eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal 0974-6242 2023-12-31 16 4 1927 1947 10.13005/bpj/2771 53664 article Rose Awah Bih 1 Maropeng Charles Monyama 1 Sogolo Lucky Lebelo 1 Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X06, Florida, South Africa Traditional medicine based on the use of medicinal plants plays an important role in the preservation of health and well-being of many people globally. Today herbal medicine application is progressively finding more significance especially with the acknowledgement of the challenges of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this review was to collect literature based on the traditional application of South African medicinal plant species used in South Africa to prevent and treat various pathogenic bacterial infections. The search was carried out using key electronic scientific databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, ProQuest, Science Direct, Elsevier, BioMed Central. Other sources of literature included scientific articles, book chapters, dissertations, theses and websites. It was found that Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most frequently investigated bacterial pathogens which have developed resistance to most of the available standard antibiotics. Organic and aqueous extracts of many South African plants including Acacia karroo, Psidium guajava, Punica granatum, Eucomis autumnalis, Vernonia amygdalina  and Cyathula uncinulata have demonstrated potent antibacterial efficacy against the aforementioned pathogens.  This review exemplifies that South African medicinal plants have the potential to be considered as new leads for the development of antibacterial agents against resistant pathogens. https://biomedpharmajournal.org/vol16no4/south-african-medicinal-plants-used-in-the-treatment-of-human-bacterial-infections-an-updated-review/ Antibiotic resistance Antimicrobials Human bacterial infections Medicinal plants South Africa