Did you attend the colloquium? Tell us what you thought!
The African Wildlife Economy Colloquium is a forward-looking event designed to bring together leading experts, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to explore and unlock the potential of Africa's wildlife economy.
The Colloquium is hosted by the African Wildlife Economy Institute, Stellenbosch University in partnership with
Following succinct presentations of current research and projects, the sessions will have interactive panel discussions on priorities for impactful research and projects to unlock and scale up Africa's wildlife economy.
Day 1
Mon 04 Nov - 12:00-18:30
Session 1 Enabling laws and policies for the wildlife economy
The Global Biodiversity Framework calls for governments to ensure that the harvesting, use, and trade of wild species is sustainable and legal. This session explores various ways in which governments can support the wildlife economy.
Session 2 Standards and certification for sustainable wildlife use
How can we ensure that the use of wildlife is sustainable and equitable? And how can we assure consumers, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders that this is the case?
Session 3 Special panel on liberalising intra-African wildlife trade
The African Continental Free Trade Area aims to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to intra continental trade? What are opportunities increasing the trade in wildlife products across the continent?
Reception
Day 2
Tue 05 Nov - 08:00-19:30
Session 4 Towards a sustainable wild meat sector
The Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have called for “creating the enabling conditions for legal, sustainable management of terrestrial wild meat in tropical and subtropical habitats.” How is the wild meat sector developing in Africa?
Session 5 Fostering equitable wildlife economies
A wildlife enterprise may be sustainable in environmental and economic terms, but still issues of social equity and security. How do we address complex issues relating to motivations, values, stability, and fairness?
Session 6 Special panel on the ethics of hunting
In many countries, hunting is legal. Nevertheless, some oppose it on ethical grounds. A case can be made that hunting supports conservation and communities. However, such utilitarian arguments for hunting do not seem to sway those who dislike it.
Session 7 Wild health for people and ecosystems
There is an increasing interest in ‘one health’’— described by the WHO as “an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.” What are the implications for the wildlife economy?
Session 8 Governance in wildlife economies
Wildlife economies are complex and thus the governance of these economies – formally, informally, by governments, and by market processes – is also complex. What are the challenges and how to ensure good governance?
Game meat braai hosted by Jamma Conservation & Communities
Day 3
Wed 06 Nov - 08:00-13:30
Session 9 Landscape approaches to wildlife enterprise
Though wildlife enterprises focus on the sustainable and legal use of wild species, the wildness of these species is linked to the landscapes in which they live and how we manage both landscapes and wild species. A landscape perspective is needed.
Session 10 Financing the wildlife economy
The wildlife economy offers the opportunity to generate revenues from the sale of wildlife products in open markets. However, financing is needed for capacity building, startups, scaling up, and diversification. What are the promising financing options?
Session 11 Special panel on action for resilient wildlife economies
A famous political pamphlet by Lenin was titled “What Is to Be Done?” Reflecting on the excellent presentations and discussions in our Colloquium, indeed, what is to be done? What’s next for the wildlife economy and for impactful research and engagement?
Day 1 – Monday 04 November
12:00-12:30
Registration & refreshments
12:30-13:00
Welcome & opening remarks
Danie Brink, Dean of AgriSciences & AWEI Advisory Board Member (South Africa)
1300-15:00
Session 1 Enabling laws & policies for the wildlife economy
Facilitator: Francis Vorhies, AWEI (USA)
- The effect of conservation policies and regulations on the sustainable use of wildlife on private game ranches in South Africa
Karlin Muller, South African National Biodiversity Institute (South Africa) - When the land swallows elephants: An analysis of the use of financial incentives to support wildlife conservation as an economically viable land use in Kenya
Elizabeth Gitari, Center for Legal Research and Innovation, Riara University (Kenya) - Impact of policy decisions in conservation sector on wildlife economy in Kenya (recorded)
Tuqa Jirmo, The Nature Conservancy (Kenya) (recorded) - The integration of the wildlife economy into the mainstream economy of Zimbabwe
Tariro Kamuti, AWEI (Zimbabwe) - Does the law understand insects?
Biandri Joubert, University of Witwatersrand & AWEI (Zimbabwe) - Does CITES truly provide an international system that enables the legal and sustainable trade in wild animals?
