The official founding date of the SAPBA is documented as 19 March 1989. It developed out of the amalgamation of three existing associations with specific mandates, viz.:

• The Maize Breeder’s Association, which was founded in 1974 as an initiative of the Summer Grain Centre, Potchefstroom (currently ARC-Grain Crops Institute), with the main aim of sharing information regarding maize breeding technology, but this was later extended also to include other grain and oilseed crops. These symposia were held biennially alternating between Cedara and Potchefstroom;

• The Southern African Plant Breeders’ Association, which was an association of all private plant breeders in South Africa, and which met at regular intervals to share information regarding progress with breeding methodology and strategy;

• FX Laubscher Symposia, an initiative of the Department of Genetics, University of Stellenbosch, held in honour of the revered Professor of Genetics, FX Laubscher. These symposia served as academic fora to debate the latest advances in the fields of all genetic disciplines (quantitative genetics and cytology), all crops, animals, aquaculture, Drosophila related research, human genetics and cytogenetics.