Month: November 2014

23 November 2014, Sun City (North West Province) – It’s a “Union of Golf and Giving”, and Gary Player perfected them both when the golf icon led his team to victory in the Gary Player Invitational (GPI) presented by Coca-Cola at The Lost City Golf Club on Sunday.

Following the rousing success of the GPI in raising funds for its charity beneficiaries, which were in excess of R4 million from the gala auction and donations from participants and businessmen, Player and his team of former Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena and businessmen Michael Zamkow and David Blue triumphed in Africa’s premier charity tournament by six strokes on 29 under par.

The respective teams of professionals Padraig Harrington and Ian Woosnam shared second place on 23 under par.

Team Harrington had led by four shots going into Sunday’s final round. But a remarkable effort by Player to break his age by 11 shots individually and marshal his team through a morning of rain before the sun appeared saw the tournament host on the winning team for the first time in the 15-year history of this event.

“I felt like a young man out there today. It was such a thrill for me to play that kind of golf,” said Player. “There is always a challenge in this game. I’ve just been invited to a big tournament in Hawaii in January so this couldn’t have come at a better time. But I’m just so thrilled at the response we’ve had this year, raising so much money. And I want to thank our sponsors for supporting us for so many years, and our participants who gave so generously of their time and money this year for charity.”

Player’s teammates were in awe of his performance on Sunday. “He’s an incredible person and it was an honour for me to be a part of this,” said Mokoena, who made his debut in the tournament. “I came from humble beginnings so I know exactly how powerful these kinds of events are for the underprivileged.”

And both Zamkow and Blue were full of praise for how Player led their team. “He’s an unbelievable competitor,” said Zamkow. “He pushed us all the way. We went through the rain and the sun, and he just never gave up. He putted superbly and he never stopped encouraging and helping us,” said Zamkow.

“He’s a true sportsman,” added Blue. “He was just so positive out there. No matter what we did, he just kept motivating us. I’ll be back to defend this title next year, that’s for sure.”

As he walked off the 18^th green, Player’s wife Vivienne hugged her husband as she’s done so many times throughout one of the greatest careers in the history of golf. And Player responded by handing her the silver baobab trophy that goes to the winning team.

“She said it’s such an iconic trophy because it’s so typically African, and she has always wanted it in our trophy cabinet at home,” said Player.

For a Grand Slam champion who owns every Major trophy in the game, this one will indeed take up a special place in the Player household.

For more information on the Gary Player Invitational, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com

Living up to its billing as the “Union of Golf and Giving”, the Gary Player Invitational, presented by Coca-Cola, raised approximately R3.5 million for charity at a star-studded gala dinner and auction held on 21^stNovember at Sun City.

The Gary Player Invitational, which celebrates 15 years as Africa’s premier charity golf event, has raised over R600 million worldwide in order to support the various charitable causes supported by The Player Foundation.

This year’s GPI tournament, staged at the Gary Player-designed Lost City Golf Course, featured celebrities teamed up with professional golfers and leading business executives all pledging their support in aid of charity. All proceeds raised from the event will benefit charity beneficiaries – Wings and Wishes and the Wildlands Conservation Trust in partnership with Qhubeka.

Golfing icon and tournament host, Gary Player, said he was thrilled with the support shown at this year’s auction. “It is incredibly exciting and gratifying to see an event like this change people’s lives. The generosity on display this weekend and at the gala dinner auction was just amazing. My great dream is to reach a billion rand raised for charity through The Player Foundation before I retire. And I’m still young, I’m not ready to retire yet,” he said.

The black-tie gala dinner and auction event saw Major champions Ian Woosnam and Padraig Harrington; European Tour contenders Robert Rock, Thomas Levet, Ignacio Garrido and Jake Roos; as well as Ladies European Tour campaigners Carly Booth and Amy Boulden all in attendance.

The professional golfers and guests also rubbed shoulders with actress Vanessa Haywood, former Bafana Bafana soccer captain Aaron Mokoena, Spanish model and actress Inés Sastre, radio personality Thomas Msengana as well as former Proteas cricketers Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs.