Smaragda Louw, Director: Ban Animal Trading (South Africa) (recorded) - Wildlife trade policy: The causes and consequences of conflicting stances
Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes, Oxford Martin School & AWEI (South Africa) - Discussion on promising pathways
15:00-15:30
Coffee break
15:30-16:45
Session 2 Standards & certification for wildlife use
Facilitator: Hayley Clements, AWEI (South Africa)
- Certification for conservation
Deborah Vorhies, FairWild Foundation & AWEI (South Africa) - Achieving agricultural and conservation goals: The role of voluntary certification schemes
Nokutula Mhene, UNDP BIOFIN (Zimbabwe) - Sustainable wildlife economy standard and wildlife certificate scheme
Tseleng Mabunda, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment & Lindi Hendricks, WildBloom Eco-Label Specialists (South Africa) - Five-dimensional sustainability assessment
Dilys Roe, IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (UK) - Discussion on promising pathways
16:45-17:30
Session 3 Special panel on liberalising intra-African wildlife trade
Facilitator: Wiseman Ndlovu, AWEI (Zimbabwe)
- Biandri Joubert, University of Witwatersrand & AWEI (Zimbabwe)
- Joseph E. Mbaiwa, Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana & AWEI (Botswana)
- Mike Musgrave, School of Wildlife Conservation, African Leadership University & AWEI (South Africa)
- David Newton, Traffic Southern Africa (South Africa)
17:30
Reception
Day 2 – Tuesday 05 November
08:00-08:30
Recap of the first day
Klarine Schutte & Ashley Mpofu, AWEI
08:30-10:30
Session 4 Towards a sustainable wild meat sector
Facilitator: Wiseman Ndlovu, AWEI (Zimbabwe)
- Game meat strategy for South Africa
Khorommbi Matibe, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (South Africa) - Assessing the sustainability of bushmeat hunting in the indigenous forests of the Eastern Cape
Vusumzi Martins, Rhodes University (South Africa) - Wild meat & food motivations for participation in the hunting industry within the African wildlife economy
Francine Barchett, Center for Conservation Social Sciences, Cornell University & AWEI (USA) - Wild animal species ranching in dwindling resources in a developing country
Bernadette Nwandu Ejidike and G O Amoo Federal University of Technology (Nigeria) (recorded) - Wildlife Cell Ranching
Paul Bartels, WildBio Co - A one health framework analysis for sustainable game meat production and supply
Lydia Bhebe, Stellenbosch University (Zimbabwe) - Reducing Zoonotic Disease and Sustainability Risks in Tanzania Game Meat Industry: Developing a One Health Approach to Value Chain Management
Qudra Kagemba, TRAFFIC (Tanzania) - Discussion on promising pathways
10:30-11:00
Coffee break
11:00-12:30
Session 5 Fostering equitable wildlife economies
Facilitator: Keith G. Tidball, Cornell University (USA)
- Militarisation and the wildlife economy
Catherine Semcer, Research Fellow, WildCRU, University of Oxford & AWEI (USA) - Mitigating human-wildlife conflict in Mozambique
Gelito Inácio Franco Sululu, Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (Mozambique) (recorded) - The diverse socioeconomic contributions of wildlife ranching
Candice Denner, UCT and Ecocert South Africa (South Africa) - Rural communities: The driving force behind the wildlife economy in northwest and northeast Namibia
Basilia Andoroone Shivute, Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (Namibia) (recorded) - Challenges/opportunities of setting up a multi-stakeholder wildlife economy project
Faranani Lalumbe & Lindie Botha, WWF South Africa - Unlocking opportunities for meaningful participation of land reform beneficiaries in the wildlife econmy
Hayley Clements, AWEI (South Africa) - Discussion on promising pathways
12:30-13:15
Session 6 Special panel on the ethics of hunting
Facilitator: Thabang Rainett Teffo, Southern African Wildlife College & AWEI
- Adam Cruise, Endangered Wildlife Investigations (South Africa)
- Adri Kitshoff-Botha, Custodians of Professional Hunting and Conservation (South Africa)
- Dilys Roe, IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (UK)
- Deborah Vorhies, FairWild Foundation & AWEI (South Africa)
13:15-14:30
Lunch
14:30-16:00
Session 7 Wild health for people & ecosystems
Facilitator: Lydia Daring Bhebe, AWEI (Zimbabwe)
- Nutrition information and wild meat - Lessons learned from North America
Keith G. Tidball, Cornell University (USA) - How about rangeland economy? Creating an enabling environment for the wildlife-based economy
Thabang Rainett Teffo, Southern African Wildlife College & AWEI and Pieter Thomas Nel (South Africa) - Hunting management of the Defassa Cobe population in the classified and game forests of Nazinga, Burkina Faso
Sidiki Roland Konate, Animal Biology and Ecology (Burkina Faso) (recorded) - Integrating public health, economic empowerment, and ecological conservation: The role of indigenous herbal teas on Senegal's sustainable development
