Prof Kowiyou Yessoufou

Associate Professor
Name: Kowiyou Yessoufou
Location: D3 LAB 115 Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
Botany & Plant Biotechnology Academic Staff  Staff Members

Contact Details:
Tel: +27(0)11 559 7649

Email: kowiyouy@uj.ac.za

About Prof Kowiyou Yessoufou

Prof. Kowiyou Yessoufou received his PhD in Botany in 2012 from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. In his PhD, he investigated how herbivory alter the phylogenetic plant community structure in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. In 2017, he joined the department of Geography, UJ, as a senior lecturer and became Associate Professor 3 years later. In 2025, he joined back the Department of Botany, UJ, as a Full Professor in Botany and Director of the African Centre for DNA Barcoding (ACDB).
The vision of ACDB is to be the first African reference in i) DNA data generation for continental flora/fauna/fungi, and ii) translation of generated DNA data into research and development. Four specific missions were set to accomplish this vision: i) Documentation of African flora, fauna and macro-fungi in the form of DNA bank, including a reference database of DNA barcode in BOLD, ii) Rendering DNA sequencing services to universities, governments, or organizations, iii) Training of students and professionals in DNA barcoding/genomics and its applications in taxonomy, ecology and conservation, iv) Contribution to global debate on biodiversity and conservation from an evolutionary perspective in the form of scientific publications, seminars and conferences.
Our research at ACDB evolve around 4 pillars: i) DNA barcoding, Genomics and Taxonomy, ii) Extinction risk, Biodiversity and Conservation, iii) Ecology of alien invasive species and Population dynamics.
Teaching activities:
• Plant Taxonomy (BOT03B3)
• Plant Systematics & Molecular Evolution (BOT8X03)
Selected publications

1. Samuel B. Kandolo*, Kowiyou Yessoufou and Mahlatse Kganyago 2024. Effectiveness of South Africa’s network of protected areas: Unassessed vascular plants predicted to be threatened using deep neural networks are all located in protected areas. Ecology and Evolution 14:e70229.

2. Samaila Samaila Yaradua, Kowiyou Yessoufou 2024. Chloroplast genome of Ecbolium viride (Forssk.) Alston: plastome evolution and phylogenomics of Justiceae (Acanthaceae, Acanthoideae). Genome 67(8):267-280.

3. Kantakwa Grégoire Sadiki*, Kowiyou Yessoufou and Terence N. Suinyuy 2024 Resource dilution effect rather than resource concentration hypothesis explains the patterns of pre-dispersal seed predation of an African cycad along an elevational gradient in South Africa. Ecology and Evolution 14:e70209

4. Abubakar Bello, Stewart M Edie, Kowiyou Yessoufou, Alexandra Nora Muellner-Riehl 2024. Trends in botanical exploration in Nigeria forecast over 1000 yet undescribed vascular plant species. Annals of botany 133, 789-800.

5. Bopaki Phogole and Kowiyou Yessoufou 2024. A systematic review of studies investigating the link between greenspaces and human health reveals a paucity of interest in the topic in Africa. Environmental Research Communications. IN PRESS.

6. Kowiyou Yessoufou 2023. The Patterns of Intraspecific Variations in Mass of Nectar Sugar along a Phylogeny Distinguish Native from Non-Native Plants in Urban Greenspaces in Southern England. Plants 12, 3270.

7. Sigasa, M.N.; Kowiyou Yessoufou; Magadlela, A.; Otang-Mbeng, W.; Suinyuy, T.N. 2023. Population Structure of an African Cycad: Fire May Stimulate the Coning Phenology of Encephalartos lanatus (Zamiaceae) and Also Predispose Its Cones to Damage. Diversity, 15, 1075.

8. Kowiyou Yessoufou, Annie Estelle Ambani, Hosam O Elansary, Ahmed M El-Sabrout, Shadi Shokralla 2022. Time, mediated through plant versatility, is a better predictor of medicinal status of alien plants. Diversity 14, 286.

9. T Jonathan Davies, Olivier Maurin, Kowiyou Yessoufou, Barnabas H Daru, Bezeng S Bezeng, Ledile T Mankga, Hanno Schaefer, Wilfried Thuiller, Michelle van der Bank 2022. Woody plant phylogenetic diversity supports nature’s contributions to people but is at risk from human population growth, Conservation Letters 15, e12914.

10. Samaila Samaila Yaradua**, Kowiyou Yessoufou 2022. The Complete Chloroplast Genome of Hypoestes forskaolii (Vahl) R.Br: Insights into Comparative and Phylogenetic Analyses within the Tribe Justiceae. Genes 13, 2259.

11. Kowiyou Yessoufou, Isidore Muleba*, Isaac T Rampedi 2022. The Test of the Availability Hypothesis Reveals the Needs for Ex-Situ Conservation for Some Protected Area-Restricted Species, Diversity 14, 693.

12. Bopaki Phogole*, Kowiyou Yessoufou 2022. Biodiversity and Economy but Not Social Factors Predict Human Population Dynamics in South Africa. Sustainability 14, 8668.

13. Kowiyou Yessoufou, Annie Estelle Ambani* 2021. Are Introduced Alien Species More Predisposed to Invasion in Recipient Environments If They Provide a Wider Range of Services to Humans? Diversity 13, 553.

14. Kowiyou Yessoufou, Annie Estelle Ambani*, Hosam O Elansary, Orou G Gaoue 2021. Alien woody plants are more versatile than native, but both share similar therapeutic redundancy in South Africa. PloS One 16(11): e0260390.

15. Orou G Gaoue, Kowiyou Yessoufou, Ledile Mankga, Fifanou Vodouhe (2021) Phylogeny reveals non‐random medicinal plant organs selection by local people in Benin. Plants, People, Planet, 3, 710-720. 42.

16. Isidore Muleba*, Kowiyou Yessoufou, Isaac T Rampedi (2021) Testing the non-random hypothesis of medicinal plant selection using the woody flora of the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Environment, Development and Sustainability 23, 4162-4173.

17. Orou G Gaoue, Jacob K Moutouama, Michael A Coe, Matthew O Bond, Elizabeth Green, Nadejda B Sero, Bezeng S Bezeng, Kowiyou Yessoufou (2021). Methodological advances for hypothesis‐driven ethnobiology. Biological Reviews 96, 2281-2303.

18. Kowiyou Yessoufou, Mercy Sithole*, Hosam O Elansary 2020. Effects of urban green spaces on human perceived health improvements: Provision of green spaces is not enough but how people use them matters. PloS One, 15, e0239314.

19. Bezeng S Bezeng, Kowiyou Yessoufou, Peter J Taylor, Solomon G Tesfamichael 2020. Expected spatial patterns of alien woody plants in South Africa’s protected areas under current scenario of climate change. Scientific Reports 10:7038. Doi:10.1038/s41598-020-63830-x

20. Ledile T. Mankga*, Kowiyou Yessoufou, Thendo Mugwena and Munyaradzi Chitakira (2020) The Cycad Genus Cycas May Have Diversified From Indochina and Occupied Its Current Ranges Through Vicariance and Dispersal Events. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8:44. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00044.

21. Ledile T. Mankga*, Kowiyou Yessoufou and Munyaradzi Chitakira (2020). On the origin and diversification history of the African genus Encephalartos. South African Journal of Botany 130, 231-239.