The auction’s most sought-after item, an exclusive package to The Masters as a guest of Gary Player and Black Knight International, raised the highest bid for the evening, raking in R 700 000.

Other items on auction included unforgettable experiences at the Open Championship, Wimbledon, Rugby World Cup, and BMW Championship, as well as a sculpture by renowned South African artist Donald Greig, bespoke jewellery piece by Schwartz Jewellers, exclusive Au.Ra brandy, and a trip to Ireland’s Old Head Links.

“The South African leg of our GPI series is always a fantastic event that produces incredible results in our charity drive,” said Marc Player, Black Knight International CEO and GPI series founder. “We are most appreciative to all our superb sponsors and generous guests who aid in creating a brighter future in South Africa and around the globe.”

“7438 people’s lives have been positively impacted since Wildlands and Qhubeka partnered with the GPI in 2011,” said Wildlands’ CEO Dr. Andrew Venter. “This number increases every year with the amazing support of the GPI and Coca-Cola and words cannot express our appreciation.”

Wildlands Green-preneurs (Pty) Ltd has teamed up with the South African Sugar Association (SASA) to provide grants and project management support to Tree-preneurs (local community members who grow indigenous trees at their homesteads and then barter them for livelihood support) in exchange for the trees they have grown. The grants amounting to a total of R286 200 was part of a pilot project that was launched in June 2013.

The Wildlands uBuntu Earth team who specialize in enterprise development has been actively involved in making this project a success. Wildlands plays a mentorship role which is aimed at providing personal, financial and business management advice as well as developing the skills of the beneficiaries around market research, marketing and product development.

A rigorous application process was developed following an announcement calling for applications through Wildlands’ network of facilitators. A total of 105 applications were received across all communities in KwaZulu-Natal. At the end of the selection process 40 of these 105 applicants were accepted into the programme.

“Our aim is to create an incubation pipeline for these entrepreneurs and mentor them to the point where they are able to see the growth potential of their business and are ready to apply for grants” said Siphiwe Mjadu, Wildlands Project Manager of the SASA project.  “Ultimately, through this model, our vision is to nurture an entrepreneurial spirit amongst our Tree-preneur network and in our communities to cement economic sustainability.” Siphiwe Mjadu coordinated an Induction Workshop for all applicants in all project areas, explaining the mentorship programme, providing some basic training on financial record keeping as well as the requirements of the project.

Businesses that were selected for the SASA Small Business Development Grant included; sewing, poultry farming, sugar cane farming, vegetable gardening and sales, room rentals, clothing sales, tuck shops, bread making, sale of airtime and electricity, fencing and welding.

In terms of the sustainability of the project, you may ask what has been done with the trees traded. A decision was made to form a partnership with the Cornubia Community Trust – through Tongaat Hulett Developments, to enable the sale of 38170 trees to be sold on to the private landscaping market. The first sale agreement for 5 000 trees purchased is currently being finalised with Leitch Landscaping.  These trees will be used on the Cornubia site – a pioneer mixed-use, mixed income development (in the greater Umhlanga area).

Philisiwe Mthembu who is one of the entrepreneurs from the Tembe area runs a vegetable farming business of over 9 ha and sells her vegetables at the market. She has three part time employees helping her with planting, removing weeds and irrigating crops such as maize, cabbages, tomatoes, beans, lettuce, beetroot, carrots, peanuts and spinach. “With funds received from SASA I have managed to purchase another water pump as the one I had was not working properly. This has made my work a lot easier, quicker and more productive,” she concludes.

30 Groen Sebenza “pioneers” (interns) from Wildlands attended an Indaba at Somkhanda Game Reserve from the 20^th – 24th October 2014. This reserve is owned by the Gumbi community of Northern KwaZulu-Natal and is managed with the support of Wildlands.

The Groen Sebenza project was launched in June 2013 and was spearheaded by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) funded by the Development Bank of South Africa. The role of Wildlands is to ‘incubate’ pioneers into the environmental sector by addressing priority skills shortages and giving them the mentorship and training they need to develop themselves further before entering the competitive South African job market. This Indaba was an extension of such programmes and activities aimed at upskilling and preparing these young people for the working world.

