no practice for taxonomic projects in the Region, wherein the SAFRINET Secretariat did not participate in the development and funding, to inform SAFRINET of achievements. Therefore SAFRINET cannot report on overall taxonomic capacity building in the Region, which would be very informative. The first challenge will inevitably result in slow progress because SAFRINET does not have a dedicated Secretariat. The second can be overcome by agreement with the project co-ordinator, as happens in SABI. The third challenge is possibly not reasonably achievable because it will be a huge task to trace all taxonomic capacity building in the Region. However, SAFRINET does still fulfil an important role in capacity building in the Region. We just have to adapt to our current environment. In the SAFRINET Region most taxonomic capacity building takes place in South Africa. Many of these South African initiatives do however incorporate other African countries. South Africa has a new National Co-ordinator, Dr Mariette Truter, who has the enthusiasm and ability to bring new life into South Africa’s activities, and support Regional capacity building. How she approaches this, and news of her successes will be reported in future BioNET newsletters. Connal Eardley SAFRINET - Regional Coordinator