Dombeya rotundifolia (Hochst.) Planch, is used in traditional medicine to treat heart problems, nausea in pregnant women, intestinal ulcers, headaches, stomach complaints, haemorroids, diarrhoea, dyspepsia and to hasten the onset of labour. D. rotundifolia material was collected from two sites and screened pharmacologically for anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial activity using the COX-1 and disc-diffusion assays. High anti-inflammatory activity was detected in the ethanolic and dichloromethane leaf and young shoot extracts. Antibacterial activity was highest in the ethanolic leaf and young shoot extracts. Material was phytochemically screened for alkaloids, saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides and cyanogenic glycosides. The results obtained for material from both collection sites was very similar. No alkaloids and no cyanogenic glycosides were detected. Tannins were present in the leaf and young shoot material. Saponins were detected in the bark material using the haemolysis test. Cardiac glycosides were detected in the leaf, young shoot and bark material.