Dr Francis Vorhies

AWEI Director

A distinguished academic in the field of wildlife conservation, economics, and finance, Dr Francis Vorhies is the Director and Co-Founder of AWEI and an Extraordinary Professor in the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University. He also serves as Research Visitor at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WILDCRU) at Oxford University, UK.

His lifelong commitment to sustainable development and conservation in Africa and beyond has seen him take up and develop several innovative initiatives and roles, such as founding Eco-Plus in Johannesburg to provide economic policy inputs to conservation; the first economist to join the African Wildlife Foundation in Nairobi; the first chief economist at the IUCN HQ near Geneva; CEO of the Earthwatch Institute in Oxford; and Academic Director of the African Leadership University's School of Wildlife Conservation in Kigali.

His current research focuses on what is meant by wildlife conservation in the context of international policy and how it can unlock wildlife economy across Africa in support of inclusive sustainable development, climate resilience, and landscape transformation. He has a particular interest in voluntary standards and certification for wildlife products.

Selected Publications

• 2021 - State of the Wildlife Economy in Africa 
• 2021 - Discussion Paper on Kenya’s Wildlife Economy
• 2021 - Coastal blue carbon stocks in Tanzania and Mozambique - Support for climate adaptation and mitigation actions
• 2019 - Biodiversity means business: Reframing global biodiversity goals for the private sector
• 2018 - Increasing success and effectiveness of mangrove conservation investments: A guide for project developers, donors and investor