I teach and conducts research in ecology and evolution at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The topic of of research is biological diversity, how it originates and how it is assembled into ecological communities. To answer these questions, he focuses on plant–animal interactions, particularly pollination. Pollinators are potent drivers of plant speciation because plants that adapt to different pollinators are no longer able to interbreed. Pollinators are also ecologically important because they influence seed production and thus the survival of plant populations. I work in the Cape Floral Region, which has very high plant diversity and wonderfully adapted pollinators, including sunbirds, long-tongued flies, and oil-collecting bees. I am involved in the Ingcungcu Sunbird Restoration Project at schools on the Cape Flats.