The pioneers came from as far afield as the Eastern and Western Cape and this platform provided a wonderful opportunity for bonding and networking. The uBuntu Earth team of Wildlands facilitated this Indaba by running activities in which pioneers could share their learning and experiences over the past year and inspire and motivate each other for the road ahead. The uBuntu Earth departments’ fundamental emphasis is on building capacity and enabling this group to ‘progress through the system’ or move on to other green jobs and entrepreneurial enterprises in the future.

“We wanted to give the pioneers an opportunity to experience what Wildlands is all about and there isn’t a better place than Somkhanda,” said Simone Dale Deputy Director at Wildlands. “I believe that the youth of this country have so much to offer and we wanted them aware of the wealth of knowledge and wisdom already existing within their peer group.”

Several key individuals from Wildlands added value to the Indaba. David Gilroy, Project Manager for Conservation SPACE, explained the organisation’s role in the development of the community owned reserve. Simone Dale reflected on the past year, the highlights and the plans for the remainder of the project. Manqoba Sabela, Green Leadership Manager and Moira Potter, Groen Sebenza Project Administrator, led various workshop activities covering subjects such as leadership, personal development and branding, preparation for the green job market, self-awareness and goal setting.

Further to the activities the pioneers took part in, they were given the opportunity to go on game drives where they were able to see both Black and White rhino, Wild Dog, Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest as well as various species of Buck. For many, this was a new and invigorating experience which will stay with them forever.

The success of the Indaba was summed up by Zanele Dube (Grant Administrator and pioneer at Wildlands) saying – “The sessions we had at the Indaba were very informative and an incredible experience for all of us.”

Not only did the Somkhanda Indaba prove successful on a personal level but the pioneers left feeling more connected to nature, more determined in their efforts towards the conservation of their beautiful environment and an increased commitment to “a sustainable future for all”.

The 24^th to the 26^th of October 2014 saw the fourth Wild Series hosting of the Old Mutual Radox Golden Gate Challenge by Wildlands. This trail running event is hosted in partnership with South African National Parks (SANParks) at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in the Free State and saw 190 runners experience three days of challenging, well organised trail running.

The event was conquered by Herman Mulder (7hrs 39 minutes) and Trish Bahlmann (8hrs and 42 minutes) in the men’s and ladies categories respectively. “I have had the most beautiful three days of my life in Golden Gate,” commented Trish Balhmann who was bursting with energy, even after running the gruelling race. Throughout the event, runners praised the professional manner in which the event was run and the amazing routes selected for them to traverse.

Dr Andrew Venter took the opportunity to also introduce Old Mutual as the new title sponsor for the Wild Series pointing out that this heralds a new era for the unit.

“Old Mutual is proud to be the new title sponsor of the Wildland’s Wild Series events,” said Karen Thomas, Marketing Executive at Old Mutual. “This new sponsorship has strong links with our business on many levels, community engagement being one of them as we believe in investing in partnerships that support a worthy cause – and the Wild Series is about giving back to conservation; it’s about protecting our heritage and securing its future. Endurance sports are also a key pillar of Old Mutual’s sponsorship portfolio,” said Thomas. “Through Wildlands we can serve the communities that we are all part of. Thank you to Wildlands for making Old Mutual part of this great change and to each and every one here for choosing to be part of this change.”

The funds raised from this event go towards supporting the Maluti Drakensburg Vulture project and management of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. The focus of this support is primarily on Bearded Vulture conservation. This year the status of the Bearded Vulture has been raised to critical due to the rapid decline which is estimated at 1.4% each year. This monitoring is achieved through the small solar powered devices fitted on the birds estimated at R30 000, costing the project R1000 per month per bird, making this an expensive exercise.

