The Covid-19 global pandemic has had a massive impact on the income generation models of businesses globally, with local and international Safari tourism being the hardest hit. The Somkhanda Community Game Reserve has not been spared. Fortunately, the reserve does not only depend solely on Safari tourism but has also developed their game ranching to generate income through the sale of Game Meat. To date, this has been done locally to support the communities surrounding Somkhanda, addressing the food security and malnutrition issues of over 200 families, since the national lockdown was declared.

Linked to this, WILDLANDS (a programme of the WILDTRUST) has recently partnered with Bosveld Game Meat and KZN Game Meat™ to drive a sustainable Wildlife Economy model through the sale of protein rich Game Meat from the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve to a wider market. Globally, the Wildlife Economy is seen as a key component in addressing issues such as food security and malnutrition and transitioning the country towards a sustainable Green Economy. The income generated will support sustainable conservation and community development as the reserve provides protection for critically endangered wildlife and creates jobs for local people, employed both at the reserve and the neighbouring game ranch where the meat is processed.

“Offtakes for game meat sales are scientifically determined as part of our ecological management plan, aimed at conserving the habitat and health of our game on the reserve. Especially with winter coming it is important that we decrease game numbers to prevent starvation from drought,” comments Meiring Prinsloo, Somkhanda Reserve Manager. “Based on the ecological management recommendations of the reserve, this opportunity was recognised as one of the most sustainable finance generating strategies to assist the reserve in earning the much-needed funds to drive operations and fill the gaps,” Prinsloo added.

Ultimately, the beneficiaries of this partnership are the local community and the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve, which can then effectively and efficiently carry out its vast conservation activities. All the partners involved are committed to ensuring the success of this model and call on the public to show their support for this critical work by buying this product, initially available throughout the KZN province. Our local Hilton and Howick community can find their healthy free-range meat at Pick n Pay Fairways Mall and Biltong Barn at the Quarry Shopping Centre.

https://web.facebook.com/KZN-Game-Meat-106755381016172/ or info@kzngamebreeders.co.za

To further maximise the potential income in support of the management efforts to conserve this wild space and everything in it, the public can pre-order game hides including Zebra, Nyala, Impala and Blue Wildebeest. Funds generated through these sales will be directly invested into the reserve and its conservation efforts.

To place your Game Meat order and / or the hides, please contact Janinedp@wildtrust.co.za or call 082 326 2000  and you can directly contribute and promote responsible and ethical use of our collective natural resources. You can also contact Brian Pain of KZN Game Meat on 082 956 2288.

Visit our social media pages to view the latest promotional offers on FB and Instagram soon.

https://www.instagram.com/somkhanda_eco_tourism/

https://www.instagram.com/wildlandssa/

https://www.facebook.com/WildlandsConservationTrust/

With the unemployment of youth in South Africa standing at just over 50%, it is not surprising that the Youth employment sits high on the agenda of our government and the world at large. As we close off the Youth Month theme for 2020, “Youth Power: Growing South Africa together in the period of Covid-19,” Somkhanda Community Game Reserve has collaborated with Bhejane Nature training in order to address this issue for the youth of Northern KwaZulu-Natal.

This WILDLANDS managed reserve was formally proclaimed through the Land Reform process in 2005 by the local Gumbi community, has become one of the only community owned reserve success stories in South Africa and is set to continue its journey of development and capacity building for this community.

Bhejane Nature training are committed to developing Nature Guides and Conservation Entrepreneurs with a strong character and proud work ethic. “We offer Adventure and Environmental Awareness Courses as well as a comprehensive career training and specialist skills for school leavers and guides in the fields of nature guiding and wildlife conservation,” comments Dylan Panos of Bhejane Nature Training. https://www.bhejanenaturetraining.com/

Through this 3-year partnership with Bhejane as a FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) endorsed training provider, several individuals from the local and nearby communities of the reserve will be trained and qualified to be Nature and Trail Guides. Bhejane will annually train, mentor and register the Somkhanda staff with NQF2 and NQF4 VPDA qualifications. These selected youth will be provided with academic content, facilitation, SETA registration, wilderness first aid training, track and signs trailing qualifications, certification, and assessment fees. Further to this, all their fees and examination costs will be covered through the over R 1 000 000 funding that will be made available through this collaboration.

Meiring Prinsloo, Somkhanda Community Game Reserve Manager comments, “This collaboration with Bhejane Nature Training further indicates our commitment as a community owned reserve as one that is progressive and one that will leave a legacy for generations to come. Through empowering these youth, we will strengthen the reserve as one that can compete on an equal footing with the surrounding reserves as well as equip our future conservation guides with the knowledge to propel them forward in this conservation environment.”

As the government has begun to ease restrictions on movement and activities around the country on advanced alert level 3, training has resumed on site. Furthermore, all the Covid-19 precautions have been observed to ensure the safety of the youth, trainers, and staff on Somkhanda.

Follow the journey of this exciting collaboration on all our social media pages:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/WildlandsConservationTrust/

https://www.facebook.com/SomkhandaCommunityGameReserve/

https://www.facebook.com/bhejanenaturetraining