Mame Diarra Sarr, RAYS (Senegal) (recorded) - Genetic analyses of mopane worms support concerns over the sustainability of the species
Dr Barbara van Asch, Stellenbosch University (South Africa) - Discussion on promising pathways
16:00-16:30
Coffee
16:30-18:00
Session 8 Governance in wildlife economies
Facilitator: Thabang Rainett Teffo, Southern African Wildlife College & AWEI
- Inclusive participatory governance, key to the grand profit-sharing scheme? Reconfiguring community based natural resources management frameworks for a dynamic wildlife economy in Africa
Eddington Maseya, History Department, Stellenbosch University (Zimbabwe) - The curse of commercialising nature: Problems and pitfalls of the biodiversity economy
Adam Cruise, Endangered Wildlife Investigations (South Africa) - Residents’ perceptions towards elephants (Loxodonta africana) and the sustainable use of elephants and elephant products in Botswana
Joseph E. Mbaiwa, Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana & AWEI (Botswana) - Effects of environment and governance on financial sustainability of communal conservancies in Namibia
Joseph Goergen, AWEI (USA) - Prospects of conservation PPP in the management of Ethiopia’s protected areas
Simeneh Admasu Namaga, Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (Ethiopia) - Discussion on promising pathways
18:30
Dinner – Game meat braai hosted by Jamma Conservation & Communities
Day 3 – Wednesday 06 November
08:30-10:30
Session 9 Landscape approaches to wildlife enterprise
Facilitator: Hayley Clements, AWEI (South Africa)
- Mega Living Landscapes - a new platform for the Wildlife Economy in South Africa
Greg Martindale, Conservation Outcomes (South Africa) - The complex role of wildlife ranches in advancing conservation goals of Mega Living Landscapes
Alta de Vos, Centre for Sustainable Transitions, Stellenbosch University (South Africa) - Exploring Commonly Harvested Wildlife Enterprises in the SADC Region: Trends, Impacts and Opportunities
Ashley Nolwazi Mpofu, Department of Environmental Management and AWEI, Stellenbosch University (South Africa) - The “mega” community conservancy planning, development and management model and program
James Arnott, Rewilding Africa UK (UK) (recorded) - The impacts of rangeland carbon credit projects in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sarah Schumann, Stellenbosch University (South Africa) - Frightening forestry facts in Zambia
Steven Johnson, AWEI and GrowthLeaders Africa (South Africa) - Discussion on promising pathways
10:30-11:00
Coffee break
11:00-12:30
Session 10 Financing the wildlife economy
Facilitator: Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes, Oxford Martin School & AWEI (South Africa)
- Unlocking finance for wildlife ranching in Southern Africa
Susan de Witt, AWEI, University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) - Assessing the effectiveness of the wildlife loan program in South Africa
Klarine Schutte, AWEI, Stellenbosch University (South Africa) - Unlocking Africa's Natural Wealth: Bridging Tourism and Conservation Through the Free Movement of Persons Protocol
Rutendo Nyaku, The Brenthurst Foundation (South Africa) - SA game auction statistics of species price data
Riaan Nowers, Western Cape Department of Agriculture (South Africa) - Carbon credits, quality and biodiversity: The link with wildlife on the land
Mike Musgrave, School of Wildlife Conservation, African Leadership University & AWEI (South Africa) - Discussion on promising pathways
12:30-13:15
Session 11 Special panel on mobilising action towards resilient wildlife economies
Facilitator: Wiseman Ndlovu, AWEI (Zimbabwe)
- Hayley Clements, AWEI (South Africa)
- Rodgers Lubilo, Community Leaders Network of Southern Africa (Zambia)
- Joseph E. Mbaiwa, Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana & AWEI (Botswana)
- Nokutula Mhene, UNDP BIOFIN (Zimbabwe)
13:15-13:30
Thank you & closing remarks
Francis Vorhies, AWEI (USA)
As the Colloquium will be streamed online, videos of the sessions will be made available afterwards.
We are planning to publish a compendium of the abstracts and are exploring opportunities to publish some or all of the papers together in a volume or a special edition of a journal.
Any questions? Any suggestions? Please contact us at awei@sun.ac.za.
CPD Points
Participants who need credits for their profiles at SACNASP can earn 3 credits for participation in the three-day event. Please contact us if you would like us to prepare a certificate of attendance for you.
Event feedback
Did you attend the 2024 colloquium? Tell us what you thought!
Get updates by email
Through impactful research, stakeholder engagement, and professional development, AWEI is supporting the wildlife economy across Africa. Please subscribe for occasional updates on our work and forthcoming events.