Today, the Bearded Vulture only inhabits parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape and parts of Lesotho. Through the assistance of the satellite monitors it is known that out of the 190 nests in this area almost half have been abandoned. Breeding pairs are also on the decline which means that fewer of the birds are being bred. A further threat to the species is secondary poisoning, traditional medicine and proposed wind farms. Traditional medicine has only recently been discovered as a threat. Wind farms are estimated to having a massive impact of 3.7% decline, as the birds are known to feed and nest in the proposed wind farm areas.

It is therefore vital that events such as the Old Mutual Radox Golden Gate Challenge continue, in order to ensure the long-term survival of this icon of the Drakensberg Mountains.

Wildlands commends everyone who contributed towards the success of this event – Old Mutual, Radox Man X, all the Golden Gate Highland National Park staff, and the SANParks Honorary Rangers.

This email serves to officially THANK the Comrades Marathon Association for yet another successful year of fundraising, awareness and partnership.

Wildlands Conservation Trust was one of the first official charities (Amabeadibeadi charities) adopted by the Comrades Marathon Association back in 2000, and we are proud to announce that in 2014 we benefitted in excess of R500 000 through our association with the ultimate human race.

Upon entering for Comrades, runners are given the opportunity to donate to an Amabeadibeadi charity of their choice. The generosity of the Comrades participants blows us away every year – and this year we received R83 475.00 in total from entry donations.

The Comrades Marathon Association has always been driven by the need to give back to the marginalised and underprivileged through Amabeadibeadi. One of the platforms used to do just this is the Race4Charity (R4C) drive. There are 1000 reserved entries for the R4C runners, who need to raise R5 000 to qualify – but once they do, they are placed in a special seeding batch near the front of the START on race day. This year the R4C drive (through the commitment of 44 runners) brought in just over R177 000 for our conservation efforts.

Wildlands also took part in the Comrades Expo from the 29^th – 31^st of May at the Durban Exhibition Centre. A range of exciting T-shirts and Babygro’s were sold raising R70 970 towards Wildlands’ Rhino Conservation and “Trees for Life” Projects. Rhino Ambassador for the trust, Patrick Lambie, Sharks flyhalf and Springbok rugby player, also made an appearance which added a buzz to the Wildlands stand with adoring fans gathering to have their picture taken with the celebrity (at a small cost donated to a worthy cause of course!).

In addition to these activities at the Exhibition, the “Big Five Hills” Campaign was launched. This campaign relies on the sales of beautiful watercolour paintings depicting Polly Shortts, Inchanga, Bothas Hill, Fields Hill and Cowies Hill. Each print has been individually signed by one of five legendary Comrades winners and a total of 35 prints were sold at the Comrades expo to the value of R105 000. The funds raised are split between Wildlands and the Magqubu Ntombela Memorial Foundation (founded by Dr Ian Player) for our collective Rhino Conservation efforts.

One individual that touched the hearts of many on race day was Robert Le Brun also dubbed the ‘Rhino Man’. He ran the grueling 89km in a rhino suit for Wildlands and raised over R10 000.00. “The Comrades experience was out of this world,” said Le Brun. “I have never received so much attention and support from people, with some shouting ‘save the rhino’ and ‘rhinoman’ as an act of support. It was an honour to run for Wildlands,” comments a proud Robert.

Wildlands had a refreshment station again this year which was set up near Drummond. Our presence along the route was two fold in that we were responsible for handing out refreshments to thousands of runners, as well as collecting and recycling all the waste from the start of the race to our refreshment station, 45km’s from the start. The recycling team collected 14 336kg over the 45km route; far exceeding last year’s 6160kg collected over a 30km radius.

Wildlands are very grateful for the partnership we have with Comrades and we hope to assist them in one day reaching their goal of being recognised as the “greenest” of the South African marathons.

“The Comrades Marathon Association has played an integral part in the growth of Wildlands,” said Wildlands’ CEO Dr Andrew Venter. “Not only have they assisted us in fundraising for the amazing work that we do across the country, they have helped bring sustainability to the forefront of people’s minds and have allowed us the privilege of ‘being the change’ and inspiring others to do the same.”

Visit www.comrades.com for more information.