Dr V. Ralph Clark is the pioneer director of the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU, QwaQwa Campus: University of the Free State). The ARU is located at the foot of the highest mountains in Africa south of Mt Kilimanjaro: the Maloti-Drakensberg (3,500 m; South Africa-Lesotho). The ARU's Vision is to become a continental leader in African mountain research, with an immediate focus on the sustainable development of the Maloti-Drakensberg. The research philosophy of the ARU is social–ecological system (SES) thinking. The ARU is also advocating for a science–policy-action interface for southern African mountains as transboundary systems facing immense and complex challenges. The Mission of the ARU is to facilitate the development and capacity building of an African-based mountain research ‘community of practice’ of high excellence that forms global mountain research theory & practice and contributes to mountain-related policy and governance from an African perspective, thus balancing a predominance of mountain research driven from the Global North/Northern Hemisphere. Other than driving a competent, multi-disciplinary mountain research team & international collaborations, Dr Clark's personal research expertise focuses on exploring the poorly-known plant diversity of southern African mountains, and translating this into biogeographic understanding for conservation and sustainable use outcomes.