As a journalist, Kay Montgomery has influenced more than a generation of South African gardeners and has helped shape the green industry as we know it today. Through her long-standing role as the editor of The Star’s Saturday gardening column and later as magazine editor for The Garden Guide, which evolved into SA Gardening, Kay played a pivotal role in bringing horticultural knowledge to the public. She has been a consistent and trusted voice in media, becoming a familiar name across print, radio and public platforms.
A lesser-known but significant contribution was her role as the first administrator of the Life is a Garden marketing campaign. The phrase itself was coined by Kay and it remains a unifying recognised message, now serving as the official marketing platform for SANA. Her participation in the first committee of LIAG helped shape this campaign into a cornerstone of garden industry communication.
Yet her impact extends far beyond journalism. Kay has long been at the forefront of industry involvement, using her communication expertise and passion for the environment to lead in areas such as biodiversity and sustainability. In the early stages of South Africa’s biodiversity and invasive species management programmes, Kay was instrumental in laying the groundwork and keeping our members’ interests at heart for what is today recognised as one of the most effective and collaborative green initiatives globally.
Her leadership naturally extended to the national stage when she took up the Natural Resources portfolio on the SANA Executive Council, a position she has held or supported since its inception. Over more than two decades, Kay has quietly and steadfastly served on countless committees, many of them behind the scenes and even sometimes as a committee of one. Her dedication to attending government meetings, advocating for the industry on matters of biodiversity, water management and policy, has ensured that the green industry’s voice is consistently represented at the highest levels.
Add to that her roles within SALI, SAGIC, as well as her work for the United Nations in Africa and one can clearly see her passion for our industry. Having received the SANA Service Award in 2002 and the Presidents Cup in 2013, and still ever present in her support to the Presidents, conventions, trade shows and forums, attests to her commitment to each of us as SANA Members.
Kay Montgomery is a role model of service and enduring dedication. Her contribution to the industry is immeasurable and her legacy will inspire current and future generations of green professionals.
Arguably the most deserving recipient of this prestigious lifetime achievement award, Kay is one of the most passionate, supportive and fiercely loyal members of our industry. From her days at The Star and Caxton newspapers her passion was clear. It has been an absolute privilege to watch her grow and find her niche within our industry.
Kay is incredibly driven and focussed with strong opinions and a sense of responsibility, in which she has also managed to “ruffle a few feathers”, never giving up with her hardworking and pragmatic approach. A true journalist, never giving up and asking a million questions until she was completely satisfied.
Kay has worked tirelessly as a volunteer on our EXCO as well as the SAGIC EXCO, committing a tremendous amount of time and energy over many years. Dealing with government and Rand Water for the betterment and support of our industry. Kay spent a lot of time in our office at Eckards Garden Pavilion, always willing to share her photos and information. She is an absolute legend in our industry and we have so much to thank her for.
SANA’s highest honour is the Gold Medal, first inaugurated in 1970, and awarded to a dedicated SANA member who has been a loyal supporter of SANA and who has made a valuable contribution to the Green Industry over numerous years.
With a wider viewfinder, in 2006 SAGIC created a similar award, the SAGIC Honours Roll, awarded to an individual for his/her contribution to the green industry and not necessarily limited to SAGIC members, and which should be tangible/measurable for, inter alia, award-winning projects, length of service to the industry (10 years plus), support of SAGIC, support through media, environmental contributions, and so on.
The first three recipients of the SAGIC Honours Roll at its inception in 2006 at the SAGIC Convention held at the ICC in Durban included Kay Montgomery as the 2nd recipient, with this citation from 2006:
“As a journalist she has been on the forefront of changing trends in the gardening industry, exposing the print media to gardening and creating a demand for knowledge.
She created the first specialty magazine that focused exclusively on gardening, and which was certainly a trailblazer to many publications today.
Her contribution to the green industry has been enormous, and her significant involvement in government-backed public education programs to educate the public is ongoing and will benefit South Africa for many years to come.
As a public figure she continues to inspire gardeners and young horticulturalists alike with her enthusiasm and positive attitude.”
Almost two decades later, these words are just as apt as they were then — and it is just as fascinating that Kay would herself serve as SAGIC Chairperson, also almost twenty years later, while simultaneously serving on the SANA EXCO in her signature role of Biodiversity.
In fact, she is something of a South African authority on Biodiversity, with a direct link to government on behalf of SANA as well as SAGIC, and she has been the industry go-to person on this subject for decades, executing the role with tenacity, persistence and perseverance. An integral aspect of this is her networking involvement and attendance at virtually every prominent industry event, including at least 25 SAGIC and 10 separately held SANA Conventions during the past 25 years.
Since the inception of the SANA Gold Medal, only 13 people have ever been awarded both the SANA Gold Medal as well as the SAGIC Honours Roll — and especially for sheer service to the industry, it is unlikely there is a more deserving candidate for the title of number 14.
We are honoured to recognise her lifetime of achievement in promoting and advancing our industry with the SANA Gold Award for 2025.