
The African Wildlife Economy Institute at Stellenbosch University
Aiming to be the leading academic thinktank in Africa for research, teaching, outreach, and engagement on wildlife economies
Impactful research to conserve nature and enhance livelihoods across Africa
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Deepening knowledge of African wildlife economies
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Disseminating knowledge to influence stakeholders across the continent
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Utilising knowledge to strengthen wildlife economy policy, governance, and practice
Why
Africa's wildlife is under threat from persistent rural poverty and rising urban prosperity in the face of systemic shortcomings in governance and management. If Africa's wildlife is to be conserved it must be recognised and governed as the unique and valuable asset that it is, and it must be managed for the benefit of Africa's people.
Blog Posts
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Job Opening - AWEI Programmes Manager
Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University
The African Wildlife Economy Institute
Programmes ManagerClosing date: 27 May 2022
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Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Game Meat Value Chains
Postdoctoral Research Opportunity: Analysis of wildlife economy opportunities, barriers, and recommendations for the scaling up of game meat value chains across Africa - Closing Date 15 May 2022
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Questions on a Wildlife Economy for Beginners
13 Apr 2022
Is economic growth a challenge to biodiversity conservation and management, or should ecological economics underlie all aspects of economic growth?
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Wild Food And Rewilding African Landscapes
07 Apr 2022
At AWEI, we are exploring opportunities for scaling up the production and sale of food from both wild fauna and flora. Formal and informal provision of wild food can be found around the continent with marine and freshwater fish as perhaps the most common example. There are also excellent opportunities for wild food from other sources.
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OGRC Post On AWEI's Wild Plants Dialogue
23 Mar 2022
This post was originally published by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC). The event, titled ‘Wild plant Opportunities in Africa’s wildlife economy’, was hosted by the African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) of Stellenbosch University.
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Realigning Conservation And Development
21 Mar 2022
The lockdown of the wildlife economy across Africa has served as a wake-up call for wildlife policy makers and stakeholders. The lockdown has given us opportunity to reflect seriously on the role that wildlife can play in supporting development. Africa’s wildlife economies could be a means to realign conservation with development.
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Director's Report on the Wild Plants Dialogue
14 Mar 2022
Director’s Report on the Dialogue on Wild Plant Opportunities in Africa’s Wildlife Economy
First develop a ready market for a natural product, lower barriers to entry, and ensure sector-wide support and an adequate supply chain of the raw product...
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CITES SC74 Agenda Item 39 - Closing Of Domestic Ivory Markets
11 Mar 2022
74th Meeting Of The Standing Committee Of The Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna And Flora Agenda Item 39 – Closing Of Domestic Ivory Markets...
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Reconciling The Past And Forging A Future For The African Wildlife Economy
09 Mar 2022
Africa’s iconic wildlife forms a key part of the continent’s identity and is globally significant, both ecologically and economically. As the twenty-first century progresses, how is Africa’s economy likely to evolve and what role will this vital natural heritage play within it?...
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World Wildlife Day: UN Promotes The Sustainable Use Of Endangered Species
03 Mar 2022
Wednesday (3 March) is World Wildlife Day. In an opinion piece for Daily Maverick, Deborah Vorhies and Francis Vorhies (African Wildlife Economy Institute) focus on why the United Nations promotes the sustainable use of endangered species...
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What’s Best For Wildlife Economies: Specialisation Or Broad Knowledge Bases That Aim For Interdisciplinary Conservation?
07 Feb 2022
Specialisation means narrowing your field to a very particular set of skills. In a sense this means that the team becomes very much more important because it is the interconnectedness and the ability to communicate between the team members that is actually the path to success...
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Crypto-Conservation: Can Blockchain Save Our Birds – And Other Beasts?
21 Dec 2021
In 1990, less than 20 Seychelles magpie-robins (Copsychus sechellarum) remained on Fregate Island in Seychelles. The shiny black bird is slender, bearing a white blaze on the wing, and, if I’m honest, doesn’t exactly spark much interest. However, it does have an absorbing history and promising future — if blockchain has anything to do with it...
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The Wildlife Economy as a Transformative Complex System
24 Nov 2021
Director’s Report on a Dialogue on What’s Next for Africa’s Wildlife Economy
The African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) based at Stellenbosch University (SU), hosted a discussion entitled “What’s next for Africa’s wildlife economy?” During two panel sessions participants explored key questions and knowledge gaps regarding the role that the wildlife economy can play in conserving biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience, creating inclusive economic opportunities, and promoting community well-being...
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The Passing of Prof Marshall Murphree
29 October 2021
One of the great thinkers in community-based conservation, Marshall Murphree, has passed away at the age of 90. He was a Professor Emeritus at the University of Zimbabwe where from 1970 to l996 he was Director of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences. From 1994 to 2000 he was Chair of the IUCN Sustainable Use Specialist Group...
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AWEI Bursaries Available
12 Oct 2021
MSc/PhD ‘Wildlife Economy Project’ Bursaries
One MSc bursary and one PhD bursary are available from the African Wildlife Economy Institute at Stellenbosch University. The bursaries are available for commencement of studies in 2022...
Events
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Oppenheimer Research Conference
-Randjesfontein Cricket Pavilion -
IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress
-Kigali Convention Centre -
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Growing Zimbabwe’s Wild Food Market
Zambezi House -
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Wild Plant Opportunities in Africa’s Wildlife Economy
Lanzerac Wine Estate -
Stellenbosch dialogue on the African wildlife economy
STIAS Wallenberg Research Centre -
Harnessing the Value of 'Wildness' in the Anthropocene
-International Congress of Zoology - Online -
The Conservation Symposium 2021
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IUCN World Conservation Congress
-Marseille Chanot Convention Centre & Online -
Conservation and sustainable use of lions
Online event -
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Leveraging the value of rhinos in South Africa
Online event
Publications
Stellenbosch University
AWEI is an academic unit of the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. The Institute collaborates with faculties and departments across the University and with universities and research institutions across the continent and beyond.
Oppenheimer Generations Research & Conservation
AWEI is partnering with Oppenheimer Generations Research & Conservation to scale up impactful research on wildlife economies across Africa.
Get involved
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