Resistance of nine cabbage (Brassica oleracea van capitata) cultivars, Big cropper, Cape Spitz, Copenhagen Market, Conquistador, Drumhead, Giant Drumhead, Glory of Enkhuizen, Grandslam and Hercules to cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) was studied in greenhouse experiments conducted at the Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana. Cabbage aphids caused 85 % leaf damage on the most susceptible cultivar, Drumhead, and only 30.9 and 44.6 % on the more resistant cultivars, Grandslam and Copenhagen Market, respectively. Drumhead had the lowest number of aphids per leaf, showing the antibiosis mechanism of resistance to B. brassicae and yet it suffered the most severe damage. Although Copenhagen Market was resistant to cabbage aphid damage, it had the greatest abundance of aphids per leaf, showing that it used the tolerance resistance mechanism against cabbage aphids. Conquistador, Glory of Enkhuizen, Grandslam and Hercules, which gave the lowest combined effect of number of aphids multiplied by percentage damaged leaves per plant were the best varieties for use by farmers. However, since they only achieved partial resistance to the cabbage aphid, their use is recommended in combination with a low dose of insecticide.