Margaret Levyns was initially educated at home by her mother and later attended Ellerslie Girls' School.

In 1908 she enrolled at the South African College intending to study mathematics, geology and chemistry, with botany for her honours year.

degree from University of Cape Town, for her 1932 thesis 'A taxonomic study of Lobostemon and Echiostachys'.

After her retirement in 1945, she remained active in the botanical field and published numerous papers on taxonomy and phytogeography.

In 1923 she married John Levyns, later Assistant Provincial Secretary of the Cape Province and who served on the council of the Botanical Society of South Africa.